Written by Dr. Tom Hermiz, this article is about the itinerant preacher, John Wesley. John Wesley was born in Epworth, England on June 17, 1703. He was ordained at Oxford and educated as an Anglican minister. John's brother was Charles Wesley who wrote several hymns that are still being sung in Christian churches today. They both founded the Holy Club at Oxford University which required its members to spend an amount of time visiting the sick, teaching the poor, and attending religious services. They prayed out loud three times a day and prayed silently often. The term ‘Methodists' was given to his group for the emphasis on the methods they followed. John Wesley
traveled to and spent several years in Georgia, USA. There he learned American practices in the
church. Once he moved back to England, he became aware that faith was more important than works. He traveled around and preached on roadsides and in fields. In his day, some theologians had the belief that all mirth was vain. However, John Wesley did not hold to this idea. He cited the fact that the biblical Psalmist encouraged a
life of joy and gladness. John Wesley was a man who appreciated the
aesthetic side of life in that he wrote poetry,
played musical instruments, read classics as well as novels, enjoyed theater, and played tennis in college. These he considered innocent
pleasures. However, he dedicated a larger part of his time to preaching and doing the things of God as he got
older, leaving the aesthetic pleasures, for the most part, behind. Wesley believed in rules to govern the church, but the highest rule was love for God and for neighbor. Finally, as he grew older and more mature spiritually, he came to a balance in his life where grace was enabled to reach the ‘good life.' Reading this article will give you a better understanding of who John Wesley is and his philosophy.
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