Institutional Partners
MWRC is a collaborative partnership, drawing together a range of distinguished institutions: Asbury Theological Seminary; Asbury University; Boston University School of Theology; Cliff College; the International Board of Education of the Church of the Nazarene; the John Rylands Research Institute and Library; the Methodist Library at Drew University; Nazarene Theological College; Nazarene Theological Seminary; Pentecostal Theological Seminary; Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University; Point Loma Nazarene University; Reutlingen School of Theology; Tyndale University; Universidad del Centro Educativo Latinoamericano; the University of Manchester Religions and Theology Subject Area; Wesley House, Cambridge and Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University. Each partner is already actively engaged in research in this field, and the object of the collaboration is to develop a centre for research with a national and international profile in Wesleyan studies.
Asbury Theological Seminary was established in 1923 as an evangelical seminary in the Wesleyan-Arminian tradition. It consists of four schools (Biblical Interpretation and Proclamation, Practical Theology, Theology and Formation, and the E. Stanley Jones School of World Mission and Evangelism) located on three campuses: Florida, Kentucky, and Virtual. ATS was founded to prepare and send forth a well-trained, sanctified, Spirit-filled, evangelistic ministry’ to spread scriptural holiness throughout the world.”
Founded in 1890 with a commitment to academic excellence and spiritual vitality, Asbury University encourages students to study, worship, and serve together. As an independent Christian liberal arts institution, the University has been at the heart of spiritual movements throughout its history. Students come from 43 states and 34 foreign nations. Asbury University’s 5 schools, comprised of 14 academic departments, offer more than 68 majors including worship arts, media, equine, education, criminal justice, and political science. The University also offers several master's degrees in education, business, and communication. The University also has 38 undergraduate programs, professional programs, and licensures that can be completed entirely online. Asbury University hosts a biennial Wesley Heritage Conference in conjunction with the Manchester Wesley Research Centre.
Boston University School of Theology
Founded in 1839, the School of Theology (STH) is the founding school of Boston University and the oldest seminary of the United Methodist Church. A leading theological educator nationally and globally, STH is distinguished by its premier theological faculty, compassionate and energetic staff, and extraordinary alumni leading change and revitalization in churches, the academy, and communities across the globe. From the Master of Divinity tracks in pastoral ministry, global and community engagement, chaplaincy, organizational management, interreligious leadership, and others to our DMin in Transformational Leadership, STH offers a rich educational experience that integrates academic excellence with on-the-ground practices and lived experiences. STH also boasts a strong MTS degree and leading PhD program with multiple tracks, as well as a Master in Sacred Music and a Master in Sacred Theology. Its Centers & Programs offer certificates in Religion and Conflict Transformation, Faith and Ecological Justice, and Theology and Latinx Studies, as well as the exciting events and research coming out of the Center for Global Christianity and Mission, Center for Practical Theology, Theology and the Arts Program, and the Anna Howard Shaw Center.
Cliff College, Derbyshire, was founded in 1883 and is a unique place that combines academic excellence with an environment where Christian discipleship is encouraged and deepened. Cliff focuses on learning, discipleship, evangelism training and caring for one another.
The International Board of Education, Church of the Nazarene
IBOE is the organisation which provides support and advocacy for over fifty educational institutions in the Church of the Nazarene worldwide. The IBOE sponsors the annual MWRC lecture in Wesley Studies.
The John Rylands Research Institute and Library
The world famous John Rylands Research Institute and Library is one of Britain’s finest academic libraries. The Rylands houses its remarkable and rich ‘Special Collections’ at its Deansgate building in central Manchester. This historic purpose-built library building, the ‘finest example of neo-Gothic architecture in Europe,’ has resources ‘from papyrus to plastic’ that ‘constitute one of Britain’s greatest cultural assets’.
The internationally renowned Methodist Archives and Research Centre (MARC) holds the world’s largest collection of manuscripts relating to the founders of Methodism, John and Charles Wesley and other members and close associates of the Wesley family.
