Susanna Wesley – Mother of Methodism
The story of Susanna Wesley is rich and deeply formative—not only because of her famous sons, John and Charles, but the personal impact Susanna had on the entire Methodist movement. The starting point of that story, is Susanna and Samuel’s decision to return to the Anglican Church and what that says about their spiritual convictions:
Susanna Wesley: The Mother of Methodism
Part 1: Coming Home to the Church
Before she ever raised a household of future reformers, Susanna Wesley made a quiet but defining choice: she returned to the historic Christian faith found in the Church of England.
Susanna was born in 1669 to Dr. Samuel Annesley, a respected Puritan minister and a Dissenter—part of the group of English Christians who had separated from the Church of England during the turbulent years following the English Civil War. Her husband, Samuel Wesley, also came from a family of Dissenters. In other words, both of them were raised in deeply devout, Bible-believing homes that had turned away from the established Church, believing it had lost its way.
But Susanna and Samuel were not content to simply follow the path set by their parents without questioning why those choices had been made. As young adults, they both thought deeply about theology, Scripture, and the nature of the Church. And both, separately and then together, made the same decision: they would return to the Church of England.
They didn’t return because they were chasing tradition for tradition’s sake. They believed that the Anglican Church represented a fuller, more balanced, and more rooted version of the Christian faith that had stood the test of time. To them, it held together the richness of Scripture, the wisdom of the early Church, and the beauty of ordered worship. It was a return not to formality, but to depth—to a church that embraced both head and heart, doctrine and discipline, Word and sacrament.
This was the environment they would create for their children: a home shaped by careful thinking, deep piety, and a love for the church—not just as an institution, but as a spiritual heritage worth reclaiming.
Susanna and Samuel Wesley’s decision to return to the Church of England wasn’t about nostalgia. It wasn’t about pretending they lived in a different century. It was about rediscovering a faith with roots—something anchored, balanced, and time-tested. They were looking for a spiritual home that didn’t just echo the battles of their day, but lifted their eyes to something deeper and older.
And that’s not unlike what many young people are searching for today.
In a world of constant change, curated images, and cultural noise, many are quietly hungry for something stable—something sacred. They’re not looking for entertainment, branding, or a faith that simply mirrors the culture back at them. They’re looking for a church that feels different—not because it’s out of touch, but because it’s in touch with something eternal.
They’re not saying, “Let’s pretend it’s 1742.” They’re saying, “Give me a faith that didn’t start with the latest podcast or social media trend.” They want liturgy that has been prayed for centuries. They want sermons that are deep enough to wrestle with real questions. They want communion that connects heaven and earth.
Just like the Wesleys, they’re not fleeing the world—they’re looking for a church strong enough to help them live in the world with conviction, not conformity.
Susanna Wesley: A Mother with a Mission
Part 2: Forming Souls at Home
Susanna Wesley didn’t just mother a household—she discipled a generation. She raised 19 children (though only 10 survived into adulthood), in a home that was often chaotic, underfunded, and full of pressure. Her husband Samuel was frequently absent—sometimes for months at a time—and the burden of managing the household, educating the children, and maintaining order fell largely on her shoulders.
And she rose to it—not with ease, but with purpose.
She believed that forming her children’s minds and souls was part of her calling from God. Education wasn’t outsourced. Susanna taught her children reading, writing, classical literature, and Christian theology—starting at age five. In fact, she famously began their formal education on their fifth birthday.
But she didn’t stop with intellectual formation. She saw herself as the spiritual shepherd of her children’s lives. She met with each child individually for one-on-one time each week—just to talk, listen, pray, and offer guidance. These moments, woven into the rhythm of her week, were how she helped her children hear the voice of God for themselves.
Beneath all of that work was her own deep spiritual life. In the middle of the noise and stress of a large, often unruly household, Susanna created sacred space. One of the most famous images of her devotional life is the story of how she would sit down in a chair, pull her apron over her head, and pray. That was her tent of meeting. Her children knew: when Mama’s apron is up, she’s talking to Jesus—do not disturb.
She studied Scripture, wrote her own meditations and reflections, and sought God with a fierce and steady heart. Her quiet strength, grounded in prayer and discipline, created a spiritual climate in her home that shaped John and Charles Wesley’s vision for the Christian life.
