The Rise of Methodism:

From Creation of a Movement to an Explosion of Growth in America

By

Albert C. Whittenberg

HIS 452

University of Illinois at Springfield

July 21,2004

 Rise of Methodism 2

Abstract

After the American Revolution, no other denomination was growing at the rate of

the Methodists. By 1850, over thirty-four percent of total church membership in America

came from the Methodists. How did this happen? It was really multiple factors which

will be explored in this paper. Methodism had a strong leader in John Wesley, who was
~
also a master organizer. He appointed men of strong faith and work ethic who were

willing to live a life of constant travel and poverty to spread the Methodist message.

Methodism was quick to grab onto new concepts such as camp meetings, field preaching

and the use of circuit riders. It welcomed women and African-Americans into leadership

positions. Combine all of these factors with a very emotional and personal doctrine

helped Methodism to change the religious landscape of the newly independent America.
 Rise of Methodism 3

Table of Contents

Introduction 4

John Wesley 4

America 7

Camp Meetings 8

Changing Classes 8

Women 9

Afri can -Ameri cans 10

Conclusions 11

 Rise of Methodism 4

A farmer in 1788 told his wife that "I will stop you from going to hear these

Methodists; they are turning the world upside down and setting people crazy."] Who

were the Methodists and what impact did they have on America? Was it something

completely new from what people had been hearing before? Who started it? Where did

it come from ? Many people might have been asking themselves these questions along

with stating that people are being driven crazy. Methodists only consisted about 2

percent of total church membership in America in 1775. In 1850, that portion had grown

to 34 percent? The Methodist movement appealed to the new country of America: its

skilled artisans, women and African-Americans. It was a change from what people had

been hearing before. It would spread and break off into several smaller movements that

continue to change America' s religious landscape.

John Wesley

Where did Methodism come from? The answer starts with one man, John

Wesley. Who was John Wesley? He labeled himself as a " brand plucked from the

burning,,3 and described the "world as his parish".4 He traveled throughout the world,

spoke five languages, wrote almost every day of his life, worked until the day before his

death, and gave most of his earned income away to anyone in need . He is considered the

father of the Methodist church and certainly many other denominations that have their

background in holiness. His movement broke free from the chains of the Church of

England although he refused to leave the church throughout his lifetime. He was a

master organizer, speaker and politician. He was an amateur scientist and doctor. 5

Wesley was the fifteenth of nineteen children born to an Anglican Church

minister and his wife in Epworth, England. From an early age, his parents leaned
 Rise of Methodism 5

towards him also becoming a minister. Along with his brother Charles, he attended
bu";
Oxford and met another soon to be famous minister, les Whitefield. The three men

began to vigorously search and study the scriptures. John organized his entire day around

study and prayer (keeping a very strict schedule that he followed during his entire time

there). His other classmates began to call him and his group " Methodists" since there

was a method to everything they did. 6 He would graduate, get offered a church in

America, go there and fall in love, alienate the entire population because of his str ictness,

lose his love to another, and return home destroyed.

Wesley would return to England determined that his failures were due (at least

partly) to his lack of salvation. He would pour himself into this weakness until May 24,

1738 when he had his "Aldersgate experience":

"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 .,,7

--­
-1-0
Wesley would break free from his traditional methods tied with the Church of

England. His work in~a Savannah, Georgi had taught him what it was like to
-L­
r::", ~
work with people. He lffl1rd take his message to the masses. John Wesley was

kicked out of nearly every established church he visited in England, but he never stopped

moving. He would begin to preach in the streets and the fields (unheard of for an Oxford

educated minister of the times). His organizational work in Georgia would also serve

him as he organized religious groups throughout England (and also America but through

correspondence).
 Rise of Methodism
~I
Wesley's success can alst ie back to i" num ber 0 f unusual methods. George
~ 1- -
Whitefield had returned from America and told Wesley about "field preaching,,8 where

he would preach to working class folks in open fields (since the local church would

refuse him to preach there). In April of 1739, Wesley was able to witness his friend in

action. A day later, Wesley would preach his first "field" sermon. Another method he

------ --- " four to five thousand

then devised was to break the area into circuits. He would travel

miles a year on horseback and touch nearly "every part of England, Wales, Scotland, and

Ireland".9 From these humble beginnings, the circuit rider was born. As Methodism

spread to America, the use of circuit riders would help the movement to grow in various

small communities that popped up as the population continued to move westward .

