Secession and revival: Louth Free Methodist Church in the 1850s

Citation

Bebbington DW (2015) Secession and revival: Louth Free Methodist Church in the 1850s. Wesley and Methodist Studies, 7 (1), pp. 54-77. https://doi.org/10.5325/weslmethstud.7.1.0054

Abstract
At Louth in Lincolnshire there emerged in the 1850s a Free Methodist Church. Wesleyans had been hugely successful in the area, but there was internal opposition to Methodist Conference policies. The corn merchant J.B. Sharpley led a secession from Wesleyanism, contributing ideas about the rights of lay leaders. The new denomination gathered support from tradesmen and shopkeepers, and made efforts to recruit waverers. Its members became keen on entire sanctification and turned ardently to revivalism, but eventually, in 1859, the difficulty of securing ministers dictated merger with the United Methodist Free Churches.

Keywords
Secession; revival; Louth; Lincolnshire; Methodism

Journal
Wesley and Methodist Studies: Volume 7, Issue 1