Susanna Wesley: The Quiet Fire That Lit a Revival
Part 3: A Legacy of Spiritual Leadership
The world knows John and Charles Wesley as the founders of Methodism—preachers, hymn writers, revivalists, and reformers. But before they ever stepped into a pulpit or onto a field, they were shaped by a mother who taught them to pray, to think, and to live for the glory of God.
John Wesley later said, “I learned more about Christianity from my mother than from all the theologians in England.” That’s not just a touching tribute—it’s a window into how profoundly Susanna’s influence shaped his soul.
Her emphasis on disciplined devotion became the heartbeat of Methodism: regular prayer, self-examination, Scripture reading, service to others, and accountability in community. The very word Methodist began as a joke—people calling John and his friends “too methodical” in their spiritual habits. But that method was learned first at home, at his mother’s feet.
Susanna didn’t preach in chapels. She didn’t travel by horseback. But she cultivated something in her children that burned long after she was gone: a passion for holiness, a love for the church, and a fire for mission. In that sense, she is rightly called the Mother of Methodism—not as a title of honor, but as a testimony to a life of relentless faithfulness.
A Word to Modern Parents and Spiritual Leaders
You don’t need a platform to shape the future of the church. You need presence, prayer, and perseverance.
Susanna’s life reminds us that:
- Ordinary faithfulness is never wasted.
- Spiritual leadership starts in the home, not just the church.
- The most powerful ministry you may ever have could be the people sitting at your kitchen table.
She didn’t try to be impressive. She was intentional. And in a world distracted by busyness, noise, and shallow influence, we need more Susannas—people who believe that forming one soul in the love of Christ is more powerful than gaining a thousand followers.
Susanna Wesley: A Voice That Couldn’t Be Silenced
Part 4: Faithful, Bold, and Unshakably Devoted
One of the most remarkable episodes in Susanna Wesley’s life happened while her husband, Samuel, was away from home, tending to business in London. During that time, the church’s pulpit was filled by a substitute clergyman who, according to Susanna, offered sermons so shallow and lifeless that they were spiritually damaging to the congregation.
She didn’t criticize him publicly or gossip about him. She simply took action.
Susanna began leading Bible studies in her kitchen. She read from good sermons—especially ones she believed brought Scripture to life. She led prayers, sang hymns, and gave spiritual instruction. What started as a small gathering grew quickly. Within weeks, over 200 people were attending her “kitchen church,” while the parish priest preached to a nearly empty sanctuary.
Naturally, this caused a stir. Some saw it as rebellion against church order. Samuel, upon hearing about it, wrote to her expressing concern and asking her to stop. Susanna responded with a calm but powerful letter. She reminded him that she was not seeking leadership or attention—she simply could not bear to see the people starved of the Word of God. She wrote:
“If you do after all think fit to dissolve this assembly, do not tell me you desire it, but send me your positive command… for if it were left to me to decide, I should, if I could, do more good to souls by this little private meeting than by anything else I have ever done in my life.”
Samuel, to his credit, never sent that command.
Though John and Charles were very young the example their mother set would become foundational. Susanna showed them what it meant to take spiritual responsibility seriously—even when it meant stepping beyond the normal expectations of her time and gender. She showed them that the hungry must be fed, the Word must be preached, and God’s people must be shepherded—even if the institutional church hesitates.
Preparing the Way for Revival
Years later, when George Whitefield invited John Wesley to step outside the walls of the church and preach in the open air to miners and laborers—something unheard of and considered scandalous by many Anglican clergy—John hesitated.
He was a loyal Anglican. He believed in order, in structure, in the established church. But Susanna encouraged him to go.
She told him, essentially, “If you’re sure this is from God, then preach wherever the people will listen.” Her counsel helped tip the balance in his heart.
That moment changed everything. John and Charles began preaching in the fields, and the Spirit of God moved. Thousands came to hear. The Methodist revival was born—not because someone tried to break rules, but because someone dared to listen to God’s call above their own fear.
Her Lasting Legacy
Susanna Wesley didn’t live to see the full impact of the Methodist movement. But she lived long enough to see her sons set on fire for the gospel, to see crowds gather, and to know that the seeds she had planted in private prayer and kitchen gatherings had grown into a spiritual awakening.
She didn’t preach from pulpits. But her courage preached louder than most voices ever will.
She is the mother of Methodism not because of her title, but because of her testimony—faithful in obscurity, fearless in conviction, and fruitful beyond her lifetime.
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. – Matthew 6:5-6