History

**Drs Herbert McGonigle and Ron Benefiel at MWRC Inauguration in 2003**

The Manchester Wesley Research Centre was formally inaugurated on June 18th, 2003, at a service held at Nazarene Theological College (NTC), Didsbury, Manchester, England, as the concluding event of the major international conference, ‘John Wesley, Life, Legend & Legacy’ hosted by the University of Manchester.

Those taking part and signing the Charter included the Revd Colin H. Wood (Chairman of Governors NTC); Revd Dr Herbert B. McGonigle (Principal of NTC); Mr William G. Simpson (Director and University Librarian of John Rylands University Library of Manchester); Revd Dr Jerry Lambert (Commissioner for Education International Church of the Nazarene); Revd Dr John A. Newton (President of the Wesley Historical Society); Professor Elaine Graham (Samuel Ferguson Chair, Religions & Theology, The University of Manchester); Mr John Lenton (Convenor of the Methodist Church of Great Britain Archives and History Committee); and Dr Ronald Benefiel (President of Nazarene Theological Seminary, Kansas City).