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John Wesley, the founder of the movement, was a minister of the [[Church of England]] (Anglican) who on May 22, 1739 had a conversion experience while listening to the reading of [[Luther]]'s commentary on St. Paul's Letter to the Romans. He preached the Gospel in England and America for over 40 years following his conversion, and tens of thousands joined his lay groups. They remained in the Church of England until after Wesley's death.

John Wesley, the founder of the movement, was a minister of the [[Church of England]] (Anglican) who on May 22, 1739 had a conversion experience while listening to the reading of [[Luther]]'s commentary on St. Paul's Letter to the Romans. He preached the Gospel in England and America for over 40 years following his conversion, and tens of thousands joined his lay groups. They remained in the Church of England until after Wesley's death.

<br>In 1763, [[Greek Orthodox]] bishop [[Erasmus of Arcadia|Erasmus of the Diocese of Arcadia]], who was visiting London at the time,<ref name="Luke Tyerman">{{Cite book|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=EHpJAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA487&dq=erasmus+arcadia+wesley&lr=&cd=2#v=onepage&q=erasmus%20arcadia%20wesley&f=false|title= The life and times of the Rev. John Wesley, founder of the Methodists, Volume 2|quote= Just at this juncture, Erasmus a bishop of the Greek church, visited London.|publisher = Regent College Publishing|accessdate = 2007-12-31}}</ref> consecrated Rev. John Wesley a bishop,<ref name="Wesleyan-Methodist magazine - Consecration of Rev. John Wesley">{{Cite book|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=STVAAAAAYAAJ&q=erasmus+arcadia+wesley+bishop+dare&dq=erasmus+arcadia+wesley+bishop+dare&lr=&cd=18|title= Wesleyan-Methodist magazine: being a continuation of the Arminian or Methodist magazine first publ. by John Wesley

<br>In 1763, [[Greek Orthodox]] bishop [[Erasmus of Arcadia|Erasmus of the Diocese of Arcadia]], who was visiting London at the time,<ref name="Luke Tyerman">{{Cite book|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=EHpJAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA487&dq=erasmus+arcadia+wesley&lr=&cd=2#v=onepage&q=erasmus%20arcadia%20wesley&f=false|title= The life and times of the Rev. John Wesley, founder of the Methodists, Volume 2|quote= Just at this juncture, Erasmus a bishop of the Greek church, visited London.|publisher = Regent College Publishing|accessdate = 2007-12-31}}</ref> consecrated Rev. John Wesley a bishop,<ref name="Wesleyan-Methodist magazine - Consecration of Rev. John Wesley">{{Cite book|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=STVAAAAAYAAJ&q=erasmus+arcadia+wesley+bishop+dare&dq=erasmus+arcadia+wesley+bishop+dare&lr=&cd=18|title= Wesleyan-Methodist magazine: being a continuation of the Arminian or Methodist magazine first publ. by John Wesley

