Aldersgate Day
| Aldersgate Day | |
|---|---|
This monument marks the approximate location of John Wesley's "Aldersgate experience", in London. It features Wesley's account of the experience, taken from his journal. | |
| Type | Christianity |
| Significance | Commemorates the founding of John Wesley's ministry and the Methodist movement |
| Celebrations | Church services |
| Date | 24 May |
| Next time | 24 May 2026 |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Related to | Aldersgate Sunday |
Aldersgate Day, or Wesley Day, is an anniversary observed by Methodist Christians on 24 May. It recalls the day in 1738 when Church of England priest John Wesley attended a group meeting in Aldersgate, London, where he received an experience of assurance of his new birth. This was the pivotal event in Wesley's life that ultimately led to the development of the Methodist movement in Britain and America.
In the calendars of the Methodist Church of Great Britain and the United Methodist Church the event is publicly commemorated in church services on the Sunday before 24 May (or on the anniversary itself if that date falls on a Sunday), called Aldersgate Sunday.