A Ministry of Word and Table: John Wesley’s Gymnastics in Seeking Ordained Fellow-Workers

Abstract

While celebration of the Lord’s Supper was initially prohibited on Sunday mornings in Methodist settings, this article traces how that restriction was relaxed in London, Bristol, and beyond. In particular John Wesley took possession of three chapels in London where the full Sunday morning service of the Book of Common Prayer was offered for his followers who were uncomfortable attending the Church of England or other communions. The article then traces John Wesley’s struggle (including some innovative moves) to maintain a sufficient number of ordained priests of the Church of England (or Ireland) in London to officiate these services. Finally, it sketches how Wesley’s desire for his followers to have the ministry of both word and table drove him to ordain some of his lay-preachers, first for the newly established United States of America; then for Scotland, Canada, and the Caribbean; and ultimately to serve in England itself.