Methodism

Methodism began as a revival movement within the Church of England, led by brothers John and Charles Wesley and George Whitefield. The name derived from the methodical way the Wesley brothers and their fellow students at Oxford University practiced spiritual disciplines, including prayer, Bible study, and visiting prisoners. John Wesley's 1738 Aldersgate experience, where he felt his heart "strangely warmed," became a defining moment, though he later distanced himself from some of Whitefield's Calvinist emphases.

Wesleyan theology is Arminian, emphasizing free will and the possibility of salvation for all. Central doctrines include prevenient grace, justifying grace, and sanctifying grace—the latter leading to entire sanctification or Christian perfection, a state of perfect love toward God and neighbor. Wesley also stressed the "means of grace" such as the Lord's Supper, prayer, and fasting.

Methodism spread rapidly in Britain and America through itinerant preachers and lay leadership. In the United States, the Christmas Conference of 1784 formally established the Methodist Episcopal Church, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as superintendents. The movement grew dramatically during the Second Great Awakening, becoming the largest Protestant denomination in America by the mid-19th century.

Methodist polity is connectional, with churches organized into circuits, districts, and annual conferences. The General Conference is the highest legislative body in the United Methodist Church. Historically, bishops provided spiritual and administrative oversight, though some branches, such as the African Methodist Episcopal Church, emerged due to racial discrimination in the 18th century.

Methodism has been a powerful force for social reform. John Wesley opposed slavery, and early American Methodists were among the first religious bodies to condemn it. The movement championed education, founding schools and colleges, and promoted temperance and prison reform. In the 20th century, Methodists were active in the civil rights movement, with leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., who was a Baptist minister but drew on Wesleyan social teaching.

Today, Methodism is a global family, with the United Methodist Church being the largest branch, followed by the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the Church of the Nazarene, and the Wesleyan Church. The World Methodist Council, founded in 1881, links over 80 denominations. In 2020, the United Methodist Church announced a split over LGBTQ inclusion, reflecting ongoing tensions between traditional and progressive wings.

Methodism's influence extends beyond obvious religious boundaries. The holiness movement, which emerged from Methodism in the 19th century, gave rise to Pentecostalism, making Wesleyan theology a key root of modern charismatic Christianity. Charles Wesley wrote over 6,000 hymns, many still sung across denominations, such as "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" and "O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing."

Methodists pioneered small-group accountability through "class meetings," a model later adopted by many recovery programs. The movement also produced notable figures like Susanna Wesley, called the "Mother of Methodism," who educated her children at home. In the 19th century, Methodist missionary work in Africa and Asia established thriving churches, and today the largest Methodist populations are in Africa, particularly in Nigeria and Kenya. The United Methodist Church's Social Principles, first adopted in 1908, remain a landmark in Christian social ethics.

Arminianism

Theological system emphasizing free will and universal atonement, opposed to Calvinism.

Sanctification

The process of becoming holy, culminating in entire sanctification or Christian perfection.

Itinerant preacher

A minister who travels on a circuit, a hallmark of early Methodism.

Connectionalism

The principle that Methodist churches are linked in a network of mutual support and accountability.