Aldersgate or Fetter Lane

Supernatural Occurrences Prior to Aldersgate
10
Although the wild success of the Methodist Revival had not yet begun, Wesley
could certainly be considered a very “successful” clergyman. He had established
ministries through the Holy Club to the poor, elderly, children, and imprisoned in Oxford.
He had delivered a number of sermons that resulted in changed lives, including that of
James Hutton noted above. He was a fellow of Lincoln College and regular preacher at
Oxford. He was a missionary to America where he saw congregations grow and a hymnal
published. He helped found the Fetter Lane society. Thus, by early 1738, when he was
thirty-five years old, Wesley was already an accomplished clergyman because of his hard
work and holiness of life. But where was the work of the supernatural in Wesley’s life?
Prior to May 24, 1738, Wesley seemed to have relatively few experiences that
may be considered supernatural. In his summary text, The Supernatural Occurrences of
John Wesley 34 , pastor and evangelist Daniel Jennings includes only one such occurrence
in Wesley’s life prior to Aldersgate, recorded on March 28, 1736 when Wesley was in
Savanah, Georgia during his missionary days in America. A gravely ill young man, Peter
Wright, related an experience to Wesley: Peter heard his name being called and looked
up to see his “room was as light as day, and I saw a man in very bright clothes stand by
the bed, who said, ‘Prepare yourself, for your end is nigh.’” The young man recovered
temporarily from his illness with his “whole temper … changed as well as his life.” He
34
Daniel R. Jennings, The Supernatural Occurrences of John Wesley (Lexington, KY: Sean
Multimedia, 2012). Although this is a self-published work (see seanmultimedia.com), The United
Methodist Church includes this text as one of twelve cited in the bibliography of the Resolution,
“Guidelines: The UMC and the Charismatic Movement,” adopted in 2008 and readopted in 2016 by the
General Conference. (See http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/guidelines-the-umc-and-the-charismaticmovement,
accessed July 12, 2018).