Note on Methodism in North Carolina
BY REV . DR . LACEYE WARNER AND KENNETH SPENCER
Methodism in North Carolina contributes significantly to local communities and has done so since the late 1700s . Methodism ’ s persistent vitality , particularly in rural communities , builds relationships and organizations to care for neighbors . Contemporary Methodism in North Carolina reclaims early Methodist practices of advocacy and care for children and marginalized persons especially .
Methodist Beginnings Methodism emerged as a renewal movement within the Church of England , initially led by young adults . During the 18th century while students at Oxford University , John and Charles Wesley became interested in faith formation and outreach to marginalized communities . Methodism grew steadily across the United Kingdom from London and Bristol north to Newcastle and Manchester . Methodism pursued its mission through class meetings , as well as social outreach creating accessibility to health care , micro-lending , and education ( including care for vulnerable and orphaned children ) among the marginalized . Methodism consists of more than isolated congregations . Methodism from its earliest days to now is characterized by a connectional congregation as well as educational and advocacy organizations . These commitments to faith formation and community development , or ‘ means of grace ’ in John Wesley ’ s language , continue for Methodists in the twentieth-first century .
John Wesley
Methodism arrived in what would become the United States with Irish and English immigrants during the 1760s . Led by both men and women , and including European and African American participants , Methodism appeared initially in New York and Maryland . Early Methodists on both sides of the Atlantic shared John Wesley ’ s commitment to anti-slavery . Methodism ’ s grounded piety and relative accessibility to the poor , women , and youth built modest , but extensive networks of local communities across the East coast of the US including North Carolina .
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