English cleric and theologian who founded the Methodist movement, emphasizing personal holiness, social justice, and the doctrine of Christian perfection.
Prayer
Early morning prayer (4-5am), prayed for hours daily
Fasting
Regular fasting for revival and spiritual power
Challenges Faced
Wesley faced constant opposition from Anglican clergy who disapproved of his open-air preaching and Methodist societies. He endured mob violence, physical attacks, and public ridicule. His marriage to Mary Vazeille in 1751 was deeply unhappy and ended in separation, causing him significant emotional pain.
Personal Struggles
Wesley struggled with perfectionism and could be overly controlling of Methodist societies. His marriage was marked by conflict and mutual unhappiness, partly due to his demanding ministry schedule. He sometimes showed insensitivity to the emotional needs of those closest to him.
Struggle Categories
John Wesley (1703-1791) was an English Anglican cleric and theologian who, along with his brother Charles, founded the Methodist movement within the Church of England. Born in Epworth, Lincolnshire, Wesley was the fifteenth of nineteen children born to Samuel and Susanna Wesley. He studied at Oxford University, where he and his brother formed the "Holy Club," a group dedicated to methodical Bible study and pious living, earning them the nickname "Methodists." Ordained an Anglican priest in 1728, Wesley experienced a profound spiritual awakening on May 24, 1738, at a Moravian meeting on Aldersgate Street in London, where he felt his heart "strangely warmed" and gained assurance of salvation through faith in Christ. This experience transformed his ministry, leading him to preach salvation by faith and the possibility of Christian perfection (entire sanctification). Facing opposition from Anglican clergy, Wesley began open-air preaching to coal miners and the poor, traveling over 250,000 miles on horseback throughout Britain and preaching more than 40,000 sermons. He organized Methodist societies, established schools, orphanages, and medical dispensaries, and was a vocal opponent of slavery. Wesley remained an Anglican priest throughout his life but laid the foundation for Methodism as a distinct denomination. He died in 1791, leaving behind a movement that would spread worldwide.