Wesley, Charles (1707-1788), a clergyman of the Church of England, was a founder of Methodism and shared its leadership with his brother John. Charles is best known as the author of more than 7,000 hymns, many of which are still sung in Christian worship. They include “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing,” “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today,” and “Jesu, Lover of My Soul.”
Wesley was born on Dec. 18, 1707, in Epworth, Lincolnshire. Like his brother, he was educated at Christ Church College at Oxford University in the 1720’s. There he met with small groups of other students for methodical study, spiritual devotion, and practical good works. These activities earned them the nickname “Methodist.” For the next 20 years, Charles helped his brother shape the Methodist movement. He was a vigorous evangelical preacher and wrote about 480 of the 525 hymns in the Methodist Collection of Hymns (1780), widely regarded as a spiritual classic. After his marriage in 1749, Charles settled into parish ministry, though he continued to be a close adviser of his brother. He died on March 29, 1788.
