While his ministry has often been judged to have been a failure in comparison to his later success as a leader in the Evangelical Revival, Wesley gathered around him a group of devoted Christians who met in a number of small group religious societies.
Kendati karya pelayanannya kerap dianggap gagal bila dibandingkan dengan keberhasilannya kelak sebagai seorang pemuka dalam Kebangunan Injili, Wesley membuat dirinya dikelilingi sekelompok orang Kristen setia yang bertemu dalam sejumlah kelompok religius kecil.