April 18, 2001, came and went with very little notice. Tax returns had been submitted (or at least filings for extensions); students began to focus more and more on their studies (it’s about time); golfers and other outdoor sports enthusiasts began polishing the paraphernalia of their craft. April 18 - just another spring day looking forward to warmer weather.

April 18 was not just another spring day back in 1775. It was a very extraordinary day for a young man who worked at a livery stable in Boston. This lad overheard two British soldiers talking about plans brewing for the colonists. He rushed to the home of a silversmith named Paul Revere. Paul Revere and his horse took the story from that point, and a nation was born.

Paul Revere’s ride has been described as the most famous historical example of a word-of-mouth epidemic. A bit of startling news traveled a long distance in a very short period of time, and it changed the world forever.

April 18, 1775, also was celebrated by a horseman on the other side of the Atlantic. This British gentleman was delivering a message, not to colonists (that came later), but to all who would hear. His message also became a clear word-of-mouth epidemic. Wesley spread the epidemic throughout England and set in motion the activities and organizations that have kept the epidemic alive to this day. It was an epidemic that caused Methodism to break out throughout England and soon the United States.

This horseman, John Wesley, has been described by Malcolm Gladwell, a staff writer for The New Yorker, as “a super Paul Revere.” Their messages were very different, but the two men were very similar in some ways. Both Paul Revere and John Wesley had great ties with many groups. They were not particularly charismatic individuals, but they had connections and united their connections by riding horses from group to group.

Paul Revere’s ride took place in one day. John Wesley’s ride continued throughout his career - indeed it became a distinctive characteristic of his entire ministry. He rode for days on end. He even learned how to sleep and how to read while on horseback. It is estimated that he traveled as much as 4000 miles a year by horseback. Two horsemen of note, each with a vital word to spread.