John Wesley was an 18th century Anglican cleric, theologian, and evangelist who was the principal leader of a revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism, which continues to this day.

He was ordained priest in 1728, but after an unsuccessful two-year ministry in Savannah, Georgia, he returned to London and joined a religious society led by Moravian Christians. On 24 May 1738, he experienced a form of evangelical conversion, and, as a result, left the Moravians and began his own ministry.

Wesley travelled widely, often preaching outdoors, and set up small Christian groups that developed intensive and personal accountability, discipleship, and religious instruction, and appointed itinerant, unordained evangelists - both women and men - to care for these groups of people.

Under Wesley, Methodists became leaders in many social issues of the day, including the abolition of slavery and support for women preachers.

His younger brother, Charles Wesley, also an Anglican priest and leader of the Methodist movement, was a prolific hymnwriter who wrote over 6,500 hymns during his lifetime, including some well known to this day, such as "And Can It Be", "O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing", "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today", "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling" and "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing".

Despite their closeness, Charles and John did not always agree on questions relating to their beliefs. In particular, Charles was strongly opposed to the idea of a breach with the Church of England in which they had both been ordained.