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our history
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| When John was five years old, there was a fire at the family home - the rectory at Epworth in Lincolnshire, where Samuel Wesley was rector. Most of the family escaped, but John was trapped in the nursery on the top floor. Fortunately a group of villagers pluck him to safety. From that day on he took as his motto "a brand plucked from the burning" (Zechariah 3:2) . |
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The First Methodists
In the course of time, John and Charles went up to Oxford University (they were ordained as Anglican priests during their time at Oxford, as most students were in those days). There they became zealous and earnest in their pursuit of God, and founded a club for likeminded individuals. They devoted all their time to God in various ways, reading scripture and devotional works, praying together, took weekly communion (most people at that time took the sacrament once or twice a year), visiting the sick and imprisoned and encouraging one and other in the pursuit of holiness. This club soon attracted a variety of derogatory names amongst the university students, including, 'The Holy Club', 'The Enthusaists', 'The Bible Moths' and the one that stuck 'The Methodists', which was given owing to the methodical approach these men had to religion.
In 1735 the brothers went to the new american colony of Georgia (intending to convert the natives). This expedition was not a great success, but on the way there they met a group of Moravians (a German Sect), who greatly impressed John with their quiet and deep faith.
Conversations with their leaders convinced John that despite his quest for holiness, he was missing something, and on his return he was in despair and considered giving up his ministry. Seeking advice from a Moravian friend he was advised "Preach faith till you have it, and then because you have it, you will preach faith." Doing this, he pressed on and then on 24th May, 1738 he had a remarkable experience (Charles had had a similar experience 3 days before). In John's own words: |
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"In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther's preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed . I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins , even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death. "
John Wesley's Journal, 1738
The Evangelical Revival
The Evangelical Revival was actually begun by George Whitefield, one of the founding members of the Holy Club. He had had a similar conversion experience to the Wesley's some years earlier, and had then gone out to Georgia with much more successful results than the Wesleys' visit. On his return to England he attracted large crowds to hear him preach with dramatic effects. Intending to return to America, he wrote to John Wesley for help with the work in England.
Wesley was initially unsure of Whitefield's methods, particularly open-air preaching, but the results of his preaching convinced him that this was indeed God's work, and part of the 'primitive christianity' he so desired (i.e. the forms of christianity practiced by the early church). The preaching was having spectacular results on a population that was not being reached by the established church, particularly the new industrial workers, such as the Kingswood miners.
The preaching was accompanied by effects on the listeners strongly reminiscent of modern charismatic phenomena - weeping, laughing speaking in tongues, demonic struggles and healings were common - despite John's rational scepticism about such events. Mobs often gathered intending to cause harm to Wesley or disrupt his preaching, but, he (perhaps miraculously) usually managed to avoid trouble.
Throughout his ministry Charles wrote an incredible number of hymns, over 6000, many of which are still sung today, and are rightly regarded as classics. It has always been said that Methodists sing their theology, and the profound yet simple verse which seems to have come so naturally to Charles' pen is the highest expression of that statement. His hymns include Love Divine, Hark The Herald Angels Sing, And Can It Be and many other classics. Some of his work can be read and heard at the cyber hymnal . |
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John, Charles and George Whitfield, along with many other preachers (ordained and lay), spent most of their lives from that point on touring the country, preaching the Good News in fields, houses and also the churches they had not been banned from (which were few). John organised the new converts into societies, which he linked together into his 'connexion' and governed according to strict rules. Although there were several different forms of early methodism, Wesley's organisational skills ensured his was the brand that survived. The independent societies mostly did not survive for very long after their founders' deaths. |
The societies met several times during the week for a packed programme including preaching, hymn singing, bible study, encouragement, mutual confession and ministry to the sick and imprisoned.
Although John and Charles dearly wished to remain within the Church of England, and maintained right to the end that methodism was not a separate church, John believed that the will of God was more important than rigid formality, and thus had taken a number of steps (open air preaching, lay leadership, ordination of ministers to America) which had angered and alienated the Anglican authorities. Within a few years of John Wesley's death, the Methodist Societies became the Methodist Church.
Splits, Growth & Reunion
Despite Wesley taking a keen interest in political issues whilst alive (including his famous encouragment of William Wilberforce in his quest to abolish slavery), by the beginning of the 19th century, the (Wesleyan) Methodists were acquiring a degree of respectability and sought to minimize activities which might be interpreted as seditious.
Two men from Stoke, Hugh Bourne and William Clowes, were not content to stick to the new conventions. They insisted that Methodism had abandoned the field preaching which it had started from, and in 1807 they held a 'Camp Meeting' at Mow Cop, a barren hill on the border of Staffordshire and Cheshire, which attracted 4000 people.
Over 'a day and a night and a day' the assembled crowd, equipped with improvised camping equipment, held a prayer meeting interspersed with 'revival addresses'. The Wesleyan Conference was horrified at the gathering of such a potential army (at a time of several revolutions in Europe) and felt compelled to expel the offenders. |
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Thus were born the Primitive Methodists. Another similar split involved groups in the West Country known as 'Bible Christians' and the 'New Connexion' who had been unable to comply with the wishes of the conference. Further splits by 'Protestant Methodists' and 'Wesleyan Reformers' followed, but despite these secessions all the sections of Methodism grew rapidly during the nineteenth century.
As well as the tremendous numerical growth many other new facets were established, including overseas mission. The Trade Unions and Co-Operative movements were both founded by groups of Methodists, who have had since Wesley's time a strong social conscience.
Another key trend in the Victorian era was the move closer to the non-conformist churches, which occured as a reaction to the Oxford Movement towards Catholic practices taking place within the Anglican church.
By 1932 all of the separate branches of Methodism listed above had been reunited into today's Methodist Church, which has been able to retain the better parts of each tradition and encompasses a wide spectrum of theological opinion.
Methodism Today
The Methodist Church today, although diminished in numbers in Britain, is larger than ever worldwide thanks to the overseas churches which grew out of earlier and ongoing missionary work.
In the UK most towns and cities, and many villages still have a methodist presence. The call to social action remains a key feature of our beliefs and the church is involved in much charitable work at local, national and international levels.
Today a re-union with the Church of England seems possible, and the Anglican-Methodist covenant currently being worked through aims to bring this goal closer to fruition. Many churches at a local level (including Gaywood in our circuit) are now working very closely together with christians of other denominations (including URC, Baptist and others as well as Anglicans), sharing buildings and worship together.
For more about the current values, calling and vision of the Methodist Church, please read the other articles in the about us section.
Methodists in Kings Lynn
Wesley visited King's Lynn several times on his preaching tours and was impressed by the local inhabitants. "In the evening I preached at Bury [St Edmund's] ; and on Wednesday , 6, rode on, through heavy rain, to Lynn. The people 'received the word with joy;' though few, as yet, had any 'root in themselves.' Thursday , 7. I was desired by the prisoners to give them a word of exhortation. They received it with the utmost eagerness. Who knows but one or two may retain it? In the evening, those who could not get in were noisy at first; but in a while they went quietly away… Lynn seems to be considerably larger than Yarmouth: I believe it stands on double the ground; and the houses in general are better built: Some of them are little palaces. The market place is a spacious and noble square, more beautiful than either that at Yarmouth or Norwich; and the people are quite of another turn, affable and humane. They have the openness and frankness common throughout the county; and they add to it good-nature and courtesy. "
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