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As I previewed a few weeks ago, Wilpshire Methodist Church and the Blackburn Circuit hosted the North Lancashire Wesley Historical Society’s annual lecture. This year’s speaker was John Lenton who serves as the Convenor of the Methodist Church Archives and History Committee and is Honorary Librarian of the Wesley Historical Society. He has written a book (John Wesley’s Preachers, part of the Studies in Evangelical History and Thought series) that covers those whom John Wesley called his ‘Sons in the Gospel’. Lenton’s passion for these early men AND women arises from his belief that they are the real founders of Methodism. They were the ones that took the gospel message all over England. His book offers a look into who these men and women were as a glimpse into the early years of Methodism.

His lecture here focuses on those few who came from the area of North Lancashire (loosely defined) and serves as a taster for his book.

Mr. Lenton is a walking, talking history book on Methodism. I had the pleasure of sitting with him at the Society’s post lecture meal and had many of my questions answered about what happened to Methodism in Britain after John Wesley died. I wish I could have recorded that conversation as well.

So for any early Methodist history buffs, I hope you will enjoy the lecture and it may spur you on to read the book. Thank you to Mr. John Lenton for coming up to Wilpshire and for allowing me to record and post his lecture online.

http://www.4shared.com/embed/541743933/fb8ae071

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