Week Five: The Methodist Movement

The Methodist Movement

Hello everyone, and welcome to week four of the History of the Church!

This week is going to be a little bit different than most others, because while we normally have been going through in a chronological order, attempting not to lose the forest in the trees, this week we’re going to be focusing one particular corner of the story of the Church, and that is the Methodist Movement.

In doing so, I want to remind everyone of why we are here in the first place, and that reason is because we want to identify, throughout the history of the Church, a piece of who we are and what we believe based on those that go before us.

Therefore, I think that, as a Methodist Church, we ought to know out of what circumstances our movement was born in, and how that plays into what we do today.

The Remonstrance

Alright, so last week we talked about the various reformations that took place beginning in the fifteenth century.

Several weeks ago, we saw the first church split between the Roman Catholic church and the Eastern Orthodox church, which happened in 1054.

But last week, we witnessed the birth of the Protestant Reformation, which began when Martin Luther posted the 95 Theses to the front door of the church he led in Wittenberg. From his legacy we see the development of the Lutheran Church, and inspired by the movement led by Luther we see the birth of the Reformed or Presbyterian church by the work of Zwingli and Calvin. We also talked about the Anabaptists, who sprung from the Reformed church in opposition to several of it’s teachings.

But we ended by talking about the Pietist movement, whose most notable members came from the Lutheran tradition, and the English Reformation which had protestant theology with Catholic practice and structure.

The Remonstrance

In 1610, a debate known as the Remonstrance shook Christianity to it’s core and made all parties begin to choose sides.

This debate came as the result of disagreements between John Calvin and Jacob Arminius , who disputed Calvin on several accounts.

In 1610, a group of Arminius’ followers penned what is now known as the Five Articles of the Remonstrants:

Conditional Election

Unlimited Atonement

Deprivation

Resistible Grace

Falling from Grace

In 1619, the Synod of Dort developed the Five Points of Calvinism:

Total Depravity

Unconditional Election

Limited Atonement

Irresistible Grace

Perseverance of the Saints

This is important when thinking about the Church of England, because while it remained Catholic in practice, early on it aligned theologically with the Reformed movement, or in other words, they had become Calvinistic in many ways.

As the debate was heating up, a new centrist postion arose in the Church of England known as The Caroline Divines .

Two Major Concerns

Christian Primitivism

In other words, they emphasized the study and practices of the fathers and mothers of the Early Church.

Calvinism

They addressed 2 major problems with Calvinism: Double Predestination and Antinomianism (Anti-Law).

The Wesley Family

The grandparents on both sides of John Wesley’s family tree were members of the Caroline Divines.

John Westley and Samuel Annesley were both clergy in the Church of England, and both members of this group known as the Caroline Divines.

Eventually, their children Samuel Wesley and Susanna Annesley marry each other, and Samuel becomes the parish priest at St. Andrews Church in Epworth, Lincolnshire.

John Benjamin Wesley was born on June 28, 1703, and his brother Charles Wesley was born on December 18, 1707.

In 1709, the childhood home of the Wesley brothers at Epworth was burned to the ground, and while Samuel, Susanna, and Charles made it out quickly and safely, John was nowhere to be found.

Samuel began praying fervently, and eventually Susanna sees John appear in the upstairs window. All of a sudden, as the fire is roaring, it is said that little John Wesley, six years old at the time, jumps out of the second story window into the arms of a passerby seconds before the entire building collapses.

His parents claimed that from that day forward he had been “a brand plucked from the burning.”

In 1709, John becomes “a brand plucked from the burning .”

From that day forward, Susanna took to teaching her two sons fervently about the gospel, believing that God had big plans in store for them.

Both John and Charles went on to do great things, and . . .

In 1726, Charles begins study at Oxford, and John is elected as a fellow and lecturer of Lincoln College at Oxford.

John also became curate at St. Andrews Church at Epworth in 1726.

The First Rise of Methodism: Oxford (1729-1735)

The first rise of Methodism began at Oxford in 1729, when John, Charles, and their close friend William Morgan were all located there for a variety of reasons.

These three were very serious about their faith, and agreed to meet each other four nights throughout the week to study the Church Fathers.

In their spare time, they focused on ministering to prisoners, teaching orphans, providing food, clothes, and more to the poor, widows, and children.

Eventually, others began to notice what this group was doing.

Some mocked them, calling them a “Holy Club,” “Bible Moths,” and of course, “Methodists.”

Eventually, the group took the name of the “ Oxford Holy Club .”

While some mocked and teased them, others joined them, growing the group to over 20 students before John and Charles were eventually called to be missionaries to Georgia.

The Second Rise of Methodism: Georgia (1735-1737)

Both John Wesley and Charles Wesley, as well as their good friend, Benjamin Ingham, were sent as missionaries to the colony of Georgia.