The Methodist Library at Drew University
The Methodist Library is part of The United Methodist Archives and History Center at Drew University. The Center is a unique collaboration between Drew University and the General Commission on Archives and History of The United Methodist Church, and is the leading research center and repository for the study of Methodism in America. The Methodist Library holds nearly 50,000 print books and manuscripts and maintains a growing digitized collection.
Nazarene Theological College (NTC)
Nazarene Theological College (NTC), Manchester, was established in 1944. It is a college in the Wesleyan Holiness tradition committed to providing a theological education that is both academically sound and practically relevant. Its vision is to help to equip men and women with a sound biblical and theological foundation and with professional ministry skills.
That vision also commits the College to inspire them with a passion for Christian Holiness and so enable its graduates to maximise their usefulness in the service of God, in the Body of Christ and to the whole world. NTC, through validation with The University of Manchester, offers taught degrees at undergraduate and postgraduate level, and delivers two research degrees, the M.Phil. and Ph.D., through supervised research.
The Mission of Nazarene Theological Seminary, a graduate school of theology in the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition, is to prepare women and men to be faithful and effective ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to offer itself as a theological resource in service to the Church of the Nazarene, its sponsoring denomination, and the wider Christian Church.
Pentecostal Theological Seminary (PTS)
Pentecostal Theological Seminary, located in Cleveland, Tennessee, is committed to preparing women and men for Christian ministry in today's world. They are a Holiness-Pentecostal seminary in the Church of God. Founded in 1918 as a Bible Training School which became Lee College and then Lee University, the first formal steps in the founding of the seminary were taken in 1965 under the leadership of Rev. Wade H. Horton. Rev. Horton became the first president when PTS opened in 1975. Today, PTS offers Master of Divinity, Master of Arts, Master of Theological Studies, and Doctor of Ministry degrees.
Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University
Perkins School of Theology, founded in 1911 as one of the three original schools of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, is one of five official University-related schools of theology of The United Methodist Church. The primary mission of Perkins School of Theology, as a community devoted to theological study and teaching in the service of the church of Jesus Christ, is to prepare women and men for faithful leadership in Christian ministry. Degree programs include the Master of Divinity, Master of Sacred Music, Master of Theological Studies, Master of Arts in Ministry, Master of Theology, Doctor of Ministry, and Doctor of Pastoral Music as well as the Ph.D., in cooperation with The Graduate Program in Religious Studies at SMU’s Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences.
Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU)
Point Loma Nazarene University is one of the leading Christian liberal arts universities in the USA. Point Loma's Wesleyan Center for 21st Century Studies offers an annual co-sponsored scholarship with the Manchester Wesley Research Centre for PLNU faculty to do research in Wesleyan Studies. Both institutions support scholarly presentations in the UK and in America to further Wesleyan research in the church and academy. Founded in 1902 by Phineas F. Bresee, the university has a strong commitment to explore its Wesleyan/Holiness tradition. With its commitment to educating students as whole people, Point Loma has prepared graduates for meaningful careers in fields as diverse as medicine, ministry, education, and politics. The university moved from its original location in Pasadena, California to its Point Loma home in San Diego in 1973.
Reutlingen School of Theology (RST)
Reutlingen School of Theology of the United Methodist Church is an academy of theological training and qualification for the German-speaking region of Europe (Germany, Switzerland, and Austria). It has been training Methodist pastors since 1858 and, as a theological centre of excellence in Europe, contributes to the development and public knowledge of Methodism in the ecumenical context of other churches and religions. RST understands theological work as the effort to study and reflect the message of God’s love in the Holy Scriptures, in conversation with Christian traditions, in connection with contemporary experience and scientific knowledge, and in dialogue and seeking common cause within a multicultural and multireligious society. In this way, it fulfils its the general educational mandate in church and society and is guided by professional standards in research and teaching. RST has a Methodist and ecumenical international network and maintains relationships with universities and churches around the world. Its educational programme is open to students from all churches and cultures. Study at RST is rooted in lived faith, liberated thinking, and aims at a practice of active love (RST’s motto).
