Lesson 5: The Pursuit of Holiness: A.D. 1835-Present

By the end of this lesson, the student should:

(1) Understand the causes for a loss of emphasis on holiness in the Methodist movement during the nineteenth century.

(2) Appreciate the hunger for holiness that inspired the nineteenth century holiness denominations.

(3) Recognize the importance of the camp meeting movement in the spread of the holiness message.

(4) Be aware of dangers that may cause us to lose our passion for holiness in the church today.

(5) Trace the birth and growth of the Salvation Army.

(6) Understand that the pursuit of holiness includes both love for God and love for our neighbor.

One of John Wesley’s core beliefs was an emphasis on entire sanctification.[1] Wesley preached that through surrender to God and faith in his promises, the believer could be made pure in heart. He preached that Jesus’ command in Matthew 5:48 implied a promise that could be received through faith. Through the evangelistic efforts of the Wesleys and the Methodist preachers, this message soon spread worldwide.

After the death of Francis Asbury in 1816, Methodism began to shift. The shifts were subtle, but eventually, Methodist churches no longer emphasized the doctrine of entire sanctification. Though Methodism did not deny the doctrine of Christian Perfection, few pastors preached it and few laymen lived it.

Four factors led nineteenth century Methodists to put less emphasis on the doctrine of entire sanctification and on a holy separated life. The issues that undercut the message of holiness included:       

1. Financial success. By the mid-nineteenth century, many Methodists were comfortable financially. They lived as if they did not need to rely fully on God.
2. Respectability. The Methodist churches wanted to be respectable. They discouraged emotional display and sought to be more dignified in the eyes of the community.
3. Liberal scholarship. In the nineteenth century, many Methodist pastors and scholars were educated under the influence of liberal German scholars. With the emphasis on higher criticism, basic Scripture doctrines seemed to become less important.
4. Loss of vision. As the Methodists dealt with internal issues, they began to flounder as a movement. No one seemed to provide a vision for the future of Methodism.

Added to these four issues, America was facing civil war. The states were divided on many issues including states rights and whether it was allowable to individuals to own slaves. The Methodist Episcopal Church became divided over this issue; and, in 1844, the denomination divided into separate churches, north and south.

In spite of these problems, the Spirit of God was moving as he always does on the hearts of men and women. From this, the flames of the Holiness Movement were ignited.  In this lesson, we will study the pursuit of holiness among people who continued to hunger for a pure heart in spite of the difficulties faced in the Methodist denomination.

► Discuss the four reasons listed for the decline of emphasis on the doctrine of entire sanctification and a life of holiness among nineteenth century Methodists. Ask:

• Which of these issues are present in your society?
• How have these issues affected the church and its emphasis on a holy life?

[1] The material in this lesson was developed by Reverend Robert Booth, editor of God’s Missionary Standard.

Early Developments

On May 21, 1835, in New York City, Sarah Lankford testified to a pure heart. Lankford had been sponsoring prayer meetings at two Methodist Churches in New York. In August 1835, she transferred the prayer meetings to a room in her own home.

These prayer meetings became known as the Tuesday Meetings for the Promotion of Holiness in New York City. While attending these meetings, Sarah’s sister, Phoebe Palmer testified to an experience of entire sanctification in 1837.

Phoebe Palmer and her husband Walter, a medical doctor, were soon leading these meetings for hundreds of people who were hungry for a holy life. The Tuesday Meetings became the chief inspiration for the spread of the message of holiness in the mid-nineteenth century.

In July 1839, Rev. Timothy Merritt began publishing a magazine titled Guide to Christian Perfection. In the lead editorial, Merritt outlined the purpose for the magazine. He asked, “What Shall Be Done to Revive the Work of Holiness in the Church?”

The Guide to Christian Perfection became an important catalyst in the spread of the holiness message throughout the United States. In this monthly periodical, Merritt included testimonies about entire sanctification, had guest writers write about the message of holiness, and announced locations of holiness events. It was a holiness magazine designed to spread the message of holiness.

