| Organization name | Methodist Church |
| Other names | Methodists |
| Org type | Religious group |
| Bio notes | An 18th Century Protestant movement, the Methodist Church first began as a reform of, but eventually separated from, the Church of England. It was founded by the Anglican deacon John Wesley, who denied predestination and emphasized charity, universal priesthood, the primacy of scripture, and pious activity. It also encouraged “social holiness,” or missionary zeal, charity, and service to the poor. Wesley sent the preacher Francis Asbury to America in 1771, and in 1784 responded to the shortage of preachers in America by ordaining some himself. Through the institution of circuit riders—young men who rode horses from frontier town to frontier town to preach—the church grew tremendously, but also experienced a wave of smaller schisms. |
| Citations | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methodism; https://www.britannica.com/topic/Methodism |
Journal of Joshua Evans 1795-1796 (E)
New York Yearly Meeting Committee on Indian Concerns Scrapbook
Travels in Some Parts of North America, in the Years 1804, 1805, & 1806, by Robert Sutcliff