In this post I will begin to focus on Women in the Methodist Movement starting with Susanna Wesley, who lived from 1669 - 1742.
As a wife and a mother in a small 18th century English parish Susanna Wesley herself received little recognition for how she managed her household, raised and educated more than a dozen children and coped with an occasionally difficult clergy husband. Yet from her personal influence and loving home came a son who would experience a spiritual awakening and use that inspiration to start a ministry that would fill a void in the national spiritual life and also develop into a world wide church. Indeed, it might be said that the movement Methodism had its foundations in the home of Susanna Wesley.
Born on January 20, 1669, as the daughter of a London pastor and the youngest of 25 children, Susanna Annesley was quite familiar with both a clergyman's household and large families.
Susanna was eduated at home, with her lessons supplemented by the intellectual atmosphere of her father's many scholarly visitors. One of these was a young man, Samuel Wesley.
Samuel Wesley was ordained in the Anglican Church in 1689 and they were married soon after.
Following his ordination and marriage, Samuel served other parishes before 1696 when he came to Epworth, Lincolnshire, the church he would serve most of his life. Also during this time, Susanna had seven children in these years, three of who died.
Ten of Susanna's eventual nineteen children lived to maturity, making for a large family to raise and educate while she carried out all her other household responsibilities.
The Wesleys had many challenges over the years, occasionally caused by some parishoners'opposition to Samuel as pastor.
To manage her large household and properly educate her children Susanna established a definite routine for her household and family, aiming to help each child learn, mature and develop Christian character. Her policy was "strength guided by kindness." She gave each child individual attention by purposely setting aside a regular time for each of them. Later John wrote his mother fondly remembering his special time with her.
In 1711 Samuel was attending a long church conference leaving his pulpit in charge of another minister, Mr Inman. However, he proved to be a poor choice.
Since there were no afternoon church services, Susanna began an evening family gathering where they sang psalms, prayed and Susanna read a short sermon from her husband's library.It began with the family and servants but soon word spread and other neighbours appeared, and soon there were too many for the parsonage. Susanna had written her husband of what she was doing. However, Mr Inman had complained to Samuel writing that such irregular services could cause criticism or even scandal for the church for the idea of a woman having any part in a worship service - even in her own home -, was unheard of. Samuel eventually told Susanna to discontinue the meetings but she declined since the meeting were a genuine and effective ministry to those who attended. The services continued.
After Samuel passed away in 1735, Susanna settled in a daughter's home. Not long thereafter, John and Charles were converted and were inspired to begin the preaching and outreach that would be part of their new ministry named "Methodism."In 1740 John moved Susanna into the centre of this new ministry in London. This large building held chapels, a school, a clinic and living quarters for John and other workers. Susanna would spend her final days among loving people involved in a new ministry with her other children nearby. Then as the end neared and with her family around her, she instructed them, "Children, as soon as I am released sing a psalm of praise to God." She passed away July 23, 1742.
Read Part Two HERE
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