Phoebe Palmer represents several trends in nineteenth century evangelicalism: an increased role for women in ministry, the Methodist emphasis on Christian perfection, a passion for evangelism, and a concern for social needs.

[1]

Although the Tuesday Meetings for the Promotion of Holiness were started for women, men soon began attending the meetings. As many as 300 people attended each session. Hundreds of Methodist ministers testified to entire sanctification.

In 1842, Palmer published The Way of Holiness, which emphasized an instantaneous second work of grace. She also began serving as the editor of a periodical, Guide to Holiness, published by her husband, Walter Palmer. She preached revivals and campaigns in the United States and Great Britain. About 25,000 people were converted under her ministry.

While Palmer is mostly remembered for her teaching on holiness, she had a passion for both social and evangelistic outreach. Among other things, Phoebe Palmer:

• Helped found Five Points Mission, the first permanent inner city mission in America.
• Engaged in prison ministry.
• Was a leading supporter of the first Methodist mission to China.
• Attempted to establish a mission to Palestine.
• Organized the Ladies Christian Association, a predecessor to the YWCA.

Palmer influenced other social reformers such as William and Catherine Booth. It was through Palmer’s influence that Catherine Booth began preaching alongside William. In her book, The Promise of the Father, Phoebe Palmer argued that women should be involved in ministry alongside men. This book, as well as conversations with Phoebe Palmer, influenced Catherine Booth to public ministry.

Holiness teachers believed that the message of entire sanctification encouraged evangelism of the lost and service to the needy. They believed that a person with perfect love is sensitive to all areas of human need.

[1]Image: "Mrs. Phoebe Palmer", The Life and letters of Mrs. Phoebe Palmer (1881), retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mrs._Phoebe_Palmer.jpg, public domain.

Formation of the Wesleyan Methodist Church

In 1833, a converted lumberjack, turned Methodist evangelist and pastor, experienced a turning point in his life. In a conversation with a fellow pastor, Orange Scott became aware that his church was ignoring the sin of American slavery. Scott realized that although the founder of Methodism, John Wesley, was an outspoken opponent of slavery, the Methodist church had now compromised on this matter.

Scott began to read about the abolition movement. He purchased subscriptions to the Liberator, an abolitionist newspaper edited by William Lloyd Garrison, and sent them to 100 Methodist pastors in New England. Other pastors joined Scott in his outcry against the Methodist church over the issue of slavery. Soon, bishops in the Methodist Church gave him a choice – he could oppose slavery or he could continue as a Methodist elder; he could not do both.

Orange Scott became convinced that holy hearts should be seen in holy lives and that holy men should seek to bring an end to social evils.[1] On November 8, 1842, he and two other ministers withdrew from the Methodist Episcopal Church.

During the next few years, Scott published a periodical called The True Wesleyan. On May 31, 1843, Scott presided over a convention assembled at Utica, New York, to establish a new denomination called the Wesleyan Methodist Connection.

Scott died in 1847 at the age of 47. His final challenge was, “Let all our ministries and people keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of perfectness, and there is nothing to fear.”

Formation of the Free Methodist Church

Tensions grew in the Methodist church between 1835 and 1858 over the issue of holiness. Until 1858, most of the effort focused on reforming the Methodist church. In 1859, the focus took a different turn.

Rev. Benjamin Titus Roberts was a prominent pastor in the Methodist Church. He and others began to protest what they called the “New School Methodists.” They were concerned about several trends in the Methodist Church:

• The tendency to deny the importance of entire sanctification. Many Methodist pastors treated justification and entire sanctification as a single experience.
• The desire for elaborate churches and formal worship instead of the simplicity that had marked the early Methodists.
• The desire for financial success. Renting pews to church members gave wealthy people honored places and put the poor in seats this identified them as poor.
• The refusal to confront the sin of slavery.

