Since there were only about 20,000 black people in England, John Wesley did not have much interaction with Africans. Even though his contact was minimal, he does record some interesting exchanges with Africans during his ministry in America and in other settings. Wesley opposed the institution of slavery his entire life which was universally practiced around the world in pre-democratic, industrialized nations. Abolitionism began to gain momentum toward the end of the 18th century and slavery was gradually abolished in Great Briton in the early decades of the 19th century – after Wesley’s death in 1791. In the 1770s Wesley began to publish a series of political tracts, and one of them was on slavery.
The subject of race relations is a sensitive subject today. The purpose for publishing these materials is to make available the writings of John Wesley on his interactions with black people. There is no stated or implied aim to either vindicate or accuse him of racism and racial attitudes. Wesley lived in the 18th century and viewed race relations from the perspective of his era and context. The abolition of slavery is historically a complex issue and happened in most places around the world in the 19th century.
The following excerpts are representative and do not include every appearance of black people in Wesley’s writings. From these excerpts we can gain insights into his person and character and of Wesley’s theological convictions on the matter.
America 1736-1737
Richard Heitzenrater informs us that slavery was outlawed in Georgia when JW arrived in early 1736 (Wesley & People Called Methodists, 66). The following two excerpts from JW’s journal include his interactions with African slaves in the neighboring colony in which slavery was legal. His discussions reflect his disgust at slaveholders for not teaching the faith to their slaves and his genuine concern for their spiritual welfare.
Journal July 31 1736
Journal April 23 & 27 1737
Baptisms
Wesley records baptizing black people on only two occasions in his journal, on November 28, 1758 and March 10, 1786. On both occasions he noted their sincere piety, but in the first one he remarked that the woman was the “first African Christian” he had known. This confirms his limited interactions with black people.
Journal November 29 1758
Letter
Wesley had a deep concern for the salvation of all people, including black people. This is evident by the inclusion of a letter in his 1755 journal that warmed his heart. He wanted to share it with his readers. The letter was from Samuel Davies, who served as the president of Princeton from 1759 to his death in 1761. The letter shares about Davies’ interest to reach black slaves with the gospel. He notes their piety and unusual musical talent.
Journal July 27 1755
Holiness & Piety
On one occasion Wesley noted the deep piety of a black women in a society.
Journal May 7 1780
Thoughts Upon Slavery
In 1774 Wesley published a tract calling for the abolition of slavery. The tract is drawn from Anthony Benezet’s Some Historical Account of Guinea (p. 1771). Due to Wesley’s influence many early Methodists took a clear stand against slavery. Examples include Samuel Bradburn and Thomas Coke. The following edition is taken from Thomas Jackson’s edition of Wesley’s Works (vol.11).The 1774 edition is available on the John Wesley page.
Thoughts Upon Slavery 1774
Resources
The following three resources include sections dealing with early & later Methodism, Black Methodism, racism, and slavery. They detail the development of Black Methodism in America beginning in the 18th century.
Wesley and Methodist Studies, vol. 3 (2011)
The Oxford Handbook of Methodist Studies (2009)
The Cambridge Companion to American Methodism (2013)
[This post was taken with permission from the Featured Monthly Resources Page on Mark K. Olson’s website.]
