METHODIST HERITAGE SITES
London, England Since the days of King Henry VIII, England has been on the cutting edge of Christian theological development. From the Anglicans in the 16th century, to the Puritans in the 17th century, to the Methodists in the 18th century, to the missionary societies of the 19th century, some of the greatest modern-day Protestant organizations and institutions can be … [Read more...]
SALVATION ARMY MUSEUMS
West Nyack, New York; Des Plaines, Illinois; Atlanta, Georgia; Rancho Palos Verdes, California The Salvation Army is arguably the most famous of all Protestant missionary organizations. Founded by William Booth in London in the 1860s, it made its way across the Atlantic in 1880, where it has since become the largest charitable institution in the United States. Hundreds of … [Read more...]
CHRIST CHURCH
Savannah, Georgia Christ Church, sometimes called the Mother Church of Georgia, is arguably the most historic colonial church of the southern colonies. Established in the 1730s, it boasts two of America’s most storied religious figures among its ministers: George Whitefield, and John Wesley. Although an Episcopal Church since its founding, Christ Church of Savannah is … [Read more...]
AFRICAN MEGACHURCHES OF LOS ANGELES
Los Angeles, California Though not traditionally thought of as a Bible Belt state, the sheer size of California and its sprawling cities has encouraged the development of Megachurches, especially in and around the Los Angeles area. Los Angeles boasts almost as many major megachurches as Houston and Atlanta, and some of the best known of these are traditional African … [Read more...]
MEGACHURCHES OF HOUSTON
Houston, Texas Over the last few decades, Protestant Christianity has seen the development of a new phenomenon, especially in the United States: the Megachurch. These Megachurches are exactly what they sound like: huge community churches with very large, regularly attending congregations. At last count, there were over one thousand such churches in the United States. Not … [Read more...]
MOUNT OLIVET CEMETERY
Baltimore, Maryland The Mount Olivet Cemetery in Baltimore is the pre-eminent burial site for the Methodist Church in the United States, and perhaps the second most important graveyard for religious leaders after Princeton Cemetery in New Jersey. Among the notables interred here are numerous early church leaders and bishops, including luminaries such as Francis Asbury and … [Read more...]
ST. GEORGE’S UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania While Barrat’s Chapel is the oldest purpose-built Methodist church in the United States, St. George’s United Methodist Church is actually an older building and is the oldest continually active Methodist congregation in the country. St. George’s also enjoys an important historical distinction: it ordained the first African-American ministers in the … [Read more...]
BARRATT’S CHAPEL
Frederica, Delaware Barratt’s Chapel is the oldest Methodist Church still in use in the United States. Although Methodism was introduced to America first in Georgia by John Wesley, some refer to Barratt’s Chapel as the Cradle of Methodism, in part because of its age but also in part due to post-Revolutionary events that transpired there. It was built and named by and after … [Read more...]
