How American Methodism Took Shape
This precise historical study traces how early Methodist preachers organized a new church in America, creating its government, orders, and disciplines. It centers on pivotal meetings, like the Christmas Conference, and the roles of key figures such as Asbury and Coke in shaping the movement.
Drawing on diaries, journals, and the period’s published records, the book illuminates the birth of episcopal authority, the creation of official minutes, and the evolution of the church’s governing bodies. It presents the sequence of events that transformed itinerant preaching into a structured religious institution, while carefully distinguishing source materials and scholarly interpretation.
- Learn how early decisions established church government and order.
- See how leaders debated titles, offices, and the authority of conferences.
- Examine the sources that document the formation of Methodist polity.
- Understand the balance between itinerant ministry and organized oversight.
Ideal for readers of church history and those curious about how religious institutions take form.