John Wesley, (1703–1791)Anglican clergyman, evangelist, and cofounder of Methodism. The 15th child of a former Nonconformist minister, he graduated from the University of Oxford and became a priest in the Church of England in 1728. From 1729 he participated in a religious study group in Oxford organized by his brother Charles (1707–88), its members being dubbed the “Methodists” for their emphasis on methodical study and devotion. Its numbers grew, and it began to undertake social and charitable activities. After a largely unsuccessful mission to the colony of Georgia in North America (1735–37), they returned to London, where they came under the influence of the Moravian church. In 1738, inspired by the theology of Martin Luther, both men had a religious experience that convinced them that salvation was possible through faith alone. Zealous evangelists, they had great success in preaching to the masses in the succeeding decades. In 1784 John began ordaining ministers himself when the bishop of London refused to do so (despite Charles’s disapproval) and declared his independence from the Church of England. The two wrote several thousand hymns, including “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing” and “Christ the Lord Is Ris’n Today.”
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Church of England Summary
Church of England, English national church that traces its history back to the arrival of Christianity in Britain during the 2nd century. It has been the original church of the Anglican Communion since the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. As the successor of the Anglo-Saxon and medieval English
Methodism Summary
Methodism, 18th-century movement founded by John Wesley that sought to reform the Church of England from within. The movement, however, became separate from its parent body and developed into an autonomous church. The World Methodist Council (WMC), an association of churches in the Methodist
creed Summary
Creed, an authoritative formulation of the beliefs of a religious community (or, by transference, of individuals). The terms “creed” and “confession of faith” are sometimes used interchangeably, but when distinguished “creed” refers to a brief affirmation of faith employed in public worship or