Converted newly as English Methodist (8)
I believe the answer is:
wesleyan
'methodist' is the definition.
(a Wesleyan is a type of Methodist)
'converted newly as english' is the wordplay.
'converted' indicates anagramming the letters.
'english' becomes 'e' (abbreviation).
'newly'+'as'+'e'='newlyase'
'newlyase' is an anagram of 'WESLEYAN'.
(Other definitions for wesleyan that I've seen before include "Chapel" , "Protestant" , "Eel yawns (anag) - follower of one branch of Protestantism" , "Methodist" , "religious type" .)