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John WesleyChristian evangelist and theologian
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Denomination History, Practices and Beliefs IntroductionJohn Wesley is an English clergyman and Christian theologian who is credited with being the founder of Methodism. John and his younger brother, Charles, arrived in America February 6, 1736 at Cockspur Island, Georgia. The Wesley brothers were leaders of the evangelical revival in the Church of England in the eighteenth century. Both brothers attended Oxford University and they were both ordained before they went to the American colony. John Wesley was sent as a missionary and Charles was sent as secretary to Governor Oglethorpe. John Wesley was a parish priest in Savannah, Georgia. His first mission was to convert the Indians and regulate the religious life of the early colonists. He felt this mission was a failure. There were charges brought against him and John was forced to depart back to England in 1738. These charges were leveled against him because he revised the Book of Common Prayer. Both John and Charles were powerful preachers and greatly loved. John was the most influential. They traveled an average of eight thousand mile in a year on horseback. Charles Wesley wrote over five thousand hymns that are sang in most Christian churches today. There are many churches that follow the teachings of Wesley today. The largest of the Wesleyan doctrine is the United Methodist Church. His theological interpretations are a basis for the Holiness movement, Pentecostalism, and part of the Charismatic movement, and the Christian and Missionary Alliance. John Wesley founded a school, Kingswood School, in 1748 to educate the children of the Methodist preachers. The most famous contribution by John Wesley is his Covenant Prayer used in Christian liturgy. John Wesley began many social justice issues in his ministries like abolitionism and the prison reform movements. He was not afraid to oppose theological standards. His greatest achievement was using the term “Christian perfection”, or holiness of heart and life. Wesley believed that in life Christians could come to a state where the love of God, the perfect love, should be the most important in a Christian’s life and heart. John Wesley remained within the Church of England and insisted that his movement was within the bounds of the Anglican Church. His nonconformist use of the policy of the church put him at odds with the authorities of the Church of England, however, he was usually widely respected regardless. History John Wesley was born June 17, 1703 and died in March 2, 1791, in Epworth England. John was the fifteenth child and had eighteen brothers and sisters. His father was a rector of the Church of England Church. He had been rescued from a fire in the rectory at age six. This rescue left its mark on John who considered himself as a child of providence. John was taught to read when he was five years old at home by his parents. He went to London to the Charterhouse School in 1713 and in 1720 John entered Christ Church College in Oxford England. He received his Master of Arts in 1727. John Wesley was ordained in 1725, the same year when John Wesley received his conversion and started looking for religious truths. This is also the same year the great revival of the eighteenth century started for John Wesley. He devoted himself to a godly life by seeking after holiness of heart and of life. While John Wesley was a parish priest in Savannah, Georgia, he started the first Sunday school in Georgia, had an unhappy love affair and believed his first mission was a failure. His first mission was to convert the Indians and regulate the religious life of the early colonists. John Wesley felt this mission was a failure and became depressed and felt beaten. Charges were brought against him for revising the Book of Common Prayer, and he departed back to England in 1738. John Wesley returned to England and joined the Moravians, with whom he became acquainted with in Georgia. He was deeply moved by a reading of the Epistle to the Romans, and this reading was credited with leading his journey of faith. John Wesley never stopped preaching the importance of faith for salvation and for the witness of the Spirit of God to the believers. Wesley left the Moravians in London in the late 1739 after helping them organize the Fetter Lane society. Wesley felt the Moravians had fallen into heresies and formed his own society. It was from 1739 forward that the Wesley brothers and the Methodists were persecuted by ordained clergymen. The Methodists were persecuted from the pulpit, in print and attacked by mobs. They were accused as being religious rebels, spreading strange doctrines, purposely leading people astray, claiming to have miraculous gifts and the most terrible act of attacking the clergy of the Church of England who were trying to reestablish Catholicism. John Wesley believed he was commissioned by God to bring about a revival in the church. There was no amount of persecution, obstacles or opposition that was going to stop him from accomplishing his divine commission. Wesley believed the church had failed in its duty to call sinners to repentance. He was unwilling for people to perish in their sins, so the Wesley brothers started field preaching, when they were unable to preach from the pulpit. When the Wesley brothers started field preaching they needed help, resulting in the approval of lay preaching. These men and women were not ordained, but still permitted to preach and to do pastoral work. He could not start individual churches, so he started societies which multiplied and became stronger. They adopted the Wesleyan religious system, causing a chasm between Wesley and the Church of England. Wesley refused to leave the Church of England as some of his followers advised. He would remain faithful in his attempts to make any concessions that his conscience would permit in order to live in harmony with the clergy. He would not give up the doctrine of and salvation by faith alone. Wesley was not willing to stop preaching or using lay preachers, who were not ordained to administer baptism or the Lord’ Supper. He traveled on horseback preaching two and three times a day. He formed societies and opened chapels. He commissioned preachers and prescribed for the sick and needy. John Wesley lived a simple life, but never inactive. He died peacefully after suffering a short illness March 2, 1791. He left for his legacy the Methodist movement. The Methodists separated from the Anglican Church just after the death of Wesley. His brother, Charles Wesley, wrote over five thousand hymns including the most famous "Jesu, Lover of My Soul," and "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing," "Love Divine," "All Loves Excelling," "Oh for a Thousand Tongues to Sing" and so many more. Charles died in 1788. Belief The most important message from John Wesley was focused on the love of God. He told people if they loved God in return, they would be saved from sin and made holy. He encouraged hard work and saving for the future and warned against the dangers of gambling and drinking. He emphasized the coming of grace, present personal salvation by faith, sanctification, and the witness of the Spirit. John Wesley believed the witness of the Spirit was an inward impression on the soul of all believers where the Spirit of God directly testifies to their spirit that they are the children of God. He taught sanctification is what God has lodged with the people called Methodists which was obtainable immediately by faith, between justification and death. Wesley believed those who are perfect in love feel no sin. John Wesley taught justification was pardon and the forgiveness of sin. He believed it was the act of God the Father, for the sake of the propitiation made by the blood of His son that shows His righteousness by the remission of sins. |
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MLA Style Citation: About the Author
Joanne B. Holstein is a Becker Bible Studies Teacher and author of Guided Bible Studies for Hungry Christians. She is a Christian Counseling student of Liberty University, and a Homeschool parent and child advocate. She is well-known as a counsleor to Christian faithful who are struggling with tremendous burden in these difficult times. She is a leading authority on the history of development of the Christian churches and the practices and beliefs of world religions and cults. |
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