|quote= Mr. Wesley thus became a Bishop, and consecrated Dr. Coke, who united himself with ... who gave it under his own hand that Erasmus was Bishop of Arcadia, ...|publisher = [[Wesleyan Methodist Magazine]]|accessdate = 2007-12-31}}</ref><ref name="David Lyle Jeffrey - Bishop">{{Cite book|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=yhqzG-kOic4C&pg=PA205&dq=erasmus+arcadia+wesley+bishop&lr=&cd=22#v=onepage&q=erasmus%20arcadia%20wesley%20bishop&f=false|title= English Spirituality in the Age of Wesley|quote= By 1763, Wesley was desperate to obtain ordination for some of his lay preachers and when bishop after bishop refused, he took the dubious expedient -against the council of all his close friends and associates-of asking one Erasmus, who claimed to be bishop of Arcadia in Crete, to do the job. Erasmus knew no English, but agreed. |publisher = Regent College Publishing|accessdate = 2007-12-31}}</ref> and ordained several Methodist lay preachers as [[Elder (Methodism)|priests]], including [[John Jones (Talysarn)|John Jones]].<ref name="The Churchman">{{Cite book|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=fyDnAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA257&dq=erasmus+arcadia+ordained&cd=3#v=onepage&q=erasmus%20arcadia%20ordained&f=false|title= The Churchman, Volume 40|quote= Erasmus was the Bishop of Arcadia, in Crete. In 1763, he visited London. Wesley found his credentials unexceptionable, and Dr. Jones, one of the preachers whom he had ordained, obtained testimonials concerning him from Symrna.|publisher = [[University of Michigan]]|accessdate = 2007-12-31}}</ref> However, Wesley could not openly announce his episcopal consecration without incurring the penalty of the [[Praemunire|Præmunire Act]].<ref name="Richard Joseph Cooke">{{Cite book|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=mVVIAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA145&dq=erasmus+arcadia+wesley+bishop&cd=5#v=onepage&q=erasmus%20arcadia%20wesley%20bishop&f=false|title= The historic episcopate: a study of Anglican claims and Methodist orders |quote= Dr. Peters was present at the interview, and went with and introduced Dr. Seabury to Mr. Wesley, who was so far satisfied that he would have been willingly consecrated by him if Mr. Wesley would have signed his letter of orders as bishop, which Mr. Wesley could not do without incurring the penalty of the ''Præmunire'' Act.|publisher =Eaton & Mains|accessdate = 2007-12-31}}</ref> In light of Wesley's episcopal consecration, the [[World Methodist Council|Methodist Church]] can lay a claim on apostolic succession, although not as understood in the traditional sense.<ref name="William Joseph Whalen - Membership">{{Cite book|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=sw9ILcqw2hsC&pg=PA71&dq=methodism+our+separated+brethren&cd=1#v=onepage&q&f=false|title=Separated Brethren: A Review of Protestant, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox & Other Religions in the United States|quote= Today the World Methodist Council represents twenty-nine million members of some sixty churches that trace their heritage to Wesley and his brother Charles.|publisher =[[Our Sunday Visitor]]|accessdate = 2007-12-31}}</ref> Because Wesley ordained and sent forth every Methodist preacher in his day—those who preached and baptized and ordained—and since every Methodist preacher who has ever been ordained as a Methodist was ordained in this direct "succession" from Wesley, then the Methodist Church teaches that it has all the direct merits coming from apostolic succession, if any such there be.<ref name="William A. Bowen - Apostolic Succession">{{Cite book|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Qz3TAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA12&dq=apostolic+succession+methodist&lr=&cd=16#v=onepage&q=apostolic%20succession%20methodist&f=false|title=SWhy two Episcopal Methodist churches in the United States?: A brief history answering this question for the benefit of Epworth leaguers and other young Methodists|quote= And since he himself ordained and sent forth every Methodist preacher in his day, who preached and baptized and ordained (except such as, like himself, had been ordained by a bishop), and since every Methodist preacher who has ever been ordained as a Methodist was ordained in this direct "succession" from Wesley, then have we all the direct merits coming from apostolic succession, if any such there be.|publisher =[[Methodist Episcopal Church, South|Publishing House of the M.E. Church, South]]|accessdate = 2007-12-31}}</ref>'''See'''[[Apostolic_succession]] <br>