In response to these issues, the Free Methodist Church was organized in 1860 at Pekin, New York. Some of their core beliefs were:

1. Freedom from sin. They believed and taught holiness and separation from the world.
2. Freedom from slavery. They believed that everyone should be treated as equal, and that no one should be enslaved.
3. Freedom from secrecy. They did not allow their members to join secret groups such as the Masonic Lodge.
4. Freedom from church political power. They believed that the Methodist church had forsaken her roots and was now controlling how local churches should operate.
5. Freedom from liturgical worship. Believing that worship should not be as formal as it had become in the Methodist church, they promoted worship that was free of liturgy.

These five beliefs appealed to the common individual, and the Free Methodist Church soon spread far beyond New York. This denomination contributed much to the spread of the holiness message.

The Message of Holiness in Periodicals and Books

In addition to influential periodicals, such as Guide to Holiness and The True Wesleyan, many books on holiness were published during the 19th century. Randolph Foster wrote Nature and Blessedness of Christian Purity in 1851. Five years later, Jesse Peck wrote The Central Idea of Christian Perfection. These books taught that every believer was called to live a holy life.

A Congregational preacher and educator by the name of Thomas Upham was encouraged by his wife to attend Phoebe Palmer’s Tuesday Meeting in New York City. Through the Tuesday Meetings, Upham gave testimony to a deeper consecration and began to teach the message of holiness. He began to write articles in the Palmers’ Guide to Holiness.

Upham was a deep thinker who appealed to individuals who were more educated, but who were interested in a holy life. His book titled Principles of the Interior or Hidden Life: Designed Particularly for the Consideration of Those Who Are Seeking Assurance of Faith and Perfect Love was widely accepted.

Another pastor who attended Palmer’s Tuesday Meetings was a Presbyterian preacher named William Boardman. In 1858, he wrote a book titled The Higher Christian Life, based on his personal experiences and his longings for a higher level of Christianity. Boardman was not a scholar, but this book appealed to common readers.  It became popular throughout the United States, Canada, and England.

Many of the early writers of Holiness periodicals and books were directly influenced by the Tuesday Meetings. Men like Thomas Upham, Matthew Simpson and John Inskip attended these meetings and experienced the work of entire sanctification. These men and others took the message of holiness back to their churches.

In the 1850s, the Palmers decided to take their teaching outside the Tuesday Meetings to larger audiences. William and Phoebe Palmer began to travel as evangelists, speaking at camp meetings and revivals on the beauty of holiness and a holy life. In 1857, they went to Canada and held a series of campaigns that helped spread the message of holiness in that nation.

[1]Holy hearts should be seen in holy lives.

In 1861, the Civil War broke out in the United States. This slowed the spread of the holiness revival, but did not stop it. Walter and Phoebe Palmer spent much of this period in England and Scotland. The books of William Boardman and Thomas Upham had been widely accepted in England and prepared the way for the Palmers. During these years, Phoebe Palmer met William and Catherine Booth, the founders of the Salvation Army. The Salvation Army officially launched in 1865 and later became well-known throughout the world. William Booth stated that he believed in the doctrine and methods of the Wesleys.

The Holiness Revival of 1867

John Inskip, a Methodist pastor, was educated at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania. Even as a student at Dickinson, Inskip was interested in the doctrine of holiness, but believed that many who sought entire sanctification were deluded enthusiasts.

In 1864, Inskip’s wife Martha attended a camp meeting in Sing Sing, New York. She attended with the express interest of satisfying a continuing spiritual hunger. At the camp meeting, she experienced the grace of entire sanctification. She went home and told her husband about it. Nine days later, while preaching a sermon on the need for holiness, John himself was sanctified.

Shortly after this, Inskip attended a Tuesday Meeting for the Promotion of Holiness and invited the Palmers to hold special meetings at his church to teach and preach holiness. John soon lead a series of widespread holiness revivals.

In 1866, a holiness preacher Rev. J. A. Wood and Mrs. Harriet Drake began to discuss ways to spread the message of holiness. Mrs. Drake offered to pay half of the expenses to organize a camp meeting that would focus on the message of holiness.

