John Wesley

John Wesley (1703–1791) was an English Anglican priest, theologian, and evangelist whose preaching and spiritual renewal movement gave rise to Methodism and profoundly shaped global Christianity. Born into a devout Christian family and ordained in the Church of England, Wesley sought a deeper holiness of life through disciplined prayer, study, fasting, and acts of mercy, eventually experiencing a renewed assurance of faith that transformed his ministry. Alongside his brother Charles, he preached throughout Britain and beyond, calling people to repentance, personal conversion, and the pursuit of holiness through the grace of God. His sermons, journals, hymns, and theological writings emphasised that salvation is offered freely through Christ and that the Holy Spirit works to transform believers into the likeness of God through a life of love and obedience. Though his revival movement eventually developed into a separate denomination, Wesley remained a lifelong Anglican and saw his work as a renewal of the Church rather than its rejection. His enduring legacy is a vision of Christianity marked by earnest discipleship, care for the poor, and the conviction that the grace of God not only forgives sinners but restores them in holiness.