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The Epic Interactive Encyclopedia 1998
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Epic Interactive Encyclopedia, The - 1998 Edition (1998)(Epic Marketing).iso
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Methodism
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1992-09-03
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Evangelical Protestant Christian movement
which was founded by John Wesley 1739 within
the Church of England, but which became a
separate body 1795. The church government is
presbyterian in Britain and episcopal in the
USA. In 1988 there were over 50 million
Methodists. Methodist doctrines are contained
in Wesley's sermons and Notes on the New
Testament. A series of doctrinal divisions in
the early 19th century were reconciled by a
conference in London 1932 which brought
Wesleyan methodists, primitive methodists,
and United methodists into the Methodist
Church. Supreme authority is vested in the
annual conference (50% ministers, 50% lay
people; members are grouped under `class
leaders' and churches into `circuits'.
Expansion in the 19th century in developing
industrial areas enabled people to overcome
economic depression or change by spiritual
means. Its encouragement of thrift and simple
living helped many to raise their economic
status. Smaller Methodist groups such as the
Primitive Methodists and the Methodist New
Connexion provided leadership in early trades
unionism in disproportion to their size.
Mainstream Wesleyans at first were
conservative but identified increasingly with
Gladstonian liberalism in the second half of
the 19th century.