The first major event in the life of the young John was the parsonage fire from which he was dramatically rescued at age five. Forever after, he would refer to himself as “a brand plucked from the burning fire.” After his boarding school education, the young man, John Wesley, entered Oxford, where he was elected a fellow in 1726, qualifying him to teach students in the undergraduate programs. For a brief time, he returned to Epworth, where, as curate, he assisted his father in ministry. This was