Experience a spiritual pilgrimage as you journey to the story-book island of Great Britain to encounter our Wesleyan spiritual heritage, to steep in rich history, be immersed in British culture, and learn with all of your senses.
Sign up to go with us to Great Britain by October 16, 2024. Fill out the registration form by clicking the button below!
As a Methodist History Study Tour, we will see sites significant to the life of John & Charles Wesley and early British Methodism. As a cultural tour we will experience English, Welsh and Scottish culture and history. As a study tour, we will not only visit the historical and significant places, we will also absorb much of our historical roots and heritage. Further, through devotions and worship, there will be an emphasis on the Christian significance of what we see, and so this tour will also be a Christian pilgrimage of faith.
Join the Rev. Dr. David Werner, Reese Werner, Rev. Joel Certa-Werner, and Rev. Thanael Certa-Werner as they host a Wesley and Methodism Heritage Tour of Great Britain.
Our “family-style” touring offers us the opportunity to pack our days full, to “get off the beaten path” and see things most packaged tours cannot, and remain flexible to the needs and preferences of the group. As your tour guides, drivers and travel agents, we can offer this trip at significant savings.
For more information, watch the video below or complete the Contact Us form.
The quiet English countryside and green, rolling hills will delight you as you travel to remote Epworth in the Fen Country. Here, Samuel and Susanna Wesley raised their children in the Old Rectory while he served the parish church for 39 years. You'll become familiar with the upbringing and early life of John and Charles Wesley when you visit their childhood home.
London was the site of many dramatic scenes during John Wesley's life. Here you'll see City Road's Wesley Chapel, the site of Wesley's home and grace. Across the street, in Bunhill Fields Cemetery, Susanna Wesley is buried along with other famous people such as John Bunyan and Daniel Defoe. You'll walk on Aldersgate Street, where on May 24, 1738, John Wesley had his "heart strangely warmed" experience. You'll see where Charles had his conversion experience in "Little Britain." You explore St. Paul's Cathedral and so much more.
Learn about the educational background of the Wesley Brothers, John, Charles, and Samuel Jr., when you visit Christ Church College at Oxford University. See Lincoln College and St. Mary's Church where John Wesley preached a powerful sermon just days after his Aldersgate experience.
Visit the often missed Parish Church of Llanlleonfel (meaning Church of the bare moor) where the wedding of Charles Wesley and Sarah Gwynne, of the Manor of Garth, took place in April 1749.
John Wesley’s New Room is the oldest Methodist building in the world. Founded in 1739 by John Wesley, the New Room became the cradle of the worldwide Methodist movement. It is home to the original 18th century Chapel, as well as a Museum of John & Charles Wesley's life and work in Bristol.
Wesley’s Chapel was built in 1778 by John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. It was the first Methodist preaching house to allow for the celebration of Holy Communion.
Uncover the incredible story of one of the world’s most famous places. This must-see monument is a powerful testament to human ingenuity, imagination and creativity, and a visit today offers something for everyone to enjoy.
The British Museum’s remarkable collection spans over two million years of human history and culture. Over 6 million visitors every year experience the collection, including world-famous objects such as the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon sculptures, and Egyptian mummies.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse is the official residence of King Charles the 3rd when he is in Scotland. It's steeped in history and a must for anyone who wants to discover more about Scotland's past.
Come and unlock the splendour within the finest Georgian town house in England. A classical architectural masterpiece of its age, Fairfax House was originally the winter home of Viscount Fairfax. Its richly decorated interior was designed by York’s most distinguished eighteenth-century architect, John Carr.
At Chatsworth House explore over 25 rooms in the stately home, including the Painted Hall, State Rooms and Sculpture Gallery. Discover the history of the Devonshire family and how seventeen generations have each contributed to the creation of one of Derbyshire's finest country houses.
The Tower of London is a 1,000 year old castle that protects the Crown Jewels. Throughout its long history, it was a secure fortress, a royal palace, and an infamous prison. Kings and queens demonstrated their power from here, shaping society and influencing our world.
Famed for its soccer team and music scene, which has produced the likes of The Smiths and Oasis, this center for sports and the arts is a down-to-earth and friendly city. The so-called Capital of the North has overcome industrial decline and bombing (in WWII and by the IRA) to become a confident and cosmopolitan city of over two million people.
