The celebration will take place at Lincoln Cathedral

Wesley, born on 17 June 1703 in the village of Epworth near Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, was the 15th of 19 children.

A celebration service at Lincoln Cathedral on Tuesday will be led by Rev Ian White, the president of the Methodist Church.

The Methodist Church has about 70 million followers worldwide.

Visitors from Colombia, Cuba, and Canada as well as other countries around the world are expected to travel to Lincolnshire for the service.

Narrow escape

Many of the 6,100 Methodist churches across the UK have organised their own services to mark the anniversary.

John Wesley recently featured in the BBC's Top 100 Great Britons - an event organised to choose the most influential person in the history of the UK.

Rev White said: "It is a great day for Britain because he was a hugely important figure and a great leader in the 18th century."

WESLEY'S LIFE 1703 - John Wesley born in Epworth 1714 - attended Charterhouse School, London 1720 - undergraduate at Christ Church, Oxford 1725 - ordained deacon 1735 - missionary in Georgia, returning 1737 1744 - first Methodist Conference 1791 - died on 3 March in London

"Lincoln Cathedral was significant in his life as he lived in this diocese - and it is part of his roots," he said.

In 1709 Wesley narrowly escaped from a devastating fire that destroyed the rectory where he lived.

The Old Rectory, which replaced the one that was destroyed, houses a Wesley museum.

Wesley lived and died as a Church of England clergyman - as he had vowed to remain with the church.

But the movement that he founded eventually became the largest free church in Britain.