Final answer:
The followers of John Wesley, future Methodists, first met as the Holy Club at Oxford University. Founded by Charles Wesley in 1729, this group rigorously practiced their religious devotions. Their faith practices and the influence of Martin Luther's writings on John and Charles Wesley led to the Methodist denomination.
Step-by-step explanation:
The followers of John Wesley, who would later be known as Methodists, initially convened in a group called the Holy Club at Oxford University. In 1729, Charles Wesley founded this club, consisting of students who rigorously practiced their religious devotions. The structured nature of their practices earned them the nickname 'Methodist,' which later became the name of the Protestant denomination they established. The profound religious conversions of John and Charles Wesley in 1738 were significantly influenced by the writings of Martin Luther, especially his teaching on Justification by Faith, and their subsequent association with the Moravians in England.
The Wesleys and their followers upheld the belief in an active faith life that included public service and missionary work. They embarked on a mission trip to the American colonies in the 1730s and upon their return engaged in deeper theological studies and the preaching of a personal and emotional connection with God, which was a deviation from the reserved services of the Anglican church they were part of initially.