(updated 2/5/06 )

Methodist 101 > History

Methodist 101

Methodist History

Methodism began in the 18th century. It started as a movement within the Anglican Church, the Church of England. John Wesley was the founder of Methodism. It began while he was at Oxford , England studying for the priesthood in the Church of England. John and his brother Charles formed a small group for the purpose of growing spiritually in their daily lives. The groups were then called "societies" and they met weekly. They were dedicated to the study of the Bible, fasting, prayer, Holy Communion weekly, and the self examination with input from others in the group. These early small groups followed a strict method for their meetings. Other students teased the society members, sometime to the point of ridicule, for seeking to grow in faith by a "method." Soon the societies were commonly referred to as the "Methodist."

In 1735, John and Charles sailed to theamerican colony of Georgia as missionaries to the pioneers and Indians. The Wesleys returns to England 2 years later. In England , John with Charles and a friend, George Whitefiled spread the Word of God's love and salvation throughout Britain. The neglected poor and lower classes were given their first hope of salvation and their first incentive to lead better lives through Christ. Services were held anywhere - in fields, barns, abandoned buildings, even mining pits. Soon the small group and the preach-anywhere "method" were transferred to theamericas . And the movement began to grow. From a distance Wesley organized a network of traveling preachers who made the rounds to distant communities preaching, baptizing and organizing.

On Christmas Eve of 1784, 60 american Methodist preachers met in Baltimore , Maryland to form the Methodist Episcopal Church. In the following years, the church expanded along the frontier. Rugged young men, filled with evangelical spirit, brought the message of God's love and salvation to people in outlying areas. And like their British counterparts, the early circuit riding preachers developed the reputation of meeting anywhere - horseback or on foot, in pastures, barns, saloons and homes.

During the 19 th century, a number of churches withdrew from the main body of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Conflicts resulted from disagreements about such issues as church authority and slavery, rather than differences in religious doctrine. In 1939 some of that separation was brought together in a merger that changed the name of the denomination to The Methodist Church. In 1968 another unification occurred and the United Methodist Church was formed.