A final point to consider is Wesley's beliefs. Before Georgia, he was a very strict

Anglican. He believed firmly in the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England "as a

congregation of faithful men in which the pure word of God is preached and the

sacraments be duly administered according to Christ's ordinance. " lo However, he also

been shaped by his exposure to the German Moravians on his first trip to America. They

preached "salvation by faith " and the doctrine of"holiness".J I Wesley researched the

works of "Jeremy Taylor, Thomas a Kempis and William Law" and felt a "calling to

Christian holiness". 12 Wesley began to preach Christian Perfection. Men did have

control over their own souls and could also live without sin. Man had a part in their

relationship with God unlike the teachings of the Calvinists. This would cause a break

between him and Whitefield, but his movement would certainly gain in strength.
 Rise of Methodism 7

America

During his lifetime, Wesley would never leave the Church of England. He would

realize that his following had grown so much that additional ministers and leaders had to

be selected. He called these ordained men "lay preachers". 13 He would appoint Thomas

Coke over the movement in America in 1784. He would join Francis Asbury and help

create the "Methodist Episcopal Church". 14 Both of these men knew that the growth of

the movement depended upon the people moving west.

Like Wesley, these men were masters at organization and a number of circuit

riders (lay preachers) were ordained to carryon the fight. Mark A. Noll writes that

"Asbury traveled nearly 3000,000 miles, mostly on horseback" during his lifetime "into

all the thirteen colonies that became the original United States and then into the new

states of Tennessee and Kentucky".15 His hard work paid off. When Asbury came to

America, "there were four Methodist ministers looking after about 300 laypeople. By the

time of his death in 1816, there were 2,000 ministers and over 200,000 members of

Methodist congregations. ".16

Why did Methodism flourish in America? This can be traced back to a number of

factors. As previously mentioned, the people involved in the early Methodist church

were extremely dedicated. They were willing to live a life of poverty and constant travel

to get their message across. Without this, the movement and the church would never

have gotten off the ground. The reason why it continued to grow may link to its appeal to

a number of groups within society. The early churches in America had a tendency to be

focused on the upper classes, predominantly men and certainly "white". Methodism, in

its own way, focused on everybody else.

--------
 Rise of Methodism 8

Camp Meetings

One of the first main reasons for growth of Methodism (and several other

denominations) was the Camp Meeting Movement. Dr. Marlin R. Botle describes the

beginning of this phenomenon:

"The first camp meeting broke out in Logan County, Kentucky, near the
Tennessee line, in 1799, under Presbyterian auspices. James McGrea~ ."
Presbyterian minister, had migrated to Logan County, Kentucky, ind:"976, after
being run out of North Carolina because of his hell-fire preaching. In 1799, he set
a weekend meeting and called two brothers. John McGee, a Methodist, and
William McGee, Presbyterian, to preach. At the preaching of both McGees, deep
emotion touched the preachers and powerful conviction seized the congregation.
Spontaneously, the first camp meeting had arrived unannounced as the crowds
moved in to see the strange sight.,,17

In 1800, McGready organized another camp meeting near Red River. Ten to

twenty thousand would come to a meeting the following year at Cane Ridge, Kentucky.

Is it any wonder that Asbury started calling summertime "Methodist's harvest time" and

held over 600 meetings by 1810. 18 Of the Cane Ridge meeting, Dr. Mark A. Noll writes

that the "results were electrifying, with many participants falling down as if struck dead,

while others laughed out loud, barked like dogs, or experienced the jerks. After the

excitement wore off, longer-term results were seen in the creation of many new churches,

especially Methodist and Baptist churches.,,19

Camp meetings were exciting. They were entertaining. In_the frontier, it was

perhaps the onl/ entertainment. The preaching was very emot: :al and created many

followers . It was the start of a new "Great Awakening" and Methodism jumped onboard.

Changing Classes

Another important reason was the focus on different classes of people than the

churches that came before. Methodism grew after the American Revolution. The
 Rise of Methodism 9

Revolutionary War was a divide between two eras of "an earlier world ordered through

deference, hierarchy, and patronage and a later period in which ordinary people grew

increasingly unwilling to consider themselves inherently inferior to anyone else. ,,20 The

Methodist churches had no special pews for certain wealthy families . The positions of

the church were based on work and faith instead of family name and position in society.

Many leaders were uneducated as well. .. they showed a yearning to serve.

