Why should you be interested in England? Or in John Wesley? Keep reading.

I grew up in – and am still in – and was ordained in – the Wesleyan Church denomination. Thus I heard stories about John Wesley since my childhood. However, it was not until I was in graduate school that I realized that the great Evangelical Awakening, led by brothers John and Charles in England in the 18th century, was truly world changing. I mean really world changing! It was one of the greatest outpourings of the Holy Spirit in all of human history. It actually transformed nations!

Here is a paperback version of my doctoral disseration,
given a regular title, rather than the academic title: 
John Wesley's Understanding of the Laity
as Demonstrated by His Use of Lay Preachers

I was so moved by this that I did my doctoral dissertation on this topic.  

If you will sign up for this tour, I want to send you a free, signed copy of my Ph.D. dissertation – one per family.

As a result of my graduate studies, I have led several tours of the John Wesley sites.
 
Now, I want to invite you to come with us to England. 

• When? July 9-17 in England, with a July 17-21 “add-on” to Ireland.
• Why? The stories of the revivals will really encourage you. England at the time was a spiritual wasteland. The move of the Holy Spirit across that nation was stunning. And it spread to most of the world. This will give you hope for our country.
• What all will we see? We will visit England’s classic sites. This is also a historical trip, as well as a spiritual heritage tour. But there’s more. You will become familiar with contemporary British life. My wife and I have been in England three times in the last two years. You will love seeing present day U.K. 

 
So…join us on our John Wesley Spiritual Heritage Tour, July 9-17, 2025 (with an Ireland extension – July 17-21 for those who want it). Check it out here: John Wesley Spiritual Heritage Tour

You will see the English countryside of Coventry, the Cathedral, and the charred ruins of the old cathedral as a tribute to the indomitable spirit of the British people. This is not a “normal” cathedral. This is a building which had its roof blown off in WWII, and never replaced. Yet it is still used today.

Going on to Epworth, we will see the childhood home of John and Charles Wesley. By the way, very few people see this. I have been there by myself, but this is the first time I have taken a tour group to this site. Almost none of the John Wesley tours travel northward to see it. But it is worth the trip! There are so many stories to tell about this location.

See also St. Andrews Church, Cotswolds, Stratford-upon-Avon, William Shakespeare’s birthplace, where he also courted his wife, Anne Hathaway, and Holy Trinity Church, where he is buried.

Oxford is next, where you will see Christ Church College of Oxford University, from which John and Charles Wesley graduated.

You will see the ancient port city of Bristol, the “New Room,” which is the oldest Methodist building in the world. From this building, John Wesley led the great revival, including training the young preachers – wait till you see how he did that – including sending a young Francis Asbury to “the New World,” which spiritually transformed America. His arrival here quite likely impacted some of your ancestors. It did mine.

You will visit the Charles Wesley home.

(Personal note: When I was a graduate student, I visited the home of Charles Wesley when it was not a public place, but had a family living in it. I knocked on the door and apologized to the family for bothering them, but explained that I was from America, and was a fan of Charles Wesley, and did not want to bother them, but asked if I could put my toe across the threshold of the door, so that I could make the claim that I have been “in” the home of Charles Wesley. They laughed, invited me in, and we visited for a long time.)

Charles wrote a staggering 6,500 hymns. Among them was the amazing Christmas carol, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” along with the powerful Easter/Resurrection Day hymn “Christ the Lord is Risen Today.” 
 
Other classics (a "classic" is something that is as relevant and loved today as when it was first written) include “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing,” “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling,” and perhaps one of his most famous, “And Can It Be.”

When I was a student at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore Kentucky, the Estes Chapel walls used to reverberate when hundreds of seminarians would sing in four part harmony the words from this song, “my chains fell off, my heart was free."

On our 50th anniversary, in 2022, our class gathered, now with gray hair, wrinkles and various physical challenges, looking quite different than we did as young people. They provided us with golden caps and gowns for our golden anniversary. However, we had not lost our passion for Our Lord, or ability to sing – or at least attempt to sing – those words. Some teared up when we came to the words, “my chains fell off, my heart was free,” as we realized the truth of the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit.

And you will see the spa town of Bath, known for its warm waters. You will also visit many other locations.
 
Want to see a day-by-day itinerary with photographs? Click here:
John Wesley Spiritual Heritage Tour 
(NOTE: Ignore the other dates for the trip. Our dates are July 9-17, with the Ireland add-on being July 17-21. The prices shown include airfare from New York City. Educational Tours, the tour group we are working with, can help you with flights from your city to New York City. Or if you prefer to make all flight arrangements on your own to England, then we can provide you the “Land Only” costs.)
 
Important Note: The prices are set to increase after March 16, so now is the time to act. They are set to increase approximately $100 at that point. These are based on double occupancy. If you are needing a roommate, please contact us at Tours@WellVersedWorld.org

To register, Click Here. Enter your host as “Jim Garlow” and sign up for the trip.
 
Or you may call the office during regular business hours East Coast time: 800-247-0017. The general website for Educational Tours is www.eo.travel.

Blessings,
Dr. Jim Garlow
CEO/Founder
Well Versed

Rosemary Schindler Garlow
Co-Founder
Well Versed