HOW GENERATIONAL SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONDITIONS CHANGED BY A PERSON’S SINCERE WORK?
Can you imagine what would be our current socio-economic conditions had it not for one great man’s sincere work started in the 18th century? Who are the beneficiaries of his hard work?
Yes, that great man known to the world as John Wesley, the founder of “Methodism, and since the 18th century the beneficiaries of his hard work are the members and/or non- members of Methodist denomination. In the 21st century, it may be hard for Millennial or Generation Y (born between 1980s and 2000s) and Generation X (born between 1960s and 1980s), and even some Baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) like me to understand these changes, unless a person has experienced and witnessed the results in his or her lifetime.
As we know in history that throughout the world certain communities were being segregated due to their socio-economic conditions or socio-religious upbringing. History tells us that every Nation on this planet has its own social and economic problems. In 1739 mine workers in the village of Kingswood, Britain suffered both emotionally and economically, and they felt most of the time that their own church neglected them. It was John Wesley’s Oxford friend and evangelist, George Whitefield who was preaching to these people offered him to preach, at this point, John Wesley recognized that the open-air services were successful in reaching men and women who would not enter most of the churches. John Wesley felt that Church failed to call sinners to repentance. From this point onwards John Wesley took the opportunities to preach whenever an assembly could be brought together. History tells us that many times he used his father’s tombstone at Epworth as a pulpit to preach the Good News!
Since the 18th century, John Wesley ministry changed so many lives. Along with John Newton and William Wilberforce, John Wesley was also a key player in the abolition of slavery in Britain. As we know that through his ministry many communities throughout the world were able to break the barrier of socio-economic conditions and reach to a different level of economic and social (equal) status. I don’t think any country’s political party would have made this drastic change as his ministry did in the world. If not for John Wesley ministry, I don’t think me and our family would have achieved our current socio-economic status. Like many in the world, we are also beneficiaries of his hard work! If you are also one of the beneficiaries of his hard work, please share your experience and provide comments and suggestions.