The National Camp Meeting for the Promotion of Holiness was organized and planned for Vineland, New Jersey. Critics derided the plans and suggested that it would fail. The camp meeting began on July 17, 1867, and as many as 10,000 people attended. At the close of the camp meeting, the decision was made to create an organization called the National Camp Meeting Association for the Promotion of Holiness. John Inskip was chosen as the first president.

This organization decided to hold the next camp meeting in Pennsylvania, among the German speaking people, in order to reach them with the message of holiness. On July 14, 1868, the National Camp Meeting Association for the Promotion of Holiness opened in Manheim, Pennsylvania. The evening service had a reported 10,000-15,000 in attendance. That crowd grew to as many as 25,000 people before the end of the meeting. Speakers included John Inskip, Alfred Cookman, J.A. Wood, William McDonald, George Hughes, Phoebe Palmer, and Matthew Simpson.

George Hughes described a sermon by Matthew Simpson: “His hands were uplifted. His voice in mighty tones swelled out upon the night air. The sounds of crying and groaning co-mingled. It seemed that Matthew Simpson literally pulled down the power. Hallelujahs, like the sound of many waters, rolled through the forest temple. How many plunged into the cleansing stream that night we shall never know.”[1]

As the camp closed, William McDonald reminded those gathered that “home will not be Manheim.” Appealing for tolerance and even compassion for those who had not experienced full salvation, he asked his audience to avoid controversy and extreme austerity and suggested that one should show humility in professions of holiness. In conclusion, he noted that “in the discharge of your religious duties, do not be governed by feeling, but by faith.”

The National Camp Meeting Association for the Promotion of Holiness continued to hold camp meetings in different locations in the United States. These camp meetings were attended by thousands. The camp meetings were attended by people from Canada, England, India, Germany and several other European countries.

The Founding of the Salvation Army

William Booth was converted under the preaching of James Caughey, a Methodist minister from America. When Walter and Phoebe Palmer traveled to England, they influenced both William and Catherine Booth. The Booths were committed to the message of holiness.

The Booths felt God’s call to reach the outcasts of society in East London. They believed that the gospel must serve both the spiritual and the physical needs of the poor. In 1865, William and Catherine Booth founded the Christian Revival Association, which was later called the East London Christian Mission.

After preaching outdoors for nearly two years, in 1867, the Booths bought a former bar and turned it into the People's Mission Hall for evangelism and social outreach. Within a few years, the mission became known as the Salvation Army and began to use military terminology. Members formed mission stations called “corps.” Salvation Army members wore uniforms and had ranks ranging from Cadet to General. Catherine Booth designed the first Salvation Army flag. By the end of 1878, the Salvation had 127 “officers.” Of these, 101 had been converted in Salvation Army meetings.

The Salvation Army was known throughout London for both evangelism and social ministry. They believed that the gospel should bring the poor to Jesus – and that the gospel should relieve the poverty of people who were freed from the bondage of alcohol and sin.

The Booths relied on donations and other humanitarian aid for the ministry of the Salvation Army. In 1890, Booth published In Darkest England and the Way Out to share the work of the Salvation Army with others. This book brought wide attention to William and Catherine Booth and the Salvation Army.

[1]Descriptions of the Manheim Camp Meeting

“One simultaneous burst of agony and of glory was heard in all parts of the congregation; and for nearly an hour, the scene could not be described.”
- John Inskip

“The scene was beyond all description. It was one of the most powerful manifestations of Divine power we have ever beheld. Several thousand people seemed to be prostrate under the mighty influence of supernatural power.”
- Lancaster Daily Express newspaper

William Booth was born in poverty. His father died when William was thirteen, leaving the family in a terrible financial situation. As a teenager, William worked as a pawnbroker in Nottingham England to help the family. When he was fifteen, Booth was converted on his way home after attending service at Wesley Chapel. Soon after that, he testified to a pure heart after hearing the preaching of the evangelist James Caughey. Two years later, William Booth began preaching.

