a warm and welcoming church with a mixture of traditional and modern styles of worship

 

Centenary Celebration - The Story Of Providence Methodist Church

4.  Our Story:  Background

In considering the origin of Colley Gate Methodist Church it is as well to look further back and know something of the Founders of Methodism. John Wesley was born in 1704 and was one of a family of nineteen children of the Rev. Samuel and Susanna Wesley. The ancestors of both his parents were scholars and clergymen and it is not to be wondered at that two of their children at least have made notable history in founding the Methodist Church. More than half of the children of Samuel and Susanna died in infancy, at the Rectory at Epworth in the Fenlands.

John and his brother Charles won scholarships to Christ Church College, Oxford, and both had successful University careers. Whilst at the University, together with some friends they formed the “Holy Club”; they had a rigid timetable for Bible study, prayer, sick and prison visiting. Their contemporaries soon found some nicknames — “The Godly Club”, “Biblemoths”, “The Sacramentarians” and finally “Methodists” — the latter a name which has since been honoured throughout the world. Much has been written about the life of John and Charles Wesley, and more particularly perhaps about John, whose pilgrimage carried him into America and all over Britain. It is sufficient to say that he was filled with a burning passion for preaching which only became extinguished on his death.

His visit to America was not altogether a success, but Methodism was carried there by later men and it is now very strong in that continent.

The Wesleys were “called” in May, 1738, within a few days of each other, at meeting places in Aldersgate Street, London, and that was the real beginning of a great Church.

In the next year John Wesley began his pilgrimage around Britain and many references exist to his visits, sayings, diary notes and small gifts. Among the places he visited was Cradley. There on March 19th, 1770, he preached from a small elevated spot in the centre of High Street.

As a result of Wesley's preaching small groups of people gathered together, mostly at first in homes, then workshops and stables. The number of groups grew and each group became stronger as time went on — a slow but definite and positive progress. The next obvious move was to form small circuits — Dudley, Oldbury, Stourbridge and many others. Wesley continued his pilgrimage until he died in the year 1791 at the age of 87 years.

The first Wesleyan Methodist Society in this area was formed in Cradley in 1766 — then in the Staffordshire circuit. In 1821, a group of Methodists founded what is now the Graingers Lane Church, and a few years later the Cradley Wesleyan Sunday School began.

 

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