On their way to Georgia, John Wesley had a crisis of faith.

Their ship was caught in a storm.

John feared for his life.

The Moravians , a pietist Lutheran group, were singing songs of joy.

Perplexed by their singing, John asked them why.

What they said in response was so significant to John that he wrote it down in his journal from that day:

“They claimed that they had no fear, for God was with them.”

In his continued journal entry, John Wesley began to wonder if he had truly had faith at all.

As a man who studied the Church Fathers who literally died for what they believed in, and who believed in the Holy Spirit’s ability to influence a holy life, he could not understand why he could not trust God in the same way that the Moravians did.

This crisis of faith continued as John made it to America, where . . .

John Wesley chose to be mentored by the leader of the Moravians, Peter Bohler .

Bohler was an evangelical .

Convinced Wesley that all believers must have an experience of saving faith.

Evidenced by:

1) Freedom from Sin

2)Absence of Doubts

3) Love, Peace, and Joy

John Wesley wrote in his journals that they hadn’t experienced a single one of those three pieces of evidence, and therefore wondered if he should stop preaching.

Bohler to Wesley: “Preach faith until you have it.”

And preach faith he did, but Wesley wasn’t very popular with the colonists.

Mostly because he tried to push the very methodical practices of the Oxford Holy Club upon them, and they weren’t having it.

The Wesley’s time in Georgia came to end with the Sophy Hopkey Controversy.

John fell in love with Sophy, but was too busy with his ministry and refused to engage her in marriage.

After waiting some time, she decided to become engaged to another man.

John refused her communion, and was run out of the country.

However, this did not end the Methodist Movement in America, not by a long shot. Because . . .

Meanwhile in London, a young man named George Whitefield became the leader of the Holy Club at Oxford.

Whitefield was a very popular preacher, and he did what no others would be willing to do (preached outside), and thousands gathered to watch him preach.

Wesley said regarding him: “Light yourself on fire with passion, and people will come from all over the world to watch you burn.”

When Wesley returned, he discovered that Whitefield was on his way to Georgia.

Wesley sent him a letter to dissuade him, but Whitefield ignored it.

It turns out that Whitefield was just as popular in America as he was in London.

Ben Franklin, a noted agnostic, came to hear him preach regularly.

He even wrote telling people to empty their pockets before hearing him, because he could convince the greediest of men to give all that they had to the cause.

He was there for only a few months, and in that time he was able to start 3 schools, including a school for girls.

The Third Rise of Methodism: London (1738-1744)

Meanwhile, back in London, Wesley had his evangelical experience.

I should start by mentioning that Wesley is having a bad time at this point.

First, there is this charismatic new leader in the Methodist Movement who is several years younger than Wesley, and while he failed to bring Methodist thought and practice to Georgia, Whitefield was able to.

To rub it in a little further, John Wesley had been preaching faith in hopes of having his evangelical experience, but . . .

Charles Wesley has his evangelical experience first (May 21, 1738, Pentecost Sunday).

Charles was very ill.

He had what is called pleurisy, and the way that they cured pleurisy back in those days was that they would drain blood from your body using leeches and other means.

One night, as his nurse was in another room praying for Charles’ healing, Charles claims having experienced intense heart palpitations and was healed.

Heart palpitations and healing

Needless to say, John was a bit jealous.

First, Whitefield does what he was unable to do in converting the colonists towards Methodism, and this his younger brother has an evangelical experience before he does.

Three days later, Wesley went to a Moravian bible study at Aldersgate street in London. (May 24, 1738)

In his journals, he admits that he did not want to go.

However, as they were studying Paul’s letter to the Romans, John claimed to have experienced:

“My heart strangely warmed . . . [I knew] God forgives sin, even mine.”

Following this, however, John still doubted his experience, wondering why he didn’t have the joy in all circumstances that Bohler had claimed he would have.

Seeking answers, John travelled to Saxony, Germany to meet a man named Count Zinzendorf , the leader of the Moravians.

It was in Saxony that Wesley learned that Zinzendorf (and the majority of Moravians) had a different opinion than Bohler.

In Saxony, Wesley learned the following about the Moravians:

The English Moravians (Bohler) equated faith with assurance. The German Moravians (Zinzendorf) did not.

They equated justification with sanctification (Lutheran).

They extended imputed righteousness to imparted righteousness

In other words, Jesus’ righteousness = our righteousness

Wesley eventually learned that his problem was caused by his attempts to fit Lutheran theology into his own Arminian background.

This resulted in an increasing break with the Moravians, but . . .

Wesley took organizational elements from the Moravians, while leaving much of their theology behind.

Gathering Structures (Class Meetings, Band Meetings, Etc.)

Love Feast

Wesley had two very important discovers following his trip to Saxony:

Two Important Post-Saxony Discoveries for Wesley

The discovery of Jonathan Edwards’ A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God (1737).

