Pursuing his calling with singleness of vision, John Wesley (1703 -1791) defied the strength of angry mobs and longwithstanding traditions to offer the hope of Christ to millions of people who were outside the influence of the churches of the day. Passionate and tireless, this Anglican clergyman rode a quarter of a million miles on horseback during his lifetime, stopping to preach more than forty thousand sermons in open fields, churches, and barns. Focused on God's love and holy living, the movement Wesley founded quickly multiplied in vibrant Methodist societies all over England and would soon influence far-flung nations for Christ.