|quote= Mr. Wesley thus became a Bishop, and consecrated Dr. Coke, who united himself with ... who gave it under his own hand that Erasmus was Bishop of Arcadia, ...|publisher = [[Wesleyan Methodist Magazine]]|accessdate = 2007-12-31}}</ref><ref name="David Lyle Jeffrey - Bishop">{{Cite book|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=yhqzG-kOic4C&pg=PA205&dq=erasmus+arcadia+wesley+bishop&lr=&cd=22#v=onepage&q=erasmus%20arcadia%20wesley%20bishop&f=false|title= English Spirituality in the Age of Wesley|quote= By 1763, Wesley was desperate to obtain ordination for some of his lay preachers and when bishop after bishop refused, he took the dubious expedient -against the council of all his close friends and associates-of asking one Erasmus, who claimed to be bishop of Arcadia in Crete, to do the job. Erasmus knew no English, but agreed. |publisher = Regent College Publishing|accessdate = 2007-12-31}}</ref> and ordained several Methodist lay preachers as [[Elder (Methodism)|priests]], including [[John Jones (Talysarn)|John Jones]].<ref name="The Churchman">{{Cite book|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=fyDnAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA257&dq=erasmus+arcadia+ordained&cd=3#v=onepage&q=erasmus%20arcadia%20ordained&f=false|title= The Churchman, Volume 40|quote= Erasmus was the Bishop of Arcadia, in Crete. In 1763, he visited London. Wesley found his credentials unexceptionable, and Dr. Jones, one of the preachers whom he had ordained, obtained testimonials concerning him from Symrna.|publisher = [[University of Michigan]]|accessdate = 2007-12-31}}</ref> However, Wesley could not openly announce his episcopal consecration without incurring the penalty of the [[Praemunire|Præmunire Act]].<ref name="Richard Joseph Cooke">{{Cite book|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=mVVIAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA145&dq=erasmus+arcadia+wesley+bishop&cd=5#v=onepage&q=erasmus%20arcadia%20wesley%20bishop&f=false|title= The historic episcopate: a study of Anglican claims and Methodist orders |quote= Dr. Peters was present at the interview, and went with and introduced Dr. Seabury to Mr. Wesley, who was so far satisfied that he would have been willingly consecrated by him if Mr. Wesley would have signed his letter of orders as bishop, which Mr. Wesley could not do without incurring the penalty of the ''Præmunire'' Act.|publisher =Eaton & Mains|accessdate = 2007-12-31}}</ref> In light of Wesley's episcopal consecration, the [[World Methodist Council|Methodist Church]] can lay a claim on apostolic succession, although not as understood in the traditional sense.<ref name="William Joseph Whalen - Membership">{{Cite book|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=sw9ILcqw2hsC&pg=PA71&dq=methodism+our+separated+brethren&cd=1#v=onepage&q&f=false|title=Separated Brethren: A Review of Protestant, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox & Other Religions in the United States|quote= Today the World Methodist Council represents twenty-nine million members of some sixty churches that trace their heritage to Wesley and his brother Charles.|publisher =[[Our Sunday Visitor]]|accessdate = 2007-12-31}}</ref> Because Wesley ordained and sent forth every Methodist preacher in his day—those who preached and baptized and ordained—and since every Methodist preacher who has ever been ordained as a Methodist was ordained in this direct "succession" from Wesley, then the Methodist Church teaches that it has all the direct merits coming from apostolic succession, if any such there be.<ref name="William A. Bowen - Apostolic Succession">{{Cite book|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Qz3TAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA12&dq=apostolic+succession+methodist&lr=&cd=16#v=onepage&q=apostolic%20succession%20methodist&f=false|title=SWhy two Episcopal Methodist churches in the United States?: A brief history answering this question for the benefit of Epworth leaguers and other young Methodists|quote= And since he himself ordained and sent forth every Methodist preacher in his day, who preached and baptized and ordained (except such as, like himself, had been ordained by a bishop), and since every Methodist preacher who has ever been ordained as a Methodist was ordained in this direct "succession" from Wesley, then have we all the direct merits coming from apostolic succession, if any such there be.|publisher =[[Methodist Episcopal Church, South|Publishing House of the M.E. Church, South]]|accessdate = 2007-12-31}}</ref> '''See''' [[Apostolic_succession]] <br>

In the United States, with Wesley's permission and support, the Methodists organized themselves as a separate denomination in December, 1784. Held in Baltimore, the Christmas Conference saw the ordination of pastors and the election of Francis Asbury as Superintendent, or bishop, of the newly formed Methodist Episcopal Church.

In the United States, with Wesley's permission and support, the Methodists organized themselves as a separate denomination in December, 1784. Held in Baltimore, the Christmas Conference saw the ordination of pastors and the election of Francis Asbury as Superintendent, or bishop, of the newly formed Methodist Episcopal Church.

== See also ==

== See also ==

* [[Pietism]]

* [[Pietism]]

* [[Global Methodist Church]]

* [[Global Methodist Church]]

* [[United Methodist Church]]

* [[United Methodist Church]]

* [[Methodist Episcopal Church, South]]. (Since 1939, part of the United Methodist Church)

* [[Methodist Episcopal Church, South]]. (Since 1939, part of the United Methodist Church)

*[[Free Methodist Church]]

*[[Free Methodist Church]]

*[[Christianity in Africa]]

*[[Christianity in Africa]]

*[[Christianity in South America]]

*[[Christianity in South America]]

*[[Christianity]]

*[[Christianity]]

[[Category:Methodism]]

[[Category:Methodism]]

[[Category:Christian Denominations]]

[[Category:Christian Denominations]]

[[Category:Churches]]

[[Category:Churches]]

[[Category:Revivals]]

[[Category:Revivals]]

== References ==

== References ==