Methodist Timeline

Following is a timeline of Wesley and the Methodist Church:

1735	Wesley sailed to America to the Georgia colony with his brother Charles to be missionaries to the pioneers and Indians. They failed.
1737	The Wesley brothers returned to England
May 24, 1738	John Wesley had a deep religious experience while attending a religious society meeting: I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation; and an assurance was given me, that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death. "With renewed faith, John (with Charles and a friend, George Whitefield) spread the Word of God's love and salvation throughout Britain. The neglected poor and lower classes were given their first hope of salvation and their first incentive to lead better lives through Christ. Services were held anywhere -- in fields, barns, abandoned buildings, even mining pits. The great number of converts were organized into religious 'societies' (small local groups guided by Wesley's teachings)."
1740	The Anglican Church refused to let the Wesley brothers preach in church and denied Methodist converts communion. Many Methodist preachers and followers were persecuted for their beliefs.
1741	Wesley organized a network of traveling preachers who made the rounds to distant communities, telling the good news and bringing men and women to faith.
1742	Religious societies were divided into classes under lay leaders.
1743	Wesley wrote the "General Rules of the United Societies."
1744	The first conference between the Wesleys and their preachers was held to settle questions about doctrine and discipline. Conferences became annual events.
1766	A small society was started in New York by Philip Embury and Barbara Heck.
1768	Embury and Heck built the John Street Church. Societies were also started elsewhere: in Maryland by Robert Strawbridge, a revivalist in Philadelphia by Thomas Webb who had often preached to the New York group in Virginia by Deveraux Jarrat, an evangelical clergyman
1769	Wesley sent his first preachers to America to take charge. Later Francis Asbury, Richard Wright, George Shadford, and Thomas Rankin were also appointed to the colonies. Rankin was appointed superintendent over American Methodist activities.
During the Revolutionary War, the British preachers returned to England - except for Asbury, who worked tirelessly and at a great risk to keep the societies together.
1784	Wesley began to ordain ministers for America -- an act which deepened the split between Methodists and the Anglican Church.
December 24, 1784	The Methodist Episcopal Church was formed in Baltimore, Maryland. Wesley's Articles of Religion and Sunday Service were adopted. Allegiance to the U.S. government was vowed. Thomas Coke was elected superintendent by the American Conference. Francis Asbury was ordained deacon, then elder, then Superintendent (bishop) by Thomas Coke and Philip Otterbein.
1791	John Wesley died.
1800	Philip Otterbein and Martin Boehm formed the United Brethren, a German-speaking church that followed Methodist discipline.
1803	Jacob Albright, founder of the Evangelical Association, and his followers founded the Newly Formed Methodist Conference.
1816	The African Episcopal Church was founded in Philadelphia by Richard Allen and Daniel Coker as a result of discrimination that prevented early black Methodists from serving the gospel as they wished.
1822	The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church was created in New York largely by black members of the John Street Church, also as a result of discrimination.
1828 to 1830	The Methodist Protestant Church was formed by Methodists who wanted lay people to share power with clergy in governing the church.
1843	The Wesleyan Methodist Church was formed by radical abolitionist members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
May 1845	The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, was formed when Southerners decided to separate from the northern church over the issue of slavery. Doctrine, policy, and discipline remained the same as that of the northern church.
1870	The Colored Methodist Episcopal Church was formed primarily from members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. It was later (1954) renamed to the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church.
1876	The first attempt at reconciliation occurred in Cape May, New Jersey. Both churches acknowledged each other to be true branches of the original church.
1904	Northern and Southern denominations agreed on a joint hymnal. Other differences were resolved at subsequent meetings.
1910	The Methodist Protestant Church and the Methodist Episcopal Church (both denominations) discussed a future union.
1939	All three denominations passed a Declaration of Union and drew up a new constitution, creating The Methodist Church.
1946	The United Brethren and the Evangelical Church joined together in Johnstown, Pennsylvania as the Evangelical United Brethren.
April 23, 1968	The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren joined to form The United Methodist Church.

Information is from the following resources:

The History of The United Methodist Church South Deerfield, MA: Channing L. Bete Co., Inc., 1982 (1997 Edition)

About Being United Methodist Greenfield, MA: Channing L. Bete Co., Inc., 1975 (1977 Edition)

About John Wesley Greenfield, MA: Channing L. Bete Co., Inc., 1977 (1978 Edition)

The People of the United Methodist Church The United Methodist Publishing House, 2001.