"This definitive study ought to be required reading in all courses on Methodism." --Dr. Diane Lobody, Warner Chair in Church History, Methodist Theological School in Ohio

Twentieth-century United Methodist women will meet some of their female predecessors in this fascinating account of early Methodism. For decades, the role of women in early Methodism has been overshadowed by that of their male counterparts. She Offered Them Christ is a piece of United Methodist family history that serves as a link between today's women in The United Methodist Church and their predecessors in the early history of The Methodist Church. Women preachers in John Wesley's day had his support, encouragement, and formal approval to travel and preach. Wesley valued the full involvement of women in the life of early Methodism. Unfortunately, Wesley's support for women was not shared by other male leaders of the movement; and shortly after Wesley's death, women preachers were censured. Paul W. Chilcote has collected in one volume the stories of Methodism's early women preachers - including excerpts from their diaries and journals - and introduces a segment of women's (and United Methodist) history that will enlighten today's church as it fosters an understanding of John Wesley's appreciation of and support for women in early Methodism. Today's United Methodists will find She Offered Them Christ to be a rich legacy of John Wesley's power and vision for the role of women in The Methodist Church. Wesley's message reached across the decades to provide today's United Methodists - especially women - with affirmation, encouragement, and support.

In a day when the ministries of female church leaders and "women preachers" are still sometimes regarded as unusual or even unbiblical, it is important to acknowledge and celebrate that women's leadership in ministry has been part and parcel of Methodism from its earliest days. Renewed appreciation of this strand of our spiritual DNA is vital for the fullest expression of gifts for ministry in the Church today. Yes, women's stories have often been consigned to the footnotes of history, making it necessary to read them into the narrative based on scanty clues and tantalizing breadcrumbs that sometimes raise more questions than answers. Conversely, when there a written record does exist, it has often been suppressed and/or repackaged downplaying their contributions. While the past few decades have seen an increase in interest in women of early Methodism, much of their stories are still untold or forgotten.

Why did the Wesleyan Methodists and the Anglican evangelicals divide during the middle of the eighteenth century? Many say it was based narrowly on theological matters. Ryan Nicholas Danker suggests that politics was a major factor driving them apart. Rich in detail, this study offers deep insight into a critical juncture in evangelicalism and early Methodism.

Paul Wesley Chilcote introduces the dynamic faith of John and Charles Wesley, showing how they were able to balance faith and works, Word and Spirit, the personal and the social, head and heart, mission and service.

Vicki Tolar Burton argues that John Wesley wanted to make ordinary Methodist men and women readers, writers, and public speakers because he understood the powerful role of language for spiritual formation. His understanding came from his own family and education, from his personal spiritual practices and experiences, and from the evidence he saw in the lives of his followers. By examining the intersections of literacy, rhetoric, and spirituality as they occurred in early British Methodism-and by exploring the meaning of these practices for class and gender-the author provides a new understanding of the method of Methodism.

Marks of a Movement calls us back to the disciple-making mandate of the church through the timeless wisdom of John Wesley and the Methodist movement. With a love for history and a passion for today’s church, Winfield helps us reimagine church multiplication in a way that focuses on making and multiplying disciples for the twenty-first century. Winfield Bevins reminds us of the vital multiplication lessons from the Wesleyan movement, one of the greatest missional movements the world has ever known. He highlights the necessity of discipleship as the starting point and the abiding strategic practice that is key to all lasting missional impact in and through movements. The Methodist movement is an example of the power of multiplying movements that utilize the strategy of discipleship. Within a generation, one in thirty people who were living in Britain had become Methodists, and the movement soon became a worldwide phenomenon. We in the Western Church need a movement of historic proportions once again. What would such a multiplication movement look like for us today? We must look to the past to gain wisdom for the future. And as we look at the pages of church history, there is no better example of a multiplication movement in the West than the Methodist movement of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Marks of a Movement highlights the lessons and key insights that enable us to learn from the past and reapply this timeless, biblical wisdom for today.