Tyndale University was founded in 1894 in Toronto, Ontario. The University offers a growing variety of undergraduate programs, and the Seminary is Canada's largest graduate school of theology. Tyndale is a diverse transdenominational community with a strong Wesleyan presence, centred around the Donald N. and Kathleen G. Bastian Chair of Wesley Studies. The Bastian Chair was established in 1993 by a partnership of five denominations: the Brethren in Christ, the Church of the Nazarene, the Free Methodist Church, the Salvation Army, and the Wesleyan Church.
The University of Manchester (Religions and Theology)
Religions and Theology at Manchester is one of the oldest and most prestigious departments of its kind in the United Kingdom. In the two most recent HEFCE Research Assessment Exercises it was given the top rating of 5*, which indicates international excellence in all areas of its research. It provides supervised research leading to the degrees of M.Phil. and Ph.D. With some 20 full-time and 12 part-time and honorary members of the academic staff, it is able to offer students an intellectually stimulating and diverse educational environment for postgraduate study.
Wesley House (founded 1921) is a globally significant resource for leadership and scholarship in the Wesleyan tradition. We teach, consult, research, supervise research, and offer professional training in the areas of Global Wesleyan Theology; Leadership and Ministry Development; and Faith in Public Life. We work with partner institutions on five continents and with cohorts of students from all over the world. We are blessed with a diverse student body: 36% from Africa, 28% from the UK, 23% from North America and 13% from Asia, continental Europe, and South America.
Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University
Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University, located in Marion, Indiana, was formed in 2009 as a seminary with a practical and student-centered approach for busy working ministers. The new Wesley Seminary model allows ministers to stay in their current ministry setting while attending seminary. By combining team-taught courses of theologians and practitioners with weekly homework that can applied to one's local ministry, the new Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University has full ATS accreditation and has grown to over 450 students. It is sponsored by the Wesleyan Church.
Related Scholarly Organisations
Related Scholarly Organisations (RSOs) of the MWRC are selected scholarly organisations that support the goals and purposes of the MWRC and its partners.
The Australasian Centre for Wesleyan Research
The Australasian Centre for Wesleyan Research promotes and supports research on the life, work and times of John and Charles Wesley, their historical and theological antecedents, their successors in the Wesleyan tradition, and contemporary scholarship in the Wesleyan tradition. This includes areas such as theology, biblical studies, history, education, ethics, literature, mission, cultural studies, philosophy, pastoral studies, worship, preaching, practical theology, and social theology.
The Department of History at Manchester Metropolitan University
The Department of History at Manchester Metropolitan University engages in cutting edge research in a range of historical and geographical contexts, including a number of historians working on the history of Christianity in both a British and global context. The quality of the research culture within the Department is highlighted by an established record of winning funding for research projects from the European Union, the Arts and Humanities Research Council, the Leverhulme Trust, the British Academy, and the Heritage Lottery Fund. The Department has a regular programme of public facing workshops, seminars, and conferences.
Société d’Études du Méthodisme Français
The Société d’Études du Méthodisme Français (SEMF) [Society for the Study of French Methodism] was founded in 2012. The society meets annually at the Institut Protestant de Théologie, Montpellier, France. It encourages research on the history and theology of Methodism especially in France, but also more largely in the francophone world. SEMF publishes the results of that research presented at the annual meetings. A longer description of the Société can be found here.
Former Related Scholarly Organisations
American Academy of Religion
From 2017-2022 the MWRC was a Related Scholarly Organization of the AAR. While it is no longer an RSO, the MWRC continues to hold annual sessions at AAR. Details about these sessions can be found here.
The Oxford Centre for Methodism and Church History, Oxford Brookes University
Until its closure in 2024, the Centre was part of the School of History, Philosophy and Culture in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, and engages with its students and research activities. The aim of the Oxford Centre for Methodism and Church History was to embody the historic links between Oxford Brookes University and the Methodist Church, through a programme of research activities and support for its special collections. From 2010 to 2024, Wesley and Methodist Studies was a joint project of the MWRC and Oxford Centre. The Westminster Oxford Research Network was established in 2024 as a successor of the OCMCH.