Haven’t you wondered about the stories held within these walls of the Wesleyan Church? The Wesleyan Church stands as a testament to faith. It also represents a legacy of social reform.
The Wesleyan Church’s story began with roots in 18th-century revival. It continued through two 19th-century movements. A 20th-century merger completed it. These roots sustain a 21st-century vision. This vision promotes spiritual transformation. It spans across North America. It also goes around the world.
Our story starts with John Wesley. His life-changing experience of God’s grace sparked a spiritual revival. This revival led to social reforms in Christ’s name. Wesley’s followers in America emphasized revival and reform.
In 1843, the silence on slavery was deafening. A new denomination arose. It was an abolitionist denomination. Orange Scott led the Wesleyan Methodists. They called for slavery’s immediate end. Wesleyans planted anti-slavery churches in the South. They were active in the Underground Railroad. Laura Smith Haviland opened Michigan’s first Underground Railroad station. She started the first racially integrated school in her state. She personally led escaping slaves to freedom.
Wesleyan Methodists championed women’s rights too. The first convention on women’s rights was held in the Wesleyan Chapel at Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848. Luther Lee, a Wesleyan minister, preached the ordination sermon for the first woman ordained to Christian ministry. The second woman ordained was a Wesleyan, Mary A. Will of Illinois. Wesleyans have been ordaining women for over 150 years.
Wesleyans were among the first to give the laity significant roles in church leadership. It was an extension of their commitment to the marginalized. This commitment drove their efforts on behalf of women and slaves. They learned from Wesley that loving God and loving others is applied holiness.
Holiness advocates found themselves marginalized in the late 1800s. Two ministers created a non-denominational Holiness Union for support. Martin Wells Knapp was a prolific organizer. Seth C. Rees was a dynamic evangelist. They established a Bible college, a foreign missions agency, multiple publications, and Christian social services. Their ministry became a denomination under George B. Kulp.
Through mergers in the 1920s, they emerged as the Pilgrim Holiness Church. They identified with the biblical reference to believers as pilgrims on their way to heaven. Like the Wesleyan Methodists, the Pilgrims valued women in ministry. Jo Anne Lyon was elected to lead her church as its general superintendent after another merger.
The Wesleyan Methodist Church and the Pilgrim Holiness Church merged in 1968. Their theology was virtually identical. Their government was very similar. The banner overhead at the uniting ceremony spoke for everyone. It quoted John 17: “One—That the World May Believe.” Today’s Wesleyan Church was born.
The combined membership in 1968 was 122,000. Now almost 600,000 gather for worship in Wesleyan churches around the world each Sunday. Today the Wesleyan Church has a presence in 99 countries. The denomination’s educational system includes five colleges and universities in North America. It also includes a seminary. Many Bible colleges and other schools exist globally.
The historic call to holiness binds Wesleyans together. They are a diverse family of multiple nationalities, races, languages, and cultures. They strive to be catalysts for individual and social transformation. General Superintendent Wayne Schmidt wants to make a difference in every ZIP code in North America.
The Wesleyan Church is a movement with a rich tradition and inspiring history. It traces its heritage from European and American Methodism. This journey goes through the 1968 merger. It arrives at recent historic events. The Wesleyan Church offers a narrative of growth and development. It represents the history. It anticipates the future. The Wesleyan Church continues to inspire work toward the future.