Wesley Methodist Church is a

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

church located next to Christ's Pieces in central

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...

, England. The church was founded in 1913 "to attract and retain, and not repel, the young Methodists who come to this

University A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

", in the words of the then President of the Wesleyan Methodist Conference. The church was built to replace an earlier Wesleyan Methodist church on Hobson Street, built in 1849, whose site was developed for the County Hall of Cambridgeshire. It is named for

John Wesley John Wesley ( ; 2 March 1791) was an English cleric, Christian theology, theologian, and Evangelism, evangelist who was a principal leader of a Christian revival, revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. The societies ...

, a founder of

Methodism Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

. The structure is characteristic of the

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...

style of architecture. It was extensively refurbished in 1990 at a cost of £1.3 million. An 1844 William Hill organ was installed in the 1990 refurbishment. Wesley is one of thirteen churches in the Cambridge

Methodist Circuit The organisation of the Methodist Church of Great Britain is based on the principle of connexionalism. This means that British Methodism, from its inception under John Wesley (1703–1791), has always laid strong emphasis on mutual support, in ...

, and one of two Methodist churches in the city of Cambridge, with the other in Castle Street. The building is now a focus for various social activities; it is a working church with daily prayer and several Sunday services each week. Cambridge Student Methodist Society (MethSoc), a student group, holds its weekly meetings in the church's "Upper Room". The church has close links to other Methodist institutions in Cambridge, including Wesley House theological college, and

The Leys School The Leys School is a co-educational private school in Cambridge, England. It is a boarding and day school for about 565 pupils between the ages of eleven and eighteen. The head is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. ...

References

External links

* Methodist churches in Cambridge 20th-century church buildings in England Churches completed in 1913 1913 establishments in England {{Methodist-stub