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Wesleyan ChurchDescription The founders of the Methodist movement were John Wesley, an ordained priest of the Church of England in London, his brother Charles Wesley, and George Whitefield. John Wesley became the leader of a student Bible study group organized by his brother. The name Methodism is derived from their methodical study habits. Although the foundations of the religious philosophy are in this group, organization did not come until 1739, after John and Charles had conducted missionary work in the American colony of Georgia. John Wesley created the first place of Methodist worship in 1739 at Bristol, and he opened a chapel in London. Since there was difficulty in attracting parishioners at first, George Whitefield took to preaching outdoors in communities. The brothers followed his example, which attracted much attention. Whitefield and John Wesley eventually developed some doctrinal differences, mainly concerning the theory of predestination, which Wesley regarded as erroneous. Whitefield left Methodism to found his own church. The Methodist movement eventually split from the Church of England. This occurred after John Wesley’s death, when the movement no longer found a home for its belief that the intervention of the Church between individuals and God was unnecessary and for its evangelistic approach to spreading the faith. John Wesley focussed on preaching to his congregation, but he also felt that the world itself was a congregation and that a message of hope needed to be spread to all. This was best done, in his view, by preaching to small groups. Like Wesley, Methodists emphasize doctrines that indicate the power of the Holy Sprit in people’s lives and stress a personal, direct relationship with God as the central tenet of faith. They advocate infant baptism and frequent reception of Holy Communion. They teach the doctrine of Christian perfection, also called Christian holiness, originated by Wesley and interpreted today as “perfect love” achieved through the grace of the Holy Spirit. The Methodists first appeared in North America around 1765. By 1784, itinerant preachers had been so successful in teaching Wesley’s beliefs to the Americans that supporters were able to form the Methodist Episcopal Church and other similar denominations. The first person to hold Methodist services in Newfoundland was Lawrence Coughlan, although there was no regular preacher until 1785. Nova Scotia was an important focus for evangelization around 1781, and the number of worshippers began to grow. In 1786, the first provincial conference was held in Halifax. Despite strong ties to Methodism in the United States, though, the American Revolution forged greater ties between Canadian and British Methodists, and many preachers came to Canada from England. Methodism was also spreading in Upper and Lower Canada (Ontario and Quebec), mostly as a result of the proximity of these provinces to New York, where Methodism was spreading as well. The Wesleyan Church, an American institution with member congregations in Canada, began in the 1840s as a group of dissenting ministers and congregations within the Methodist Episcopal Church. John Wesley had rigorously opposed slavery in his day and had fought for its abolition, considering the practice an abomination. Unable to tolerate the unwillingness of the Church majority to speak out against slavery, the dissenters formed the Wesleyan Connection. Intending to remain true to Wesley’s principles of “holiness” and “entire sanctification,” the Wesleyan Connection pursued its vision, expanding to new congregations until, late in the 19th century, its members founded the Wesleyan Methodist Church. In 1968, after decades of mergers of other Methodist congregations in the United States and Canada, the Wesleyan Methodist Church merged with the Pilgrim Holiness Church to form the Wesleyan Church. In Canada, its affiliates are found across the country. Wesleyans believe in the Trinity of God: the Father and Creator, the Son, Jesus Christ, who died for the salvation of humanity, and the Holy Spirit. They believe that God is the Savior of all men and women who put their faith in Him alone. Those who receive new life in Christ are called to be holy in character and conduct and can only live this way by being filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the agent of conviction for sin, regeneration, entire sanctification and glorification. Humans have freedom of choice to do right or wrong, but because Adam and Eve sinned, humans are inclined to do evil. They cannot do what is right by themselves; they can only do so through Jesus Christ, who provides the grace of God. The concept of entire sanctification comes through personal holiness: it means that Christ’s work has provided salvation, which is the reality of the holy heart. Sanctification is achieved through baptism in the Holy Spirit, at which moment the heart is cleansed of original sin. A person can then love God completely and be sinless. Religious Elements Scriptural and Doctrinal Sources
Sacraments
Moral Code
Houses of Worship
Devotional Practices and Services
Clergy, Organization and Government
Propagation of Faith
Major Celebrations and Observances Days of Regular Observance
Days of Regular Observance Wesleyans observe standard Christian holidays, including the following:
Dress Requirements
Dietary Requirements
Medical and Health Requirements
Death and Burial
Other
Sources of Additional Information http://www.wesleyan.org — official website of the Wesleyan Church. http://www.atlanticdistrict.com — official website of the Wesleyan Church Atlantic District (includes the Maritime Provinces and the State of Maine). The Wesleyan Church Atlantic District The Wesleyan Church Central Canada District 17 St. Paul Street Belleville, ON K8N 1A4 Phone: (613) 966-7527 The Wesleyan Church Northwest District
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