Editing Rayner Stephens (section)

== Leaves Wesleyan Methodism ==
Stephens gave a number of talks in favour of disestablishment and became secretary of the Ashton branch of a society arguing for disestablishment.  His district conference attempted to discipline him for engaging in controversial political activity, and for taking a view on Church Establishment contrary to that of Wesleyans and of [[John Wesley]].  Stephens was willing to accept a temporary suspension on most points, but not on deviation from the views of Wesley, in whose writings he found views matching his own.  The national conference nonetheless asserted that true Wesleyans were in favour of the existence of an Established Church and lengthened his suspension: Stephens resigned<ref>{{cite news|title=To Correspondents - The Rev J R Stephens|work=Leeds Times|date=23 August 1834}}</ref>  and set up his own "Stephenite" churches in [[Ashton-under-Lyne]] and [[Stalybridge]].