The museum will be open from 1 to 4 p.m. with tours of it and the adjacent Susanna Wesley Garden. Informal presentations and discussions will be offered by three featured speakers:

• Bishop Ivan Abrahams, General Secretary of the World Methodist Council, will speak at 1:30 p.m. as he shares stories about his native South Africa, the renowned late Nelson Mandela, and how people are all called to treat each other as a neighbor.  Born in South Africa, his life was forged on the anvil of apartheid. 

• Accomplished musician and Scottish folklorist Flora MacDonald Gammon will perform at 2 p.m. on the dulcimer, sharing music that would have been played in the late 1700s and early 1800s as Bishop Francis Asbury and circuit riders took the word throughout the eastern U.S. Dulcimers were one of the instruments used then as they could be made and carried by early settlers.

• At 2:30 p.m., The Rev. Ashley Calhoun will portray Bishop Walter Lambuth and his work as a missionary. Born to missionary parents in China, Lambuth made a significant difference in early Methodism around the world. 

Birthday cake, with lemonade and other beverages, will be served in the Susanna Wesley Garden.

“Our past principles help us to better face the future. The treasures which are located in the Museum call on us to assure that our children and grandchildren have an opportunity to know about the sacrifices made in the 17th and 18th centuries so that we may practice our faith today,” said Museum Director Jackie Bolden. “People are always surprised at very rare artifacts, from the handwritten letters of John Wesley to the Geneva Bible printed in 1594, to the Holy Land exhibits that contain items as far back as the time of Abraham, and thousands of other one-of-a-kind items.”

All ages are invited with face painting and a special coloring book being offered for children. For information contact the museum at 828.456.7242, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or visit at 575 North Lakeshore Drive.