Most of the early preachers also came from the artisan and other skilled trades.

Here are some examples:

• - Before turning to preaching, Francis Asbury, Jacob Gruber, and Noah

Levings were blacksmiths; Benjamin Abbott was apprenticed to a hatter and then
farmed for a time; Henry Boehm was apprenticed in a grist mill, as was Nicholas
Snethen; John Campbell Deem was a tanner, as were his father and the Methodist
preacher who led him to conversion; James P. Horton, Alfred Brunson, and Enoch
Mudge were shoemakers; Samuel Parker, know as the ' Star of the West' was a
cabinetmaker. >.2 1

With so many of its first preachers coming from the artisan classes, it is not

surprising that Methodism was so appealing to this class of people.

Women

Methodism offered women more freedom than other churches of their day (or

society in general) to have leadership roles . Women "participated in the movement's

early development as class leaders, unofficial counselors to young circuit riders, network

builders, extra-legal activists, and financial patrons. ,,22 Lyerly writes that "women who

hosted regular services were honored with having their name represent a local society,

and they also assured their connection to a world beyond the home.,,23 It was not

common but there were also a number of Methodist women ministers . They were mainly
 Rise of Methodism 10

in places where, for some reason, a male minister could not be found. However, it was a

strong step in a society where women were often treated as second hand citizens.

Methodism also allowed and to a degree promoted women to speak their mind

even if it defied or challenged ministers . Historian Lynn Lyerly commented:

That some women would find license in Methodism to challenge

preachers is not unexpected. Women frequently defied men outside the Methodist
fold and violated southern norms of femininity in the service of their faith. The
roots of women's self-assertion and autonomy can be traced back to Wesleyan
doctrines and practices that expanded convert's sense of agency. For white
southern women, as for blacks, conversion wrought a significant change in
perceptions of the self and agency. Methodist wo en's voices, values, and
concerns were not subsumed by those of patriarchs. 24 .

Women have always played a significant role in the Christian church as a whole

dating back to the times of the Bible. Methodism was quick to realize this and give

women stronger roles.

Afri can-Ameri cans

An important factor to Methodism's growth is its welcoming of all people with no

consideration for race. Cynthia Lynn Lyerly commented on this important difference in

Methodism:

..---;' In Maryland and New York, the first Methodist societies had black
embers - both slave and free. Robert Strawbridge's efforts (a Methodist
preacher) in Maryland became the center of attraction to large numbers of people,
both white and black. Mary Switzer and Jacob Toogood were among
Strawbridge's black converts. In New York, Betty, the servant or slave of
Barbara Heck, and Peter Williams, the slave of a tobacconist, were two of the
founding members . Black New York Methodists contributed money to help build
the first church. A sister society formed from this group on Long Island around
1768, and after six months, its members numbered twenty-four (half white and
half black). Methodism was born in America as a biracial lay movement. "'25

It is also important to note that many Methodist ministers were against slavery.

African Americans saw Methodist ministers losing churches and homes to fire and mobs .
 Rise of Methodism 11

They saw them being criticized in the press. John Wesley also preached against the

horrors slavery. It is not surprising that Methodism was appealing to African Americans.

John H. Wigger writes that another "reason that African Americans responded so

readily to Methodism was that the Methodists proclaimed a Christianity that was fresh,

capable of being readily understood and immediately experienced. ,,26 This was not

complicated theology but simple "grace by faith". Wigger also comments that the

Methodist "message was framed in terms that made sense to the multitude of both whites

and African Americans. Richard Allen, founder of the African Methodist Episcopal

Church, believed that Methodists were 'the first people that brought glad tidings to the

colored people ' in a way that they could understand. 'All other denominations preached

so high-flown that we were not able to comprehend their doctrine.' ,,27

The Methodist church (like many other denominations) would eventually split

over the issue of slavery. The southern branch of the church would part for a time till

after the Civil War. It would also cause a number of other smaller groups to break off

and form their own denominations (Wesleyan Methodist and Free Methodist). After the

Civil War, there would be even more splits as the United Methodist Church gradually

dropped its emphasis on holiness (sanctification). This would lead to a number of

holiness denominations forming.

