Charles Wesley

Charles Wesley (1707–1788) was an English Anglican cleric and a leading figure in the early Methodist movement. Educated at Christ Church, Oxford, he became associated with the “Holy Club,” a group devoted to disciplined Christian practice. Ordained in the Church of England, he worked closely with his brother John Wesley in evangelistic preaching and organizing Methodist societies, while remaining an Anglican priest. Wesley is best known as a prolific hymn writer, credited with thousands of hymns that shaped Methodist and wider Protestant worship. Among his best-known texts are “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing” and “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling.”