Methodist

A Protestant denomination emphasizing a close personal relationship with God, the importance of the Holy Spirit, and a strong belief in the historical doctrines of Christianity. A simple and egalitarian form of worship in which ministers and laymen cooperate is advocated, as is work done on behalf of the poor and unfortunate. Methodism was started as an evangelical movement within the Church of England by John Wesley in 1739 and it became a separate denomination in 1795. The movement flourished as Wesley and other evangelical leaders traveled in England and to the American colonies. The main Methodist doctrine is laid out in Wesley's sermons, his notes on the New Testament, and his Articles of Religion.