Conclusions

Why did Methodism grow so quickly? There were and are several reasons . It had

a solid founder in John Wesley who worked diligently until the day he died. He was a

masterful organizer and not afraid to take his message to the streets and fields. He

appointed men in America that shared his ideals and his work ethic. The circuit riders
 Rise of Methodism 12

was a successful experiment that helped spread Methodism to small communities

throughout England and America. Methodism was a personal faith that appealed to the

newly independent Americans, who were tired of the Calvinistic salvation where they

had no part in their salvation. It appealed and attracted women followers . It allowed

them to take positions of importance. It appealed to the African-Americans, free and

slave. At first, it was strongly opposed to slavery while other churches did not want to

touch the issue. Methodism made strong use of the camp meeting enthusiasm.

The people of the Methodist movement and eventually the Methodist church were

not afraid to appeal to emotion, promote a simple message that all could Wlderstand, and

willing to welcome all no matter sex or race. The message was both entertaining to the

masses and considered extremely sincere. By 1830, Methodism in America stood at over

a half a million members. 28 With that type of numbers, it would be hard to argue that the

Methodist movement was anything but a success.

I~ //l/
fI-<.~~; ~ vwf~

Yr<t-:;y c'..
 Rise of Methodism 13

Endnotes

lCynthis Lynn Lyerly, Methodism and the Southern Mind, 1770-1810, (Oxford
University Press, 1998), 3.

2John H. Wigger, Taking Heaven by Storm: Methodism and the Rise ofPopular
Christianity in America, (University of Illinois Press, 1998),3.

3Lee Haines & Paul Thomas, An Outline History ofthe Wesleyan Church ,

(Indianapolis: Wesley Press, 1990), 3.

4 Ibi d. , 11.

5U. Lee, The Lord 's Horseman, (Abingdon Press, 1928), 160.

6Roland H . Bainton, The Church ofOur Fathers, (Salem, Ohio: Schmul

Publishing Company, 1987), 19l.

7John Wesley, The Complete Works ofJohn Wesley (14 Volumes) , (Albany:

SAGE Digital Library , 1995), 124.

fl ,

9Ibid., 13 .

IOFrederick A. Norwood, The Story ofAmerican Methodism: A History ofthe

United Methodists and Their Relations, (Abingdon Press, 1974),52.

lIIbid ., 30.

12Lee Haines & Paul Thomas, An Ou tm Hi for.y oflhe Wes..leyan Chur.s;j;z ,

(IndiaAapaH' I..e.sle.y-.R ;g.ss, 199~: 17.

13Marlin R. Hotle, In Search ofSanctification, (Schmul Publishing Company,

1991), 123.

e Haines · aul Thomas, n fJttrh·T</eJiiSli2rJL.Q[Jlze Wesleyg.n..Churc.h,

- fh'laiaRap.oJis: Wesle-)' Press, 1990), 33.

J5Mark A. Noll, The Old Religion in a New World, (Wm. B. Eerdmans

Publishing, 2002), 60.

16Ibid., 61.
 Rise of Methodism 14

~.....
' ~~ otle, In.&ar..ck.g} an.ctifi lio.n,..(S&bmu blishing Company,
19 91~ 41-142.

18 Ibid ., 142.

19 :ark A. Noll , The Olt! Re7igion m a ew WOTld, (Wm. B. E dmans

Publi: . I ,200 ~ , 63.

20 H. Wigger,'-Paking-H~etl b'f:3WrTl'r. Methoaism anCl-;he Rise ~~r

Christianity in America, (University of Illinois Press, 199 ), 7.

21 Ibid., 49.

22 Ibid ., 167.

Southern Mine!, 1770-1810, (Oxford

Unive

24 Ib id., 102.

25Ibid., 13-14.

26.} hn . Wigger, Taking Heaven by Storm: Methodism and the Rise ofPQPular

Christianity in America, (University of Illinois Press, 1998), 128.

27 Ibid ., 129.

28 I bid.,3.
 1')'j1.

Lee, U. The Lord's Horseman. Abingdon Press, 1928.

Lyerly, Cynthia Lynn. Methodism and the Southern Mind, 1770-1810. Oxford University

Press, 1998.

Noll, Mark A. The Old Religion in a New World. Wm . B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2002.

Norwood, Frederick A. The Story ofAmerican Methodism: A History ofthe United

Methodists and Their Relations. Abingdon Press, 1974.

Wigger, John H. Taking Heaven by Strom: Methodism and the Rise ofPopular
Christianity in America. University of Illinois Press, 1998.

Wesley, John. The Complete Works ofJohn Wesley (14 Volumes). Albany: SAGE Digital
Library, 1995.

-------