John Wesley's Aldersgate Experience
- When
- 1738
- Where
- Aldersgate Street, London
- Episodes
- 1
On 24 May 1738, John Wesley experienced a profound spiritual conversion at a Moravian meeting in Aldersgate, London. This event, described as a warming of the heart, revolutionized his ministry and is commemorated by Methodists as Aldersgate Day.
Episodes
Background and detail
The Aldersgate Experience. On 24 May 1738, Wesley attended a meeting at a Moravian church on Aldersgate Street. While listening to a reading of Martin Luther's preface to the Epistle to the Romans, he felt his heart strangely warmed. He described this as an assurance of faith, marking his evangelical conversion and a shift in his ministry's character.
Aftermath and Commemoration. The experience led Wesley to believe the Moravians possessed an inner strength he previously lacked. This event is considered monumental in church history, as it fundamentally shaped Methodism. Today, 24 May is commemorated in Methodist churches as Aldersgate Day, marking this pivotal moment in Wesley's life.
People involved
- John Wesley · Anglican clergyman and theologian
Sources
- John Wesley Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-17
- Aldersgate Wikipedia, revision of 2026-06-07
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.