Edinburgh is Scotland's compact, hilly capital. It has a medieval Old Town and elegant Georgian New Town with gardens and neoclassical buildings. Looming over the city is Edinburgh Castle, home to Scotland’s crown jewels and the Stone of Destiny, used in the coronation of Scottish rulers. Arthur’s Seat is an imposing peak in Holyrood Park with sweeping views, and Calton Hill is topped with monuments and memorials.
Founded by William the Conqueror, the university city of Durham maintains the grandeur of its medieval heyday. Its UNESCO-listed castle and cathedral tower over the tree-lined banks of the River Wear, while its steep lanes are lined with elegant townhouses and cafes.
York is a walled city in northeast England that was founded by the ancient Romans. Its huge 13th-century Gothic cathedral, York Minster, has medieval stained glass and 2 functioning bell towers. The City Walls form a walkway on both sides of the River Ouse.
Birmingham is a major city in England’s West Midlands region, with multiple Industrial Revolution-era landmarks that speak to its 18th-century history as a manufacturing powerhouse. It’s also home to a network of canals, many of which radiate from Sherborne Wharf and are now lined with trendy cafes.
Warwick is a town on the River Avon, in England’s West Midlands region. It’s known for the medieval Warwick Castle, founded by William the Conqueror. The Collegiate Church of St. Mary has a tower with city views and a Norman crypt. The timber-framed buildings of 14th-century Lord Leycester Hospital cluster by the city’s West Gate.
Stratford-upon-Avon, a medieval market town in England’s West Midlands, is the 16th-century birthplace of William Shakespeare. Possibly the most famous writer in the English language, Shakespeare is known for his sonnets and plays such as 'Romeo and Juliet' and 'Hamlet'. The Royal Shakespeare Company performs his plays in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and adjacent Swan Theatre on the banks of the River Avon.
London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom, is a 21st-century city with history stretching back to Roman times. At its centre stand the imposing Houses of Parliament, the iconic ‘Big Ben’ clock tower and Westminster Abbey, site of British monarch coronations. Across the Thames River, the London Eye observation wheel provides panoramic views of the South Bank cultural complex, and the entire city.
Salisbury is a medieval cathedral city in the southern English county of Wiltshire. It’s 9 miles south of the iconic prehistoric stone circle at Stonehenge, which stands on the grassland of Salisbury Plain. The city’s ornate 13th-century cathedral has a 123m spire, a working 14th-century clock and an original copy of the Magna Carta (the Great Charter), a key document from 1215 A.D.
Bristol is a city straddling the River Avon in the southwest of England with a prosperous maritime history. Its former city-centre port is now a cultural hub, the Harbourside, where the M Shed museum explores local social and industrial heritage.
Caerphilly is a town and community in Wales. As the largest town in the Borough with the second largest fortress in Europe, Caerphilly town centre showcases itself as a destination with lots to offer, being only eight miles from the Welsh capital.
*This is an estimated cost which will update to be more precise as we draw closer to the trip. Using the family-style travel means you will pay only what the actual cost of the trip. This often results in a refund following the trip. Travel scholarships are available for members of the Abundance United Methodist Parish.
Senior Pastor | Evangel United Methodist Church
Pastor | Iron Creek and Trinity United Methodist Churches
Pastor | Abundance United Methodist Parish
*This is a work in progress and is subject to change.
We begin our adventure to Great Britain with an overnight flight from Minneapolis/St. Paul.
Visit the John Rylands Research Institution and Library for early Bible manuscripts, Gutenberg Bible and the earliest surviving fragment of the New Testament. Drive through the Lake District to Edinburgh for the evening with a stop along the way at Hutton-in-the-Forest Medieval-to-Victorian stately home with tearoom and gardens.
Tour Edinburgh Castle, walk the “Royal Mile,” the main street linking the castle and the Royal Holyrood Palace. Along the street we will stop into St. Giles Cathedral, the home of the Scottish Reformation and the pulpit of the thundering John Knox. Be on the lookout for Scottish bagpipes and tartan kilts! Tour the Palace and throne room.
