b. June 28, 1703*; d. March 2, 1791
John Wesley was born in Lincoln, England, in 1703. He graduated from Christ Church, University of Oxford, in 1724, and became ordained in the Anglican ministry. In 1728, he had a profound experience, writing in his journal, “I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation, and an assurance was given me that he had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death." This dramatic experience eventually evolved into what became to be known as Methodism. Four years before his death, he ordained two preachers to serve in support of America during the American Revolution, ultimately leading to the Methodist denomination in the United States today.
