John Wesley

John Wesley (1703–1791) was an English Anglican cleric, theologian, and evangelist best known as the founder of Methodism. His disciplined spirituality, emphasis on personal holiness, and innovative organization of lay preachers transformed religious life in eighteenth-century Britain and shaped global Protestantism.

• Born: June 17, 1703, Epworth, Lincolnshire, England

• Died: March 2, 1791, London, England

• Education: Christ Church, University of Oxford

• Known for: Founding the Methodist movement

• Major influences: Moravian Church; Martin Luther’s writings on justification by faith

Early life and conversion

Raised in a devout Anglican family, Wesley studied at Oxford, where he led the “Holy Club,” whose members were mockingly dubbed “Methodists” for their methodical piety. After an unsuccessful mission to Georgia (1735–37), he experienced a decisive conversion on May 24, 1738, in London’s Aldersgate Street, feeling his “heart strangely warmed” while hearing Luther’s preface to Romans. That moment convinced him of salvation by faith alone and reoriented his ministry. 

Evangelical revival and organization

Barred from many pulpits, Wesley began open-air preaching in 1739 at the invitation of George Whitefield. Traveling over 250,000 miles on horseback, he preached tens of thousands of sermons to miners, laborers, and townspeople. To sustain converts, he organized “societies,” “classes,” and “bands” for worship, discipleship, and mutual accountability. This system empowered lay men and women as class leaders and itinerant preachers, laying the groundwork for a widespread evangelical revival. 

Wesley’s theology blended Anglican tradition, Reformation doctrine, and Arminian belief in free grace. He taught prevenient grace, God’s gift enabling all to respond in faith, and the possibility of “entire sanctification,” or perfect love of God and neighbor. His stress on practical holiness inspired efforts in education, prison reform, abolitionism, and healthcare. He viewed acts of mercy as evidence of inward grace, reflecting his conviction that “faith working through love” transforms both individuals and society.

At his death, Wesley oversaw more than 130,000 Methodist members and 500 preachers. His movement evolved into the Methodist Church and influenced later holiness and Pentecostal movements worldwide. Revered as a “brand plucked from the burning,” he left an enduring model of disciplined faith, social concern, and lay empowerment that continues to shape modern Christianity.