50 Fun Facts About Methodism

Whose life and teachings are the origin of Methodism?

His brother Charles and George Whitefield were also key early leaders.

Within which established body did Methodism begin as a revival movement?

It only became a separate denomination after Wesley's death.

Why were early members called 'Methodists'?

Fellow Oxford students mocked the way the Holy Club used 'rule' and 'method' in religious affairs.

Roughly how many Methodist adherents are there worldwide today?

Most Methodist denominations belong to the World Methodist Council.

At which university did the Wesley brothers found the 'Holy Club'?

John was a fellow and later a lecturer at Lincoln College.

Which colony's founder invited the Wesleys to America in 1735?

General James Oglethorpe wanted them as ministers to colonists and missionaries to Native Americans; the mission failed.

Where did the founder feel his 'heart strangely warmed' on 24 May 1738?

It happened at a Moravian service; Methodists mark the anniversary as Aldersgate Day.

Peter Boehler, who helped the Wesleys after their failed American mission, belonged to which group?

Wesley left the Moravians the following year to found the Methodist Societies of England.

On which London street is Wesley's Chapel, a focal point of world Methodism?

It stands near Aldersgate, the site of Wesley's conversion.

Which Dutch theologian's rejection of predestination shaped Wesley's thinking?

Wesleyan Methodists hold that Christ died for all and salvation is available to everyone.

Which early Methodist leader held Calvinist views and famously preached in the open air?

His theological rift with Wesley strained but did not end their friendship.

Which noblewoman was a notable Calvinistic Methodist?

Howell Harris was another leading Calvinistic Methodist of the era.

In which town was Wesley nearly murdered by a mob in 1743?

William Hogarth also attacked Methodists in print as 'enthusiasts' full of fanaticism.

What were the intimate small groups within early Methodist societies called?

Members confessed their sins to one another and built each other up.

Why did Wesley ordain preachers for America in 1784?

The Church of England held that only bishops could ordain, so this precipitated the split.

Who founded the Methodist Episcopal Church at the 1784 Christmas Conference?

Coke ordained him deacon, elder and bishop on three successive days.

In which city was the 1784 Christmas Conference held?

Wesley had sent Thomas Coke to America as superintendent that year.

Who is known as Methodism's systematic theologian?

He was Wesley's chosen successor but died before him.

What did Wesley call 'the grand depositum' of the Methodist faith?

He taught that spreading this doctrine was the reason God raised up the Methodists.

What motto do Methodists traditionally promote?

It reflects the emphasis on the second work of grace.

How does Wesleyan Methodism uniquely define sin?

Involuntary infirmities like forgetfulness are not counted as sin 'properly so called'.

Which theologian proposed the 'Wesleyan Quadrilateral'?

It is taught to Methodist clergy as the primary approach to interpreting Scripture.

What did Wesley abridge to create Methodism's doctrinal standard?

He removed the Church of England document's Calvinist features.

How many sacraments do Methodists recognise as instituted by Christ?

They are Baptism and Holy Communion, also called the Lord's Supper.

How often was the Methodist lovefeast traditionally held?

Wesley taught that it was an apostolic ordinance.

On which night do Methodists traditionally hold the watchnight Covenant Renewal service?

In Britain it is often held on the first Sunday of the year instead.

What did Wesley call his 1784 revision of the Book of Common Prayer for America?

Today's United Methodist liturgy relies on The United Methodist Hymnal and Book of Worship.

Which weekly observance was part of traditional Methodist discipline?

Other standards included sobriety, no gambling and regular class attendance.

What did the first American Methodist bishop call camp meetings?

At an 1805 camp meeting in Dover, 1,100 people were reported to have received the new birth.

Which early Methodist evangelist said 'justification would have ended with me had I refused to be holy'?

The quote sums up the Methodist emphasis on pursuing holiness after the new birth.

How many Methodist preachers were there in Britain's colonies and the US when Wesley died?

British society membership was 56,000 in 1791 and 1,463,000 by the 1851 census.

Which Staffordshire hill hosted the revival that produced the Primitive Methodists?

Primitive Methodists later led the temperance movement in Britain.

In which year did the three main British streams unite as the Methodist Church of Great Britain?

It is now Britain's fourth-largest denomination, with about 202,000 members.

Which two bodies merged in 1968 to form the UMC?

The Wesleyan Church was formed the same year from a different merger.

Where did slaveholding-state churches form the Methodist Episcopal Church, South in 1845?

The Wesleyan Methodist Connexion and Free Methodists, by contrast, were founded by abolitionists.

Which Methodist group was especially active in the Underground Railroad?

Both they and the Wesleyan Methodist Connexion were formed by staunch abolitionists.

Which denomination came into being on 1 May 2022 after a UMC split?

The split was announced in 2020 over the issue of same-sex marriage.

Which two well-known bodies adhere to Methodist theology though not named Methodist?

Both are aligned with the holiness movement.

How many denominations belong to the World Methodist Council?

Together they represent about 80 million people.

In which city did the World Methodist Council open an Ecumenical Office in 2016?

The move signalled closer relations with the Catholic Church.

In which Asian country is Methodism growing fast, with a church of about 1,500,000 members?

The Korean Methodist Church became fully autonomous in 1930.

Most natives of which Pacific island group converted to Methodism in the 1840s and 1850s?

It remains one of the most Methodist nations, with almost two-thirds of ethnic Fijians adhering.

What is the largest religious body in Tonga?

Tongan immigrants have founded many independent Methodist churches since the 2000s.

Thomas Coke's 1786 voyage to Nova Scotia was blown off course to which island?

The detour helped establish Methodism in the Caribbean.

On what date in 1814 did Thomas Coke and six missionaries sail for India?

The Methodist Episcopal Church began its own Indian work in 1857.

Which 1925 union absorbed most Canadian Methodists?

Most Presbyterian and Congregational congregations joined the same union.

Which Wesleyan body is currently the largest of its kind in Canada?

Most Canadian Methodists had joined the United Church in 1925.

In which year did the Methodist Episcopal Church begin missionary work in China?

German work began in Bremen two years later.

In which year did the Wesleyan Methodist Church in India join the Church of South India?

Presbyterians, Anglicans and other Protestants merged in the same union.

Which brother is credited with writing much of Methodism's hymnody?

Enthusiastic congregational singing helped Wesleyan theology spread.