The Wesleyan Church Today

The Wesleyan church is a Protestant, evangelical, holiness denomination with a rich heritage. We see it as our special mission to emphasize the message of "full salvation from all sin." We teach that a victorious Christian life is possible for all believers through the experience of both the forgiveness of sins and the fullness of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Where We Came From
The name "Wesleyan" is in honor of John Wesley, a priest in the Church of England who became the inspiration behind the Methodist movement. It was their disciplined routine of spiritual devotion and social work which earned Wesley and a few of his friends in the ministry the nickname "Methodists" in 1735. The name stuch later to the unique new organizational structure Wesley designed to provide prayer and spiritual care for tens of thousands of converts who found Christ through his work.

John Wesley
Wesley was an outstanding scholar, yet regarded himself as a "man of one book" - the Bible. It was while studying the Bible that he received assurance of his own salvation through faith. It was the Bible which motivated his vision for offering Christ to the common people of England in a way that led to that nation's greatest spiritual revival. It was Biblical truth which inspired Wesley to develop a school for orphans, job programs, medical assistance for the poor, efforts to reform inhumane prisons, and arguments for the abolition of slavery - a great evil of his time. Confidence in the Bible as the "only and sufficient rule for Christian faith and practice" is still a hallmark of the Wesleyan Church today.

Although we respect his example, John Wesley is not the person Wesleyans worship. "A Methodist," he said, "is...one who loves the Lord his God with all his heart, with all his soul, with all his mind, and with all his strength." In fact, "perfect love" for God and for other people is the priority goal for Christian disciples emphasized in our churches.

Methodists In America
The first Methodists came to America in 1776 and organized the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1784. In 1843 a group of pastors and local churches left that denomination because of their strong anti-slavery convictions and their preference for a more democratic form of church government. They adopted the name of the Wesleyan Methodist Connection, later changed to The Wesleyan Methodist Church in America. A number of smaller groups of churches merged with them over time, especially between 1948-1966, including the Alliance of Reformed Baptists of Canada.

The Pilgrim Holiness Movement
Meanwhile, during the late 1800s, a widespread emphasis on the teaching of holiness swept across various denominations in America. This resulted in the formation of holiness unions, rescue missions, camp meeting associations, and new congregations. Mergers among many of these groups from 1882 on eventually resulted in the organization of the Pilgrim Holiness Church in 1922.

The Wesleyan Church
In 1968 The Wesleyan Church was created when The Wesleyan Methodist Church in America and The Pilgrim Holiness Church united in order to serve Christ more effectively together. As part of its historic past, The Wesleyan Church celebrates the involvement of its early leaders in the first ordination of women for Christian ministry in 1843. It was also the first denomination ever to adopt a formal statement of faith in "entire sanctification," which is God's work of making believers pure in heart, holy in character, and empowered with the Spirit of Jesus for witness and service.


HELPFUL LINKS
www.wesleyan.org - Homepage of The Wesleyan Church
www.westmichigandistrict.com - Homepage of our church's district

www.globalpartners.com - Homepage of Global Partners, The Wesleyan Church's missions organization