Methodists are part of a movement that began in the Church of England in the late 1700's.  John Wesley was studying for the priesthood at Oxford University and was looking for a way to live out his faith that was more concrete, more deeply connected to what Jesus taught in the New Testament.

He started meeting with some fellow students to find ways to practice their faith in a more consistent way.  People who thought they were too serious began calling them "methodists" and the name stuck.

From the beginning Methodists have been concerned with a faith that is lived out in real ways in the world, caring for the poor and those who are on the margins of society.