Aldersgate changed the world. But do you even know what it was?

On this day in 1738, a young, dejected, legalistic (and possibly OCD) clergyman from the Church of England who had recently returned from a failed stint in the new colony across the Atlantic known as “Georgia” went to a Bible study on Aldersgate street in London where someone read from the preface of a work by Martin Luther.

This clergyman felt, quite inexplicably, his “heart strangely warmed.”

And the world would never be the same as a result.

“Millions of many colors, climates, and tongues, inhabiting the four corners of the earth, have lived richer, happier, nobler, and more serviceable lives because, in 1738, fire from off the altars of God purged and illumined the soul of a downcast and disillusioned English priest.”

— J. Wesley Bready, author of England: Before and After Wesley (Hodder & Stoughton, 1939).

Yet most Christians today (even most Methodists) would be hard pressed if asked of the significance of “Aldersgate.” This is a shame (especially to us Methodists).

Because of the experience of the Holy Spirit and the inward transformation he wrought in the heart of this diminutive preacher and his brother during the course of that week 275 years ago, the Methodist movement would go from being a sect of well-intentioned legalists in England to a Spirit-empowered revival that spanned continents.

It would stretch from the coal mines to the halls of Parliament. It would transform society by fanning the flames of abolitionists like William Wilberforce (to whom John Wesley wrote his final letter from his deathbed, encouraging the younger politician to continue the fight against the slave trade with all his might).

It would empower women who had been called by God and gifted by the Holy Spirit to serve in capacities that had often been off limits to them through much of the Church’s history (though not all of it, and not in the pages of Scripture itself).

It would give birth to Christian movements and revivals that today encompass MILLIONS of followers of Jesus in denominations as varied as Anglican, United Methodist, Wesleyan and Pentecostal.

In short, the experience at Aldersgate would change the world.

Ten years ago, I had the privilege of taking a Summer course at Cambridge University through Asbury Seminary (as a UM student at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary–which had FOOLISHLY and SHAMEFULLY been removed from our denomination’s list of accepted seminaries shortly before–I audited the course as an elective). The course was on early Methodist history with an eye toward renewal of our denomination today and was taught by Dr. Paul Chilcote.

We spent each day studying the development of early Methodism and how it may apply to current efforts at denominational renewal. We also got to visit many of the places where such events took place firsthand. It was a fantastic experience and it emphasized more than anything just how far we United Methodists have drifted our distinctive spiritual heritage.

I believe the solution to our decline as United Methodists will not be found in more sub-committees, inquiry boards, conference proposals or delegate wrangling (though some good might come from such things…after all, God can speak through a donkey if He needs a message conveyed; I’m sure he can also speak through a plenary address).

Rather, it will be found as the same Holy Spirit who strangely warmed the hearts of John and Charles 275 years ago on Aldersgate street once again warms the hearts of all who seek to follow in their footsteps, as they themselves followed in the footsteps of the Savior who first blazed the trail.

Happy Aldersgate day and blessings from the Dojo,

JM
The memorial on Aldersgate St…where hearts were “strangely warmed”…Charles’ organ (the man was a hymn-composing machine!)
Standing in John’s original pulpit… The memorial statue of John erected by the Church of England outside of St. Paul’s Cathedral At John’s house in his study (the chair on the right is one he invented to simulate reading while riding on horseback…which he did for hundreds of thousands of miles his entire life!) John’s tomb…And what course on early Methodist history and origins would be complete without a day of open-air preaching in downtown Cambridge? (My fellow classmates had never seen open-air preaching that wasn’t some guy screaming into a bullhorn or holding big “turn or burn” type signs…so I decided it was time they saw that it didn’t have to be that way!)