Henry Venn (Clapham Sect)

Henry Venn
1770 by Mason Chamberlin the elder
Born	1725 Barnes, Surrey
Died	1797 Yelling, Huntingdonshire
Nationality	English
Occupation	Evangelical minister Author
Known for	Founder of the Clapham Sect

Henry Venn (1725 in Barnes, Surrey, England – 1797), was an English evangelical minister and one of the founders of the Clapham Sect, an influential evangelical group within the Church of England.

He was the third son of Richard Venn, vicar of St Antholin, Budge Row in London. He was educated at the University of Cambridge from 1742, studying at St John's and Jesus colleges; he graduated B.A. in 1745 and M.A. in 1749. He also played cricket, for All England against Surrey.

Venn took orders in 1747, and was elected fellow of Queens' College, Cambridge, in 1749. After holding a curacy at Barton, Cambridgeshire, he became curate of both St Matthew, Friday Street, in the City of London, and of West Horsley, Surrey, in 1750. Local clergy already considered him a Methodist (in later terms, an evangelical), since he taught Scripture in his home and the number of communicants at West Horsley increased from twelve to sixty. However, it was only at this time that his beliefs moved from the High Church views of The Whole Duty of Man to the more evangelical position of A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life. In 1754 he became curate of Clapham and was also elected lecturer of St Swithin's, London Stone and St Alban's Wood Street.