(1703–91), English preacher and co-founder of Methodism. Wesley was a committed Christian evangelist who won many working-class converts, often through open-air preaching. The opposition they encountered from the Church establishment led to the Methodists forming a separate denomination in 1791. His brother Charles (1707–88) was also a founding Methodist, and both wrote many hymns.
Definition of Wesley, John in US English:
Wesley, John
proper nounˈwezlē
(1703–91), English preacher and cofounder of Methodism. Wesley was a committed Christian evangelist who won many working-class converts, often through open-air preaching. The opposition they encountered from the Church establishment led to the Methodists forming a separate denomination in 1791. His brother Charles (1707–88) was also a founding Methodist, and both wrote many hymns.