John Wesley
John Wesley was a world famous and highly influential 18th century English preacher and theologian. His preaching and writing greatly shaped British and American religion during the Enlightenment period. John, his brother Charles Wesley, as well as George Whitefield, made up three of the most important figures in the early revival movement. All of them spent time in Savannah during its earliest days as the capital of the Georgia colony.
Born in 1703 in Lincolnshire, England, Welsey was educated at Charterhouse and Christ Church, Oxford. He lived in Savannah, Georgia for a few years, ministering to the colonists. His time in Savannah is not commonly known and while he seems to have found his time in Savannah less than stellar, the city remembers him with fondness and commemorates his contributions to our city with several monuments.
Invitation
Wesley’s time in Savannah began when the founder of the new colony of Savannah, James Edward Oglethorpe, invited John and his brother Charles to the New World. John was to be the third pastor of Christ Church. Oglethorpe was a former friend of John and Charles' father.
Savannah
Wesley and his brother Charles arrived in Savannah in 1735. Savannah had been charted just three years prior, in 1732. Wesley went to the colony to evangelize the Native Americans but ended up spending most of his ministry preaching to European settlers as a church pastor in Savannah. While his Evangelical Revival Movement in the UK would be wildly successful, his success in the US has often been downplayed: communion attendance increased at the church where he preached.
His brother Charles became Oglethorpe's secretary. Charles lasted in this role for six months before accusing his boss of misconduct with women. Charles returned to England shortly afterward.
Troubles in Savannah and Marriage
Wesley ran into trouble in Savannah when he fell in love with a local woman named Sophia Hockey. His dedication to the clerical celibacy practiced by the early Christians resulted in him not proposing to her. Instead, William Williamson proposed to her and she married him. Feeling that the zeal for her Christian faith had waned, John Wesley denied her from receiving Holy Communion. This created an uproar in the community, which he ended up fleeing in 1737, just two years after his arrival. Eventually Wesley would reconcile the zeal of his faith with the idea of matrimony, marrying Mary Vazeille in 1751.
Success
After his sojourn in the New World, he traveled through Great Britain and Ireland, reorganizing Christian groups. Wesley developed the Methodist branch of Christianity as well as the idea of Sunday School. It is largely thanks to him that the Methodists had more progressive church views for their time, including supporting the abolition of slavery and prison reform.
Perhaps Wesley’s most impressive feat in Georgia was his publication of Collection of Psalms and Hymns, the first Anglican hymnal published in the US. He also started the first Protestant Sunday School.
Savannah Monuments
Despite his short and controversial time in Savannah, Wesley and his brother are honored in Savannah with several monuments. In the historic Reynold Square, a sculpture of Wesley is erected, the first major monument to a religious figure in Savannah. The memorial showcases him wearing his Church of England vestments as he preaches to his congregation, Bible in hand.
The brothers are also the namesake of the Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church on Calhoun Square. The church is designed with classic gothic flair and European details like intricate stained glass windows. The Wesley Window faces the pulpit and displays lifesize heads of John and Charles Wesley. The top of the window is engraved with the words of John Wesley, “The world is my parish.”
Another monument dedicated to John Wesley is located near Savannah at Fort Pulaski. The simple cross tower is engraved with writing from his journal. “About eight in the morning, I first set my foot on American ground. It was a small uninhabited island…over against Tybee, called by the English Peeper Island. Mr. Oglethorpe led us through the Moorish land on the shore to a rising ground…we chose an open place surrounded with myrtles, bays, and cedars, which sheltered us both from the sun and wind, and called our little flock together to prayers.”
Death
John Wesley died in 1791. During his lifetime it is estimated he preached over 40,000 sermons and traveled more than 4000 miles a year. He preached till his dying days. His last words were, "The best of all is, God is with us.”
John Wesley’s short and eventful time in Savannah paved the way for his Methodist theology and encouraged piety in his congregation. It is doubtful that he would have become such a successful preacher without meeting the Moravian Christians and honing his skills in the parish in Savannah.
