"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.

Selina Hastings, the Countess of Huntingdon, was the chief administrator and main organizer behind the Calvinistic wing of Methodism. She leased chapels, purchased advowsons (the right to nominate a person to hold a church office), and appointed chaplains and lay preachers to staff the far-flung connection of nearly seventy chapels and preaching posts. She also operated an orphanage and established a college to train preachers.

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.