Methodism began in a revival of personal religion, and it professed to have but one aim, viz.
The extent to which the employment of the local preacher is characteristic of Methodism may be seen from the fact that in the United Kingdom while there are only about 5000 Methodist ministers, there are more than 18,000 congregations; some 13,000 congregations, chiefly in the villages, are dependent on local preachers.
Methodism has always been aggressive, and her children on emigrating have taken with them their evangelistic methods.
See A New History of Methodism, ed.
The intention was to make American Methodism a facsimile of that in England, subject to Wesley and the British Conference-a society and not a Church.