Booth began preaching to the outcasts and poor of Nottingham. One day he brought a group of poor boys from the streets into the Methodist church. The preacher was angry at Booth for bringing them to church. The founder of Methodism, John Wesley had been driven from Anglican Churches when he brought poor coal miners into the church; now upper class Methodist preachers were driving the poor from the Methodist churches.

Within a few years, God brought William Booth to London with a mission to bring revival to one of the great cities of the nineteen century. In 1865, Booth began preaching in a tent in the slums. He declared that he finally was doing what God called him to do. Soon they were using an abandoned building called the East London Christian Mission.

Booth was soon preaching wherever people would listen. His listeners were often overwhelmed with a sense of the presence and power of God. By 1879, through the preaching of 127 officers, the Salvation Army held 75,000 services a year. In 1880, the Army expanded to the United States. In 1881, they went to France and a year later sent workers to India.

Though the Salvation Army began with preaching, it also became known for meeting the physical needs of the poor. By 1887, the Salvation Army was known for three core services: “soup, soap and salvation.” Booth realized that the physical and social environment of the poor made it extremely difficult for them to appreciate the message of salvation and holiness. He began to work to address social issues so the way was clear for the gospel.

Booth’s book In Darkest England and the Way Out proposed ways to end poverty in England. Booth showed that England was divided between the rich and poor. He believed that this divide harmed the nation both spiritually and economically. This book became a best-seller and showed England how to deal with social issues. Booth’s ideas worked when they were applied. Thousands of people were lifted from poverty through the work of the Salvation Army.

[1]

Booth’s wife Catherine was as important to the Salvation Army as her husband. She worked as tirelessly as he did. Her charm helped win the support of the upper class. When she died in 1890, the streets of London were crowded with a funeral procession of more than four miles. For twenty-five years they had labored together for the Salvation Army. By 1890, the Army had 2,900 centers in thirty-four different countries. 

By late in life, General Booth was praised by such diverse men as Charles Spurgeon, Winston Churchill, and Cardinal Manning. The Prince of Wales became a patron of the Salvation Army; and when the Prince was crowned as Edward VII in 1902, Booth was invited to the coronation.

In spite of his fame, General Booth never lost his passion for evangelism. During a visit to Buckingham Palace, the King asked Booth what he did for recreation. Booth replied, "Sir, some men have a passion for art, fame and gold. I have a passion for souls.” Once in an outburst of concern for the lost, he exclaimed, "Oh, God, what can I say? Souls! Souls! Souls! My heart hungers for souls!”

When asked for the secret of his success, William Booth said:

“I will tell you the secret. God has had all there was of me. There have been men with greater brains than I, men with greater opportunities. But from the day I got the poor of London on my heart and caught a vision of all Jesus Christ could do with them, on that day I made up my mind that God would have all of William Booth there was. And if there is anything of power in the Salvation Army today, it is because God has had all the adoration of my heart, all the power of my will, and all the influence of my life.”

It is estimated Booth traveled 5 million miles and preached 60,000 sermons. The constant cry of William Booth was “Go for souls, and go for the worst!” God truly had all there was of William Booth.

[1]Image: "Mme Catherine Booth, Mme William Booth" by Elliott & Fry - Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, retrieved from https://www.europeana.eu/en/item/2024903/photography_ProvidedCHO_KU_Leuven_9983097240101488, public domain.

The Salvation Army and the Message of Holiness

In 1877, William Booth said, “Holiness to the Lord is to us a fundamental truth; it stands at the forefront of our doctrines.” Booth later wrote in an address to his soldiers, “Let me ask who saved you? The Living God, and he is going to sanctify you... He will do it.” General Booth was committed to the message of holiness.

From the very beginning, the Salvation Army was based on Holiness teachings and principles. Salvation Army officers like Brigadier General Samuel Logan Brengle preached for holiness revivals and camp meetings for the National Camp Meeting Association for the Promotion of Holiness. Brengle wrote many books on holiness that are still published today.

