John Wesley (28 June [O.S. 17 June] 1703 – 2 March 1791) was an English cleric, theologian, and evangelist who played a key role in the revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. The groups he established became the leading branch of the independent Methodist movement that persists today.

Wesley was educated at Charterhouse and Christ Church, Oxford, and was elected as a fellow at Lincoln College, Oxford, in 1726, becoming an Anglican priest two years later. At Oxford, he headed the “Holy Club,” a group dedicated to studying and living a devout Christian life. After a two-year ministry in Savannah, Georgia, that did not go well, he returned to London and became part of a religious community led by Moravian Christians. On 24 May 1738, he underwent what is referred to as his evangelical conversion, after which he departed from the Moravians to start his own ministry.

A crucial phase in the establishment of Wesley’s ministry involved extensive traveling and outdoor preaching while adopting Arminian beliefs. As he journeyed throughout Great Britain and Ireland, he played a significant role in creating and organizing small Christian communities (societies and classes) that emphasized deep personal accountability, discipleship, and religious education. He designated traveling, non-ordained evangelists—both women and men—to look after these groups. Guided by Wesley, Methodists emerged as frontrunners in various social matters of the time, such as the fight against slavery and the advocacy for women preachers.

Even though he was not a systematic theologian, Wesley opposed Calvinism and advocated for the concept of Christian perfection, which he claimed was the reason God “raised up” Methodists. His evangelical beliefs, rooted in sacramental theology, emphasized the role of means of grace in a believer’s sanctification; nonetheless, he taught that a transformation into Christ’s likeness occurred through faith. He believed that in this life, Christians could reach a condition where God’s love “reigned supreme in their hearts,” providing them with both external and internal holiness. Wesley’s teachings, collectively referred to as Wesleyan theology, continue to shape the doctrines of Methodist churches.

Wesley consistently stayed within the Church of England during his life, asserting that the Methodist movement was firmly rooted in its traditions. In the early years of his ministry, he was often prohibited from preaching in various parish churches, and the Methodists faced persecution. However, he eventually gained widespread respect and was referred to as “the best-loved man in England” by the end of his life..