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The founders of Methodism, John Wesley, his wife Susanna Wesley and his brother Charles Wesley, as well as the first bishop Francis Asbury, wanted to address the class divisions in the England of their day and make church more meaningful to common people. The Anglican Church had become very "high" and also "mighty". John Wesley was the primary theologian and Charles Wesley one of the finest Christian hymnists of all time, as was Fanny Crosby, whose work you will also find in many versions of Methodist hymnals.

Many, if not most, of Charles Wesley's lyrics are drawn directly from the Gospels or the Psalms.The Wesleys believed that singing was an important part of learning the gospel and participating in worship. Every service contains four to six hymns sung in harmony, as well as sung responses and one or more choir pieces. I found this method to be true, as I have difficulty consciously hearing lyrics of music; yet when I hit a bad time in my life and had fallen away from church, the lyrics of the hymns I had sung throughout my youth started coming back to me and provided comfort and inspiration to keep me going and help me return to security in the Word.

Some early Methodist hymns were new lyrics attached to familiar tunes, even drinking songs and folk songs from the pubs, as the Wesleys reached out to people who felt intimidated by the high church. Temperance was another important feature of early Methodism, continuing until very recently.

There is a slim volume by John Wesley that illuminates his "methodical" way of discipline in the Christian life, called A Plain Account of Christian Perfection. The socially conservative, disciplined, and modestly fervent Christianity of Wesley (he even instructed followers not to bellow or call attention to oneself when singing, but to temper one's volume to all the others in the congregation), a beautiful community that I remember so fondly from early childhood, has given way to just another outpost of the Democrat party.

I left after five generations of my family in the Methodist church due to a crescendo of shocking liberalisms, including the fights over homosexual affirmation in the 90s. For just one example, as we planned a prayer service open to the community for the day after 9/11, a Democrat committeewoman in our congregation chided me for suggesting that we pray, among many other things, that the teachings of Christ would become more clearly understood to all the world. She said it would offend any non-Christians who might come to our service. The pastor took her side. I could not believe my ears. It was only the tip of the iceberg.

Thank you for this good explanation. I say to myself: Awake and sing!

Susanna Wesley was the mother of John and Charles Wesley; their father's name was Samuel. Charles Wesley was the greatly gifted musician, and the talent was passed to his descendants.

John was married, but it didn't work out: Wesley married very unhappily at the age of forty-eight to a widow, Mary Vazeille, and had no children. Vazeille left him fifteen years later, to which Wesley wryly reported in his journal, "I did not forsake her, I did not dismiss her, I will not recall her." (Wikipedia)

I particularly like the phrasing, "Wesley married very unhappily": one can almost see him, all a-gloom at the altar, knowing it's a mistake.

...a beautiful community that I remember so fondly from early childhood, has given way to just another outpost of the Democrat party.

Interesting observation. Methodism gave us Hillary Clinton who often talks about how her dedication to "public service" has its roots in the Methodism of her youth.