Methodists

(Founded in London, England by John, and Charles Wesley 1738) Began as movement from within the Church of England. John Wesley is quoted as saying, “The Church of England has never had a more faithful son than I!”.

However, they would apply a more Arminianist outlook on the Anglican Churches’ 39 articles of Religion. Although the brothers only traveled to America once, as missionaries in 1736, they quickly returned home, dejected and down about their experience. Then in 1738 they both would have a “religious experience” whereby they were awakened and began to preach a Christian lifestyle within the church, based on the “Methods” used by their grandmother. Thus Methodism was born. The most prolific of speakers for this movement, was a pupil of the Wesley brothers named George Whitefield. Whitefield was a thespian in his early years but came to preach against the theater. It is Whitefield’s preaching in America that is responsible for the growth of the largest Methodist population in the world. Whitefield drew large crowds wherever he preached and was responsible for much of the growth of Methodism in Scotland as well.