Written testimonies of the various conversion experiences at Northampton, where Edwards served as a pastor.

In response to this, Wesley lists five aspects of one’s “new life in Christ”:

New judgments of oneself and of what makes true happinesss and holiness.

New purposes in life.

New desires, passions, and inclinations.

A new manner of personal comportment in one’s dealings with others.

New actions which either “spring from, or lead to, the love of God and man.”

Although God’s work was not finished, Wesley realized that it had already begun in him. This is the birth of the gradual sanctification that becomes Wesley’s hallmark.

The rediscovery of Thomas Cranmer’s Book of Homilies, and his sermons on salvation, faith, and good works.

Wesley offered two corrections:

Assurance and faith are different. Full assurance is not necessary during conversion. Lack of faith is not equal to not having faith (there are degrees).

Conversion is not equal with perfection. There is freedom from the reigns of sin instead of the remains of sin.

Assurance is different from salvation. Assurance comes in degrees too. Salvation does not depend on whether or not you feel you are saved.

In the midst of these theological developments of Wesley came what is known as The Evangelical Revival.

Began at the Fetter Lane Pentecost

Methodism at this point is still a movement within the Church of England, and so the Methodists often met in homes throughout the week and went to Anglican churches on Sunday mornings.

On January 1, 1739 the main Holy Club members as well as 60 others were gathered at a Love Feast. At 3AM, the Holy Spirit moved and people cried out for exceeding joy, and many fell to the ground. (Laughter and Slain in the Spirit).

Continued with the Wesley’s going ‘ vile .’

On April 2, 1739 John Wesley was persuaded to preach outdoors by George Whitefield at the Brick-Field outside Bristol.

Began witnessing the Manifestations of the Spirit as people were being overcome while John was preaching.

Charles Wesley preached there as well.

Ended with two splits within the Methodist Movement

Began witnessing the manifestations of the Spirit

Formal Split with the Moravians

Philip Molther visited the Fetter Lane meeting and told the Moravians present that they should stop participating in the sacraments because he was offput by the charismatic events that occured. He believed they were acts of sin and madness.

Known as the “Stillness” Controversy.

This led to an occurance in June of 1740, when 23 men and 48 women followed the Wesleys out of the Fetter Lane Society to found the foundry Chapel.

The Methodists left Fetter Lane and founded Foundry Chapel.

Formal Split with Whitefield (or the Calvinist Methodists)

Wesley (Free Grace) vs Whitefield (Election)

Wesley preached a sermon at Bristol in 1739 called, “Free Grace.”

He had it published and distributed.

In this sermon, Wesley raises the question, “Why should we preach if election is true?”

Whitefield gets a copy of the sermon and wrote him a letter saying that, “If we don’t know who is elect, we ought to preach promiscuously to all.”

These splits led to the Methodist Movement becoming more organized, and dare I say, methodical.

Methodist Organization Takes Shape

The United Societies are founded, not as independent churches, but as places of worship throughout the week. (Ex. The Foundry Chapel in London, The New Room in Bristol). They are united by The General Rules.

Class Meetings emerge out of The United Societies.

Mandatory, not optional; If you were in the society, you were in a class meeting.

The original intention of the class meeting was to help erase debts.

These class meetings were a combined group of 12 men and women, and the reason they had twelve people is because everyone was asked to give one penny a week. Twelve pence is one shilling.

Class leaders would then collect the money, and help pay the debts of those who couldn’t pay for themselves.

Discovered spiritual issues as well, and began to inquire about the spiritual state of those gathered.

Band Meetings are developed to promote social holiness.

Optional, Small Groups

Organized around gender and marital status

Answered The Following Questions Each Week:

What known sins have you committed since our last meeting?

What temptations have you been met with?

How were you delivered?

What have you thought, said, or done, of which you doubt whether it be a sin or not?

Have you anything that you desire to keep secret?

Wesley begins holding quarterly meetings, in which he travels from one society to another interviewing leaders and putting to trial every member of the class.

Wesley gave away tickets to those who passed examination. These tickets were used for admittance to the Love Feast, Society Meetings, and more until 1765.

Some were even buried with them!

What is known as a “Charge Conference” today.

John Wesley also formed the Wesleyan Conference, which was designed to bring more connection among the societies.

Focused on what to teach, how to teach it, and what to do.

Eventually became “Annual Conference”

Finally, Wesley developed a fairly extensive ministry for the poor which blossomed in the societies.

Works of mercy were taught as a means of grace

Sacrifice of goods was encouraged

Deed-based evangelism

Providing healthcare

Wesley even wrote a book called “Primitive Physick: Easy and Natural Method of Curing Most Diseases” which all Society Leaders were trained in.

