In England, in 1729, a small group of Oxford University students were ridiculed as "Methodists," because they spent so much time in methodical prayer, outreach, and Bible study. Led by John Wesley, the students ignored jeering crowds and preached, prayed, and worked with people considered lower classes of English society.

Methodists emigrated to North America, formed societies of believers, and worshiped in the Charlotte area as early as 1783. In 1784, the Methodist Church became the first denomination in the United States established after the American Revolution, and our first bishop, Francis Asbury, greeted George Washington at his inauguration. Until the middle of the 20th century, Methodists were the largest denomination in the United States. The United Methodist Church is the result of a merger in 1968 of several similar churches.