At 200 pages, Stephen Tomkin’s biography of John Wesley (Eermans 2003) is relatively short and relentlessly interesting. Tomkins does not gloss over the faults of this remarkable man, but neither does he shy away from noting how remarkable he was.
All evangelical Christians should be thankful for his tireless preaching of the gospel. Wesley’s impact on the world was phenomenal because, as Tomkins puts it, “he was a phenomenon in his own right.” By conservative estimates, “he rode 250,000 miles, gave away £30,000 (an amount that could have kept a gentleman for a decade) and preached more than 40,000 sermons. He was a man of rare ability, passion and commitment and unique energy” (199).
With all this energy, perhaps it is not surprising that Wesley could be domineering, more so to his friends than to his enemies:
If his anger made Wesley a chore for his friends, his organizational ability and institutional sensibility is what set him apart from his fellow preachers. Tomkins argues that the biggest difference between Whitefield and Wesley was not their theology but their “job description.”
Christians ignore the importance of organization and institutions to their peril. That’s one thing we can learn from Wesley. For more lessons, both good and bad, pick up Tomkins’ book.
