The Wesleyan Church

The Wesleyan Church

P.O. Box 50434
Indianapolis, IN 46250
United States

Attesting Officer
Ronald C. McClung
Assistant General Secretary


Media Contact
Gen. Sec., Dr. Ronald D. Kelly

39.768403, -86.158068


The Wesleyan Church was formed on June 26, 1968, through the union of the Wesleyan Methodist Church of America (1843) and the Pilgrim Holiness Church (1897). The headquarters was established at Marion, Ind., and relocated to Indianapolis in 1987,and relocated again in Fishers, Indiana in 2004.
The Wesleyan movement centers around the beliefs, based on Scripture, that the atonement in Christ provides for the regeneration of sinners and the entire sanctification of believers. John Wesley led a revival of these beliefs in the 18th century.
When a group of New England Methodist ministers led by Orange Scott began to crusade for the abolition of slavery, the bishops and others sought to silence them. This led to a series of withdrawals from the Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1843, the Wesleyan Methodist Connection of America was organized and led by Scott, Jotham Horton, LaRoy Sunderland, Luther Lee and Lucius C. Matlack.
During the holiness revival in the last half of the 19th century, holiness replaced social reform as the major tenet of the Connection. In 1947 the name was changed from Connection to Church and a central supervisory authority was set up.
The Pilgrim Holiness Church was one of many independent holiness churches which came into existence as a result of the holiness revival. Led by Martin Wells Knapp and Seth C. Rees, the International Holiness Union and Prayer League was inaugurated in 1897 in Cincinnati. Its purpose was to promote worldwide holiness evangelism and the Union had a strong missionary emphasis from the beginning. It developed into a church by 1913.
The Wesleyan Church is now spread across most of the United States and Canada and in over 90 other countries. The International Conference of The Wesleyan Church, originally named Wesleyan World Fellowship, was organized in 1972 to unite Wesleyan mission bodies developing into mature churches. The Wesleyan Church is a member of the National Association of Evangelicals and the World Methodist Council.


Full Communicants Average Attendance Other Members Total Inclusive Members Total Churches Membership Calculation Method
2010
121,429
204,245
17,901
139,330
1,715
2009
122,359
203,076
16,649
139,008
1,716
2008
117,147
183,612
14,644
131,791
1,614
2007
123,166
195,203
14,396
138,164
1,626
2005
116,151
182,012
12,234
128,385
1,626
2003
113,927
175,887
10,623
124,550
1,609
2001
114,211
0
9,063
123,274
1,614
2000
114,084
0
9,097
123,181
1,602
1998
112,435
0
7,479
119,914
1,590
1997
111,771
0
7,336
119,107
1,578
1996
111,099
0
6,922
118,021
1,580
1995
109,150
0
6,717
115,867
1,624
1994
109,694
0
7,069
116,763
1,609
1993
107,899
0
7,469
115,368
1,583
1992
106,397
0
7,777
114,174
1,612
1990
102,838
0
7,723
110,561
1,628
1989
101,879
0
8,148
110,027
1,650
1987
153,300
0
32,341
185,861
3,217
1986
99,997
0
9,199
109,196
1,704
1985
99,972
0
9,569
109,541
1,714
1984
99,154
0
9,986
109,140
1,730
1983
97,532
0
10,140
107,672
1,722
1982
94,903
0
10,318
105,221
1,725
1981
92,903
0
10,809
103,712
1,711
1980
90,129
0
13,031
103,160
1,710
Serving Churches Retired Other Service to the Church Total Clergy
2010
2,469
780
523
3,772
2009
2,393
769
548
3,710
2008
2,399
770
592
3,761
2007
2,288
781
580
3,649
2005
2,182
753
406
3,341
2003
2,047
766
510
3,323
2001
1,887
769
461
3,117
2000
1,974
757
452
3,181
1998
1,806
756
2,388
3,144
1997
1,524
0
0
3,143
1996
1,800
0
0
2,639
1995
1,785
0
0
2,608
1994
1,782
0
0
2,985
1993
1,843
0
0
3,125
1992
1,755
0
0
2,539
1990
1,857
0
0
3,048
1989
1,848
0
0
3,076
1987
2,662
0
0
3,783
1986
1,342
0
0
2,596
1985
1,464
0
0
2,616
1984
1,522
0
0
2,636
1983
1,403
0
0
2,455
1982
1,319
0
0
2,384
1981
1,321
0
0
2,369
1980
1,348
0
0
2,343
Total Schools Staff Pupils Total Individuals
2010
1,488
0
0
0
2009
1,494
0
0
0
2008
1,614
0
0
0
2007
1,626
0
0
0
2005
1,626
0
0
441,495
2003
1,604
0
0
400,652
2001
1,614
0
0
370,050
2000
1,602
0
0
390,445
1998
1,515
0
0
353,826
1997
1,503
0
0
334,691
1996
1,509
0
0
323,683
1995
1,624
0
0
321,240
1994
1,609
0
0
0
1993
1,583
0
0
0
1992
1,592
0
0
0
1990
1,628
0
0
121,219
1989
0
0
0
179,360
1986
1,704
0
0
188,620
1985
1,714
0
0
196,843
1984
1,730
0
0
205,776
1983
1,722
0
0
202,690
1982
1,725
0
0
202,102
1981
1,711
0
0
202,005
1980
1,710
0
0
199,877
1979
1,717
0
0
199,328
Total Benevolences Total Financials Total Giving Local Expenses Method
2010
$44,342,132
$316,000,000
$272,000,000
2009
$41,937,062
$323,000,000
$281,000,000
2008
$41,987,071
$334,000,000
$292,000,000
2007
$20,747,420
$274,000,000
$0
2005
$38,905,174
$280,000,000
$241,000,000
2003
$32,449,086
$257,000,000
$225,000,000
2001
$31,786,700
$254,000,000
$222,000,000
2000
$28,136,843
$227,000,000
$205,000,000
1998
$24,947,269
$184,000,000
$159,000,000
1997
$27,539,109
$176,000,000
$148,000,000
1996
$25,945,862
$162,000,000
$136,000,000
1995
$29,232,828
$156,000,000
$127,000,000
1994
$23,435,980
$142,000,000
$119,000,000
1993
$25,059,570
$138,000,000
$113,000,000
1992
$18,115,291
$128,000,000
$109,000,000
1991
$18,115,291
$128,000,000
$109,000,000
1990
$19,577,220
$115,000,000
$95,278,783
1989
$5,377,531
$97,228,576
$91,851,045
1986
$12,541,778
$92,238,792
$79,697,014
1985
$11,710,168
$79,385,500
$67,675,332
1984
$12,889,106
$78,558,676
$65,669,570
1983
$12,246,568
$74,311,523
$62,064,955
1982
$12,208,622
$67,786,439
$55,577,817
1981
$11,447,248
$63,823,980
$52,376,732
1978
$8,239,855
$45,059,083
$36,819,228