Like Orange Scott, William and Catherine Booth believed that holy hearts should result in holy lives and that holy men should seek to bring an end to social evils. This desire led the Booths into the darkest parts of England. They established rescue shelters, homes to rehabilitate prostitutes, and fought against alcohol abuse.

Of course, not everyone was happy with the Booths and the Salvation Army. They attracted opponents for various reasons. Some attacked them for using women to preach. Others mocked them for their open-air preaching. Some claimed that the music of their bands was too loud. Often they had rotten food thrown at them. Some would try to disrupt their meetings. But in spite of the opposition, they gained many supporters. Charles Spurgeon once wrote that “five thousand policemen could not fill the Salvation Army's place in the repression of crime and disorder.” The Salvation Army transformed entire communities with the power of the gospel.

In the north of England, a wealthy businessman, Frank Crossley became acquainted with the Booths and invited them to his home to hold meetings. In order to promote the message of holiness, he purchased an old music hall, Starr Hall, and built a mission in a needy area of Manchester. For many years, Starr Hall was a center of the holiness message in Manchester England.

Gradually, the Salvation Army began to send bands and corps internationally. Today there are over 15,000 corps in 126 countries.

►  William Booth insisted that the gospel should speak to both spiritual and physical needs. Some Christians have preached a spiritual message while ignoring physical needs; other Christians have served physical needs while failing to proclaim the message of salvation from sin. Does your church address both needs? If your church is failing in one or the other area, discuss how you can do a better job of addressing this balance.

Other Holiness Groups in Europe

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, other holiness groups grew up in England throughout Europe. Reader Harris was one of the first attendees of the Star Hall Convention sponsored by Frank Crossley. Harris chose to work within existing churches rather than starting his own church. He formed the Pentecostal League of Prayer that encouraged church members of any denomination to seek a pure heart. The Pentecostal League of Prayer eventually had 13,000 members.

David Thomas was part of the Pentecostal League of Prayer. He feared that some who were entirely sanctified through the ministry of the Pentecostal League would return to their home churches and soon lose their fervor. In response to this, he formed the International Holiness Mission. He established twenty missions in England. One of his converts took the message to South Africa and opened a mission there.

Sometime later, Maynard James began one of the missions of the International Holiness Mission and was entirely sanctified. James and his Calvary Holiness Church promoted the ministry of holiness preachers such as Norman Grubb, Leonard Ravenhill, and Duncan Campbell. He often associated himself with the Church of the Nazarene, a holiness denomination which we will discuss shortly. James also was involved with the African Evangelist Band, an interdenominational Holiness organization.

Along with the preaching of the Palmers and the Booths, a third husband and wife team that preached holiness in the late nineteenth century was Robert Pearsall and Hannah Whitall Smith. Their conventions became known as the Keswick Movement.

The Smiths were a Quaker couple from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They became prominent preachers of the holiness message in the United States and England. Hannah experienced entire sanctification after attending a Methodist Women’s prayer meeting. When Robert saw the change in Hannah’s life, he began seeking the same experience with God. He testified to entire sanctification at the Vineland camp meeting in 1867.

In 1874, the Smiths traveled to England to speak at holiness conventions.  They became popular among English aristocrats and in the universities. Their teaching became known as the “Higher Life” or Keswick movement.

From England, the Smiths traveled to continental Europe, preaching in France, Germany, and Switzerland. The message of holiness appealed to the German Pietists and was widely accepted among them. Robert Smith preached the message of holiness in Lutheran and Reformed churches and saw many believers testify to a pure heart.

One of the German groups that grew out of Smith’s revivals was called the Gemeinschaftsbewegung (the Fellowship Movement). This German holiness group had three main emphases: fellowship among Christians, evangelism, and promotion of the doctrine of holiness.

After Smith returned from the continent, he organized the Brighton Convention in England. Similar in style to the National Camp Meetings, this convention attracted over 8,000 people. The Higher Life movement drew preachers such as J. Hudson Taylor, D.L. Moody, Evan Hopkins, Charles Cullis, and many others. The Smiths and their associates also encouraged groups such as the Salvation Army and Pentecostal League to continue to proclaim the message of holiness.

