istory 

John Wesley's visits

At one level, we trace our church's history back to the wet and stormy night of October 1st 1741. It was a Thursday, and John Wesley had set out from Bristol to visit friends at Fonmon Castle in the Vale of Glamorgan (near to where Rhoose airport is today). Having been delayed in crossing the Bristol Channel he arrived in Newport at dusk and was introduced to a lad who was going to Llanishen. He says, "It rained pretty fast; and, there being neither moon nor stars, we could neither see any road, nor one another, nor our own horses' heads." He arrived safely in Llanishen at 10.00 pm and was lodged with a Mr Williams (either at Blew House or at Llanishen Fawr Farm). He came back on a later Thursday, March 4th 1742 and "about noon, preached in Llanishen and was afterwards much refreshed in meeting the earnest little society". 

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Charles Wesley conflict with Calvinists

In the period 1740-1741 John's brother Charles was particularly vociferous in campaigning against Calvinistic theology in Bristol and South Wales. He found himself in conflict with Howell Harris, George Whitefield and others based at Watford on Caerphilly Mountain.Charles Wesley preached an Arminian sermon on “Repent and believe the Gospel” in St Isan’s Church on Wednesday November 12 ^th 1740 and commented in his account of the service that “I concluded with earnest prayer for the Curate.” This earnest prayer makes sense if the Curate was caught up in a local conflict with Calvinists. Three days later Charles Wesley was preaching at the home of Mr Price at Plas Watford on “Christ our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption” 

The following summer, on  Thursday July 16^th 1741, Charles Wesley was back. “I dined at Llanishen, and preached to the Society and a few others, chiefly predestinarians [presumably from Watford]. Without touching the dispute, I simply declared the scriptural marks of election; . . . . Who can resist the power of love? A loving messenger of a loving God might drive reprobation out of Wales, without even naming it.”