ABSTRACT
Many of John Wesley's preachers were from humble backgrounds, with little education. This chapter examines the steps Wesley took to encourage their self-improvement through reading and study. It suggests that it is something of a contradiction that while he stressed the importance of family in raising pious and virtuous children, Wesley expected his preachers to leave their wives and children to travel where he sent them. Amid growing tension between education and Evangelism, Wesley sought men who would not only preach, but also teach. Although men of piety, many of Wesley's preachers were from humble backgrounds, with little education. Students at Trevecka travelled as preachers in Lady Huntingdon's Connection, being sent out as temporary assistants to both Church of England and Dissenting ministers as the need arose. In 1764 she began to formulate plans for a theological College in Trevecka, South Wales.