The Founding of the Church of the Nazarene

By the early twentieth century, it was apparent that holiness preachers had failed in their attempts to reform the Methodist Church in the Unites States. In response, holiness leaders began to build denominations apart from the Methodist Church.

In October 1895, Phineas Bresee and approximately 100 others organized the Church of the Nazarene at Los Angeles. They believed entire sanctification was received through faith in Christ. They preached that Christians who are sanctified should follow Christ’s example and preach to the poor.

In 1907, the Association of Pentecostal Churches of America and the Church of the Nazarene were brought into association. They united in 1908 and were known as the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene. A few years later, the denomination dropped the word Pentecostal and are known today as the Church of the Nazarene. Today, the Nazarenes have around 30,000 churches and over 2 million members worldwide.

The early twentieth century was a turbulent time in Methodism as Wesleyans faced the attacks of German liberalism.[1] Though British Methodists often accepted the teachings of modernism, many American Methodists sought to restore the vitality of historic Methodism.

Seeking to return to their holiness roots, the Pilgrim Holiness Church and Church of the Nazarene separated from the Methodist Church. In the early twentieth century, a new National Holiness Association returned to the traditional Methodist emphases of revival and Christian holiness.

While the Methodist denomination followed other mainline denominations into liberalism and decline, advocates of holiness formed new congregations to preserve the values represented in the early Methodist revival. Holiness churches sent out missionaries, established publishing houses and periodicals, and founded Bible colleges to train pastors and Christian workers.

Throughout the twentieth century, many other holiness churches have continued to proclaim the message preached by the Wesleys – the possibility of a pure heart that is filled with perfect love towards God and towards our neighbor. They have continued to proclaim that Jesus’ call to “Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect” implies a promise that God will make us holy as we seek him in faith.

Today, as in the early Methodist movement, conflicts arise between the desire for cultural relevance and the demands of biblical truth. Both in the United States and abroad, Methodists must learn to restate our historic message for the needs of today’s world. The message that all men need to be saved; all men can be saved; all men can know they are saved; and all men can be saved to the uttermost is needed today just as it was in the eighteenth century. Most people who teach holiness today do not go under the Methodist, but they hold to the doctrines taught by the Wesleys. They continue to offer a message of hope in Christ to our world.

[1]This section was adapted from William Snider, “Paper on Twentieth Century Methodism.”

John Wesley defined “Christian Perfection” as perfect love for God and perfect love for one’s neighbor. He understood that God’s standard in 1 Peter 1:15-16 and Matthew 5:48 is not the absolute perfection of God, the perfection of angels, or the perfection of Adam before the fall. To be “perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect”[1] means to love as God loves.

This standard of perfection is seen in the ministry of John and Charles Wesley. They truly loved God and sought to live careful, disciplined lives that reflected that love. They were committed to serving God, and they traveled incessantly to spread his Word.

The Wesleys loved God, and they loved their neighbor. They gave themselves to serving those who were hurting. Charles spent nights with condemned prisoners facing the gallows. John fought the social ills that created a class of people who could never rise above poverty. One of John’s last letters encouraged William Wilberforce to continue the battle against slavery. The Wesleys believed and practiced holiness; they loved God and they loved their neighbor.

Phoebe Palmer was another teacher of holiness who understood that holiness means loving God and loving one’s neighbor. Mrs. Palmer was passionate in her pursuit of a careful, holy life. She was also committed to serving the needs of the poor in places such as the slums of New York City, prisons, and other places where she found suffering humanity.  Phoebe Palmer believed and practiced holiness; she loved God, and she loved her neighbor.

William and Catherine Booth loved God. They built an organization so disciplined in its pursuit of God that it could be called an “army.” They also loved their neighbors. The Booths could not accept a gospel that promised a future heaven without addressing suffering in this world. They remembered Jesus’ first public statement.  “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.”[2]

► At their best, holiness people were known both for their love for God and their love for other people.  When people think of your church, do they think of a church that loves God and that loves people? How can you best communicate that love to your world?