As we head south back to England, we'll climb Hadrian’s Wall, the
Roman border to Scotland.
We will then drive over (yes, driving!) across the seabed at low tide over to Holy Island, where Celtic monks established a wind-swept monastery. The Trish monks there illuminated the spectacular Lindisfarne Gospels and established an outpost from which to evangelize northern England.
We begin the morning with worship at the massive Norman (Romanesque) Cathedral in Durham. The afternoon we will step back in time into Medieval York. We can climb the medieval walls, tour the stunning “Minster” (the largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe), explore the motte-and-bailey castle, and wander down medieval streets between “wattle and daub” (timber-frame) homes and shops.
This morning we explore Epworth, the childhood home of the Wesleys. We will tour the rectory where the children grew up under the watchful care of Susanna. We will visit St. Andrew's parish church, were their father, Samuel, was the rector. Outside is Samuel's grave, upon which John stood to preach to the people of the church after Samuel’s successor forbade John inside the church. We will have lunch at the Red Lion pub, where John stayed during his return preaching trips, as well as the remains
of the town cross, upon which steps John preached.
We will see the Epworth Methodist Church before driving to nearby Wroote to visit the
only church John served as pastor, from 1727-29 when he returned to Epworth to help his ailing father as curate.
We head deep into “our lovely Derbyshire” with the rolling moors and quilt-patchwork hills. Chatsworth is one of England's best preserved stately homes, and still the residence and ancestral home of the Duke of Devonshire. We will tour the expansive mansion and one of the best English gardens in northern England (designed by the famous Capability Brown during Wesley's lifetime).
We drive to Birmingham for the evening stopping first in Bakewell for a Bakewell Tart (yum!).
We will begin our day touring Bishop Asbury’s birth home followed by a chance to “storm the castle” of Warwick, one of England’s best-preserved castles. Next we visit Stratford-on-Avon, Shakespeare's hometown, birth home and church. Evening group entertainment TBD.
Morning brings us to Oxford where both John and Charles attended college. In
Lincoln College we'll tour John Wesley’s study where he taught as a tutor, Christ
Church Cathedral, St. Mary's Church, where both John and Charles preached their “Oxford Sermons.~ We will then make our way to London for an overview tour including St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, etc. Followed by either a Medieval Feast or show in London’s famous “West End”.
We will spend the morning at the British Museum, one of the world’s premier museums, seeing archaeological, historical, and cultural treasures from the world over. Highlights include artifacts from many biblical references, the Rosetta Stone, British treasures, and some of the best Egyptian, Persian, Greek and Roman collections in the world.
The afternoon is at the British Library, containing must-sees like the Magna Carta, Handel's Messiah, first editions of the English Bible (including the King James Version), illuminated manuscripts, and two of the three earliest copies of the Bible (Codex Alexandrinus and Codex Sinatticus).
After dinner we could take a spin on the London Eye in the evening.
Morning tour John Wesley's house, chapel, the “Mother Church of Methodism...” grave and other historic Wesley London sites. We will then tour The Tower of London and view the nearby London Bridge before driving southwest to Salisbury.
We will begin our day at the lovely Salisbury Cathedral, then proceed to Stonehenge, the most it iconic of ancient stone circle monuments in the I world.
Next we tour the famous Roman bath mins in Bath, with the massive pool that is still watertight! Bath Abby is a breath-taking example of Perpendicular architecture, and the Royal Crescent, one of the best examples of Georgian architecture (constructed during Wesley’s lifetime).
Morning worship in Bristol, then tour of the New Room, the first Methodist Chapel in the world. Afterwards we'll tour Charles* Bristol home and the nearby sites of Kingswood (where the Wesleys supported the famous children’s home), Hanam Mount (where the Wesleys first preached in the outdoors) and Port of Pill (from where John sent the first Methodist preachers to America.
We next explore a ruined abbey in a breathtaking setting, Tintern Abbey, followed by dinner nearby.
Wales! Tour Caerleon Roman Amphitheatre followed by Caerphilly Castle. We then drive back to Manchester for tomorrow's flight home. Along the way we will stop and see where Charles Wesley married Sarah Guvnne, in Garth, Wales. We will celebrate our adventure with a group dinner to share highlights and reflections.
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