The Methodists In America

Members of the Methodist Movement eventually made their way to America creating societies in Maryland, New York, and Philadelphia.

The Methodists in America begin writing to Wesley, begging him to send qualified preachers to the colonies.

By 1776, the Methodist Movement had 5,000 members in America with a total of 24 preachers who were making their rounds in 12 circuits.

At the onslaught of the Revolutionary War, the Methodist Movement in America was in a crisis of conscience.

Preachers were afraid due to their ties with the Church of England

Wesley made matters worse by writing to the colonies to criticize them for their call for independence.

Many of the preachers sent by Wesley were ‘rescued’ by the British Navy to return to England, except for a man named Francis Asbury who refused to leave.

Asbury himself hid in an attic in Delaware for more than two years, because he was a conscientious objector, and he feared being killed as a traitor.

By the end of the war, Asbury writes to Wesley about the Methodist communities still in America. He told them about their lack of baptism and communion, which Wesley was very emphatic about.

Wesley attempted to send Anglican priests to America, but was denied.

Begins reading more emphatically about the Early Church

Makes two observations:

Bishops and Elders are essentially of one order.

Bishops are elders with a different job description.

Typically only bishops ordain, but in cases of missional emergency, an elder can select one of the members to appoint a bishop to proceed with ordinations.

Wesley develops a master plan to develop a path for the American Methodists.

Wesley’s Master Plan:

In London:

Ordain Richard Whatcoat and Thomas Vasey as elders

In the presence of two elders (Whatcoat and Vasey), consecrate Thomas Coke as “superintendent” (refused to use Bishop).

Send Coke, Whatcoat, and Vasey to America

Note: Charles Wesley was not invited to these ceremonies, and he was livid.

In America:

Coke, with two elders alongside him (Whatcoat and Vasey), would consecrate Asbury as “superintendent.”

Sent with letter from Wesley reading, “They are now at full liberty to simply follow the Scriptures and the Primitive Church.

So Wesley enacts his plan, and sends Coke, Whatcoat, and Vasey to America and they arrive in New York on November 3, 1784.

Coke traveled to Barratt’s Chapel and explained Wesley’s plan to Asbury

Asbury declines, saying they need the approval of the Methodists in connection.

They decide to hold what is known as the Christmas Conference.

The Christmas Conference

The first constituted Conference of American Methodists held from December 24, 1784 - January 2, 1785.

Action’s Taken:

Agreed to adopt Wesley’s plan—in principle, not in detail.

Established principles of open debate and majority rule (unknown in Wesley’s England.)

Affirmed the supremacy of the conference over a council of bishops.

Agreed to establish doctrine and polity for the new church.

Selected the name Methodist Episcopal Church (our church’s name until 1939)

Elected Coke and Asbury as Bishops

Dear Frankly Letter and Response calling Wesley the ‘Superintendent of England’

Adopted strict rules against slavery and slaveholding

Set common salary for preachers

Launched missionary enterprise (eventually leads to UMCOR)

Agreed that they would adhere to Wesley during his lifetime

Speaking of which . . .

Wesley passed away on March 2, 1791

Final Words: “The best of all, God is with us.”

The growth of American Methodism then continued to grow through the use of Camp Meetings, which were held from Friday until mid-day on Monday.

Many charismatic experiences

Development of the Mourner’s Bench

American Convention

Also Called: Anxious Seats, Altar Calls, Sinner’s Prayer

The Road to United Methodism

The Road to the United Methodist Church began with the emergence of the United Brethren in Christ.

The United Brethren in Christ was founded at a barn in Pennsylvania at the “Great Meeting” held on Pentecost Sunday, May 10, 1767.

Pennyslvania began as a “holy experiment” embarked upon by William Penn.

Nearly 100,000 German Immigrants moved in

Two Main Groups (Who Didn’t Like Eachother)

Plain Dutch/Sad Dutch

Amish, Mennonites

Fancy Dutch/Happy Dutch

Lutheran, Reformed, Moravian, Catholic

Martin Boehm (Mennonite) was preaching at this Great Meeting, and a Reformed pastor named William H. Otterbien recognized his pietistic message.

Otterbein rose, embraced Boehm and said, “We are brethren.”

In 1789, these two groups merged in Philadelphia to form the United Brethren in Christ.

In 1889, the United Brethren In Christ (UBC) had determined that they would not allow masons and other secret society members in their midst for the sake of a ‘common brotherhood.’

When they grew lax on this rule, there was a schism in the UBC.

Led by Bishop Milton Wright

Became Evangelical United Brethren in Christ

For years, the Evangelical United Brethren and the Methodist Episcopal Church worked side by side on issues of racism, our involvement in World War II, and the ordination of women. After years of attempts, they finally merged on April 23, 1968 at a Special Called General Conference held in Dallas, Texas.

Questions?