[1] Matthew 5:48

[2] Luke 4:18

Much has changed since the holiness revival of the nineteenth century. Some organizations that were the initial proponents of the doctrine of holiness no longer exist. The holiness movement has had its share of problems and divisions.

However, in spite of difficulties, there are more groups that proclaim the message of holiness than ever before. Although some early holiness groups have abandoned the pursuit of a holy life, other holiness denominations continue to proclaim the possibility of a pure heart and of victory over willful sin.

There appears to be a new awakening within many churches to the call to holiness. There is a desire to be like Jesus and to experience his indwelling power. There is a desire to seek a doctrine of holiness stated clearly and with honesty. The message of Orange Scott, the founder of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, is good for us to remember:  holy hearts should be seen in holy lives.

Booth, William (1829-1912) and Catherine (1829-1890): Founders of the Salvation Army, a holiness organization dedicated to serving the poor.

Bresee, Phineas (1838-1915): Helped form the Church of the Nazarene with C. W. Ruth and others.

Inskip, John (1816-1883): A Methodist preacher and Northern Army Chaplain during the Civil War who became the first president of the National Camp Meeting Association for the Promotion of Holiness. This organization helped promote the message of holiness in the late 19th century.

Merritt, Timothy (1775-1845): A Methodist pastor who started the Guide to Christian Perfection. The Palmers later purchased this magazine and renamed it the Guide to Holiness.

Palmer, Phoebe (1807-1874): Considered the mother of the Holiness Movement. She was influential through the Tuesday Meeting for the Promotion of Holiness, the Guide to Holiness and her books. She promoted women in public ministry and was influential in the ministry of Catherine Booth and Hannah Whitall Smith.

Roberts, Benjamin Titus (1823-1893): The founder of the Free Methodist Church. Resisting the formality of the Methodist Episcopal Church, he started a church that preached the doctrine of Holiness that still exists today.

Scott, Orange (1800-1847): Instrumental in the founding of the Wesleyan Methodist Connection, which became the Wesleyan Methodist Church. He was appalled at the lack of emphasis on holiness and the toleration of slavery in the Methodist Church.

Smith, Robert (1827-1898) and Hannah Whitall (1832-1911): Helped spur the message of the Higher Life Movement in Europe. This became known as the Keswick Movement. Hannah is known for her bestseller, The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life.

(1) Take a test on this lesson. The test will include dates from the “Key Events in Church History” timeline (1837-1908).

(2) Prepare a biographical summary of one of the following Christian leaders: Phoebe Palmer, William Booth, or John Inskip. Your summary should include four parts:

• Biography: When did he live? Where did he live? When and where did he die?
• Events: What are the most important events in his life?
• Influence: What was his lasting influence on the Christian church?
• Application: What is one lesson for today’s church from this leader?

You have two options for presenting this summary:

• Submit a 2 page written paper to your class leader.
• Give a 3-5 minute oral presentation to your class

(1) List the four factors that led nineteenth century Methodists to put less emphasis on the doctrine of entire sanctification.

(2) Sarah Lankford and her sister __________________ led the Tuesday Meetings for the Promotion of Holiness.

(3) The founder of the Wesleyan Methodist Church was ______________________. He was inspired to start this church by a conviction that holy hearts should be seen in holy lives.

(4) The Free Methodist Church believed in

• Freedom from ___________
• Freedom from ___________
• Freedom from secrecy
• Freedom from church ___________________
• Freedom from liturgical ____________________

(5) ___________________ was the first president of the National Camp Meeting Association for the Promotion of Holiness.

(6) _______________________ founded the Salvation Army, an organization committed to evangelism, the message of holiness, and serving the needs of the poor.  

(7) Robert Pearsall and Hannah Whitall Smith established holiness conventions in England that became known as the _________________________.

(8) Phineas _______________ helped organize the Church of the Nazarene.