The First Methodist Conference (1744)

On June 25, 1744, John Wesley convened a gathering at the Foundery in London that became the first Methodist Conference. It was not a parliament of opinions but a meeting shaped by prayer, Scripture, and sober inquiry. Wesley and fellow Anglican clergy, along with trusted lay preachers, asked searching questions: “What to teach, how to teach, and what to do.” The recorded minutes aimed to guard the gospel of the new birth and to press believers toward practical holiness—faith that could be seen in repentant living, mercy, and obedience.

The Foundery, London

The Foundery, a repurposed building once used for munitions, became a hub for gospel labor. Its very setting testified that the Lord delights to reclaim what seems spent and make it useful for His purposes. Here, counsel was given, preachers were examined, and the growing societies were strengthened. The Foundery was not merely a location but a staging ground for disciplined discipleship and sustained evangelistic outreach in a city marked by spiritual need.

John Wesley and the Methodist Discipline

Wesley’s leadership combined tenderness for souls with firm resolve. The movement’s “strictness” was not cold severity but watchful love: class meetings for weekly self-examination, accountable fellowship, and direct pastoral care. The itinerant preachers—often opposed, mocked, or physically threatened—showed a quiet heroism, enduring hardship to carry the Word to neglected towns and parishes. Their aim was not novelty but fidelity: Scripture first, Christ exalted, sinners called to repentance, and believers urged on to sanctification.

New Birth and Practical Holiness

The Conference minutes pressed the reality that Christianity is more than form: it is life from God in the soul. “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). This new life bears fruit in holiness: “Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14). Though still within the Church of England at the time, the Methodist work eventually stood apart by 1795, leaving a legacy of renewed hearts, disciplined obedience, and warm-hearted devotion to Christ.