Wesley's Indelible Impact on the African Slave Trade

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Recommended: Life and ministry of John Wesley

While Wesley is often praised for his work in theology, his impact on the African slave trade in 1787 is incredibly significant. Thomas Clarkson, a man who played a role in ending the African slave trade, wrote a letter to Wesley, calling him “the celebrated divine, to whose pious labors the religious world will be long indebted, undertook the cause of the poor Africans.” Wesley openly spoke and wrote against the practice of slavery, condemning it even though the economy of Georgia heavily depended on slave labor. In this time, especially in big cities such as Savannah, preaching against slavery put the speaker’s family and livelihood in jeopardy. A lot of white landowners despised Wesley for this, and he made numerous enemies for the sake …show more content…

His life, commitment to holiness, and devotion to the word of God created a movement that still thrives two hundred years after its genesis. From the rectory fire to the forests of Savannah, Georgia, Wesley’s influence is impossible to ignore. This influence can be seen in the Methodist Church, and can be heard in church choirs each week through the hymns that he and his brother penned. A testament to the power of his preaching can be seen at his funeral, where tens of thousands flocked to his coffin in City Road Chapel despite John’s plea for a simple funeral. His pursuit of holiness ruffled the feathers of those around him, and many did not see the genius in a man who considered perfection as attainable on earth. At his core, John Wesley knew without a doubt that “man is justified by faith and perfected in love,” frequently declaring this to be true. He knew that Jesus did everything necessary for salvation, and that all men, regardless of the color of their skin, have the right to life, liberty, and freedom. John Wesley’s faults and failures “contributed to making him a great preacher and a loveable man,” which is why his preaching attracted such a large following. During his life, John Wesley sold himself out for Christ in everything, from his career to his letters, and by doing this became one of the great figures in Christian

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