A Presentation of Perfection - Media Sabda Org

A few years later, Wesley sent Thomas Coke who would serve as joint superintendent with
Francis Asbury of the newly established Methodist Church in America. The early Methodist Church
was firmly committed to the Wesleyan understanding of Christian experience and holiness .The
nineteenth century saw Methodism grow and expand; but, as in other denominations, some problems
arose. In fact, there were four main divisions and several smaller offshoots that took place in the
Methodist denomination in the nineteenth century The four divisions and their reasons for beginning
are as follows:
(1) The Methodist Protestant Methodist Church was formed in 1828 to protest against the
episcopal type of government the Methodist Church was using. (2) The Wesleyan Methodist Church
of America was formed in 1843 because of the slavery issue. The Methodist Church took more of
an accepting view of slavery than did the people that started this new denomination. (3) Only two
years later the Methodist Church split again as a result of the Civil War. The churches were called
the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. (4) A fourth group
started another church in 1860 called the Free Methodist Church. The people in this new church
stressed separation from worldliness and also took a strong stand against the evils of secret societies.
[14]
The doctrine of holiness was not the primary reason that these new church groups were started.
For the most part, they still adhered to the doctrine that was espoused by the early Methodist Church.
Peters wrote, "The doctrine of Christian perfection was heartily endorsed by the mother church and
by her schismatic daughter alike. It was not an issue." [15]
Holiness Revival
When talking about the holiness churches in America, some consideration should also be given
to the great holiness revivals that took place in the mid and late 19th century. The resurgence of
revivalism that came upon America between 1840 and 1857 was significant in several Protestant
denominations, but especially in the holiness movement. [16]
The doctrine of holiness was revived and multitudes of people found the experience of
sanctification. This revival of holiness centered in Methodism but also reached out to other
denominations. "A sufficient number of Baptist ministers also experienced the second work of grace
during the revival of 1858 to begin a noteworthy 'higher life' movement in their denomination." [17]
Certainly the doctrine of holiness was predominant during this time of church history. The
message was being preached, and the experience was being discovered all through the Protestant
movement. It has been said,
... we may conclude that the popularity of Christian perfection in both its Oberlin and
Wesleyan forms, increased steadily in American Protestantism between 1840 and
1870. Although one branch of the Oberlin gospel tree bore holiness from the first
bloom of grace and the other insisted on blossoming twice, the fruit of both was the
sanctification of heart and conduct. [18]