Contributed by Jenny Ooi • Mar 4, 2025
After John Wesley’s Aldersgate experience on May 24, 1738, he was deeply transformed and became more confident in preaching salvation by faith. This assurance of salvation and trust in Christ alone propelled him into a life of evangelism and revival. We can all learn so much from his experience and yearn that God would use us similarly.
What John Wesley Did After Aldersgate that we can follow?
- Preached with New Conviction – Wesley began preaching salvation by faith with newfound passion and clarity, emphasizing justification by grace through faith rather than works.
- Evangelized Widely – He traveled extensively across England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, preaching in churches, fields, and marketplaces.
- Engaged in Open-Air Preaching – In 1739, inspired by George Whitefield, he took to field preaching, reaching thousands who did not attend church.
- Organized Methodist Societies – He established small discipleship groups called class meetings to ensure new converts grew in faith through accountability.
- Emphasized Discipleship & Holiness – He promoted spiritual discipline, encouraging prayer, fasting, Bible study, and acts of charity.
The first few people John Wesley influenced:
- George Whitefield – Though Whitefield influenced Wesley in open-air preaching, Wesley, in turn, shaped Whitefield’s followers through Methodist structure and discipline.
- Charles Wesley (His Brother) – Charles had a similar conversion experience just days before Aldersgate. Together, they wrote hymns and preached revival messages.
- John Nelson – A stonemason who heard Wesley preach and became one of the earliest Methodist lay preachers.
- Thomas Maxfield – A layman who boldly began preaching without ordination, which Wesley initially opposed but later supported, leading to the growth of lay preachers.
- The Holy Club Members – Though the Oxford “Holy Club” had been Wesley’s early attempt at holiness, after Aldersgate, he helped its members embrace salvation by faith, not just as a religious discipline.
Wesley’s journey teaches us that true revival begins with a personal encounter with God. His experience at Aldersgate reminds us that spiritual discipline alone is not enough—we need the assurance of God’s saving grace.
Like Wesley, we are called to step out in faith, preach boldly, disciple others, and pursue holiness. His story challenges us to examine our own faith: Have our hearts been “strangely warmed” by God’s grace? Are we, like Wesley, ready to be vessels of revival in our communities?
Oh Lord, give us another experience where our hearts will be “strangely warmed” again.