Early Methodism: Beginnings and Revival

How did a small group of Oxford students shape a global movement? Today, Stephen Nichols traces the early roots of Methodism, from high moral standards and revival preaching to its growth in Great Britain and colonial America.

Welcome back to another episode of 5 Minutes in Church History. On this episode, we are looking at the development of Methodism, especially in Great Britain, but also in the Colonial period of the United States. And in the early Republic, Methodism began at Oxford University. There as students were George Whitfield, the brothers, Charles Wesley and John Wesley. And they were joined by some of their classmates, and they formed The Holiness Club. This club focused on prayer, on Bible study, on visiting the sick and visiting prisoners, and also holding each other to high moral standards. It's interesting to note that at this time, Charles Wesley and John Wesley were not converted. They were likely, as it were, trying to white knuckle themselves into heaven. And eventually they'd realize that's not how you get there. But this is the beginnings of Methodism. The word even appears here because they were following a strict method for their lives. And so it was a bit of a derogatory term aimed at them, Methodism.

Well, the next phase in its development there in Great Britain came in the 1740s. This is the time of the Great Awakening, a transatlantic event in Great Britain. It happened something like this: George Whitfield was preaching this sermon, Charles Wesley also preached a sermon by the same title, “The Almost Christian.” And they would go into Anglican churches and they would say, “Do you know who the almost Christian is? Well, it's you because you are in church, but you're not converted.” So that didn't go well with ministers of these congregations. And so Whitfield and the Wesley Brothers found themselves uninvited from pulpits, and they simply turned to the open fields and began field preaching, and they would preach to large crowds. Tens of thousands would gather to hear them preach.

Whitfield, by far, was much more dramatic preacher than the Wesley Brothers. It was said sometimes of the Wesley Brothers that they would watch them preach, and then they would finally see an arm move, and that's how they knew they were not statues up there and were actually people. They were heckled, and sometimes more than heckled. Tomatoes and even rocks were thrown at them, and sometimes they had to escape in carriages and were carried away. But in many places, they found receptive audiences. They would go up to New Castle, the coal region. This was swaths of forgotten poor people. And you can picture the audience, these hardtack coal miners with their calloused hands and their lined faces, and they're covered in the soot of the coal mines. And up there, Whitfield, Wesley preaching, they're feeling repentance. Tears are coming to them, and the tears leave these streaks through the coal smudges on their face. And so, Methodism as a movement is fastly growing.

Well, let's go over to the us. Francis Asbury is sent over to the colonies, and he is circuit riding up and down the eastern seaboard. But then in 1784, the year after the Treaty of Paris and the establishment of the independence of the United States as a sovereign nation, John Wesley Ordains, Thomas Coke as superintendent for the US. He goes to America. Coke meets up with Asbury at Delaware, they travel over to Baltimore, and we have the Christmas conference, and we have Methodism in the United States.

Well, back to Great Britain. In the 1750s and 60s, Wesley realized that he needed some kind of training for his lay teachers. And so he put together a set of books, a library of 50 books. It was called The Christian Library. And the subtitle is Consisting of Extracts and Abridgement of Practical Divinity, which have been Published in the English tongue. Wesley wanted these to be portable, and they were the education for these early Methodist ministers and lay leaders.

Fifthly, and lastly, we will go back to the United States and talk about Methodism on the frontier. The frontier of the United States, which really at that time was Pittsburgh and Points West. But we'll have to pick up this story next time on 5 Minutes in Church History. So that's four developments of Early Methodism. I'm Steve Nichols and thanks for listening to 5 Minutes in Church History.