John Wesley (1703 – 1791) was an English Anglican cleric and theologian who, with his brother Charles and fellow cleric George Whitefield, founded Methodism.
Throughout his life, Wesley remained within the established Anglican church, insisting that the stern Methodist movement lay well within its tradition. In his early ministry, Wesley was barred from preaching in many parish churches and the Methodists were persecuted; he later became widely respected and by the end of his life, had been described as “the best loved man in England”.
Susanna, his mother, bore 23 children and raised them with a strict attitude that made a deep impression on John and Charles.
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