The 1775 Correspondence of John Wesley and Francis Okely

Abstract

On August 14, 1775, Francis Okely of Northampton, England, wrote a letter to the General Synod of the Moravian Church. Though a Moravian minister, his letter sought permission to preach for John Wesley in Towcester. Within his letter, Okely gave background to his request, including a paraphrase of a letter he had written to Wesley between July 24 and 31, 1775. His letter also reproduced a verbatim copy of the reply he later received from Wesley, dated July 31. This correspondence, apparently only preserved within Okely's August 14 letter, has never been published. It offers important insights into some of the interdenominational efforts to promote evangelical unity and to re-ignite evangelical revival in England.On August 14, 1775, Francis Okely, the Moravian minister in Northampton, England, wrote to the General Synod of the Moravian Church in Barby, Germany, explaining the occasion of a recent two-letter correspondence he had had with celebrity evangelist and founder of the Methodist movement