Aldersgate Street Experience

life of John Wesley

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June 18, 2026

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The Aldersgate Street Experience refers to a pivotal moment in the life of John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement. On May 24, 1738, while attending a meeting in London, Wesley experienced a profound spiritual transformation. He described feeling his "heart strangely warmed" as he listened to a reading of Martin Luther's preface to the Letter of Paul to the Romans. This personal experience of faith and assurance of salvation through Christ became the foundation of his evangelical ministry.12

John Wesley was an Anglican clergyman who, along with his brother Charles, established Methodism within the Church of England. His early life included education at Oxford and ordination as a priest. He was part of a religious study group at Oxford known as the "Holy Club" or "Methodists" due to their methodical approach to faith and devotion. This group also engaged in social services, visiting prisoners and aiding the poor.1

Following a challenging mission in Georgia, Wesley's Aldersgate Street Experience marked a turning point, inspiring him to dedicate his life to proclaiming salvation by faith. This led him to preach to the masses, forming societies for fellowship and spiritual growth, which eventually evolved into the Methodist movement.12

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John Wesley
On May 24, 1738, in Aldersgate Street, London, during a meeting composed largely of Moravians under the auspices of the Church of England, Wesley’s intellectual conviction was transformed into a personal experience while Luther’s preface to the commentary to the Letter of Paul to the Romans was being read.
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On May 24, 1738, in Aldersgate Street, London, during a meeting composed largely of Moravians under the auspices of the Church of England, Wesley’s intellectual conviction was transformed into a personal experience while Luther’s preface to the commentary to the Letter of Paul to the Romans was being read.
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Protestantism
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…Methodism, had his famous “Aldersgate Street Experience” (1738). His conversion experience occurred while he was listening to a Moravian preacher reading Luther’s Preface to the Romans. As Wesley noted later,
Read More
…Methodism, had his famous “Aldersgate Street Experience” (1738). His conversion experience occurred while he was listening to a Moravian preacher reading Luther’s Preface to the Romans. As Wesley noted later,
Read More