The Impact of the American Revolution on James O'Kelly's Understanding of Ecclesial Governance in the Methodist Episcopal Church

Abstract

This article examines the egalitarian convictions and doctrines of the Reverend James O'Kelly and how his belief in church autonomy led to one of the earliest schisms in the Methodist Episcopal Church. Although O'Kelly would attempt to frame his conflict with the Methodist Church and Francis Asbury as a theological dispute, an examination of O'Kelly's beliefs reveal that he was an individual profoundly influenced by the democratic rhetoric and ideals of his era, which ultimately came to fruition in the American Revolution. As a veteran of that conflict, O'Kelly adopted many of the principles espoused in the Revolution and viewed both individuals and churches as autonomous and capable of self‐governance. His inherent distrust of hierarchical authority would eventually lead O'Kelly and several of his followers to leave the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1792 to found a separate denomination based on his convictions. This analysis builds on prior scholarship that portrays the “O'Kelly Schism” in the Methodist Episcopal Church as less of a doctrinal dispute, and more of a controversy over the nature of church government, sovereignty, and individual rights in the early American Republic.