The series also includes financial, administrative, and legal records for the Board of Missions and Church Extension of the Western N.C. Conference of the MECS (1909-1952), as well as quarterly conference and district conference minutes and trustees minutes for districts within the Western N.C. Conference including, among others, the Asheville and Winston-Salem districts (1912-1935). WebThe ministries team exists to equip the Methodist Church by training, developing and supporting those called by God to serve in lay and ordained ministry. Available on microfilm, #192-1-1 and #192-1-2. The collections are of major significance for a wide range of disciplines, including social and cultural history, the history of emotions, gender studies, literary studies and linguistics, as well as the history of organised religion, spirituality and personal faith from the 18th century to the present day. 2020 The Florida Conference of WebHalifax Co., Roanoke and Littleton Circuits (Warrenton District), Methodist Church Records, 1860-1905 and undated Found in Edward Alston Thorne Papers. If you would like to find out more information about the regional context your church is in, go to the advanced version of the webmap whichgraphically represents all the data we hold about the Church alongside a wide variety of government and census data. Sang in church choirs while growing up as the granddaughter of two Methodist ministers. Malcolm X, A Nation of Islam minister at one time, he was assassinated while giving a speech in 1965. Medgar Evers, Helped register black voters in Mississippi and led boycotts there of firms that practiced racial discrimination. Ralph Bunche, Many are from the libraries of former Methodist theological collections, while others have been collected by the Church in the twentieth century. London: Wesleyan Conference Office, 1869, [4], 224 pp. Sharing Methodist family history, memorabilia and research, Alphabetical list of Ministers of the United Methodist Church, Bible Christian Baptism Transcript for the Millom Circuit, Ministers and Probationers of the Methodist Church with Appointments in Chronological and Alphabetical Order - 1932, Ministers at Lake Ebenezer Chapel from 1815, Ministers of the United Methodist Free Churches and their Circuits 1836-1898, Ministers of the United Methodist Free Churches who died in the work 1836-1898, Students of Victoria Park College, Manchester 1872-1898, The Methodist Local Preachers' Who's Who 1934. Watch for links to digitized, online records offered by the archives. We look forward to working with you. Nashville WebRev. P.O. WebOrdination is the process Methodist and other Christian churches use to certify their pastors and leaders. Generally acknowledged to be one of the finest research resources in the world for the study of evangelical religion in its broad social, political and economic context, it incorporates print collections and important archive and manuscript material. 37206 In the early 20th century, many of the splintered Methodist groups joined together to form The Methodist Church (USA). Nearly 70 Methodist congregations have exited Mississippi's United Methodist Church by way of a disaffiliation process. The institutional records of Methodism are very well represented, with material relating to all the major pre-union Methodist denominations, including the Lewis Court Bible Christian Collection. https://archive.org/details/analphabeticala00hillgoog, Hill, William. This page has been viewed 21,939 times (0 via redirect). In 1885 the Mexican Border Mission Conference was organized with 1,370 members and thirty-one ministers. There are major archives of three ministerial training colleges Handsworth (Birmingham), Hartley Victoria (Manchester) and Richmond (Surrey) while smaller collections survive for Didsbury and Sunderland Colleges. 204 All the pages listing Methodist ministers are based on a list of those who had "died in the work" published in September 1963. 1-2, 1888-1930; Quarterly Conference Minutes, 1908-1949; and Papers, 1926 and 1942. Web(includes other Methodist denominations) (346.2) Elder or Ordained Clergy from Other Denomination (344.1) Clergy serving in extension ministry beyond the ministry usually extended through the local UMC (AF) Affiliate Member (AM) Associate Member (AM-R) Retired Associate Member Serving Appointment Found in Marquis L. Wood Records and Papers (Duke University Archives), Box 3, Folder 15. Catalog. Western North Carolina Conference. Ministers who have Died in the Work, eighth edition, corrected and enlarged by John Partis Haswell. London: Wesleyan Conference Office, 1866, iv, 207 pp. American Mission in North Africa, Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Ministers who have Died in the Work, tenth edition,corrected and enlarged by John Partis Haswell. were A smaller congregation? United States, 523 Church Street Reverdy C. Ransom Memorial Library District Superintendents: Ministers who have Died in the Work, eleventh edition, corrected and enlarged by Marmaduke Clark Osborn. The pages in this category give listings of ministers entering the itinerant ministry of the United Methodist Church, or one of its constituent parts, prior to Methodist Union in 1932. Carmel Circuits, Quarterly Conference Minutes, 1835-1877 (Choctaw District). There are guiding principles for deciding how to resolve discrepancies between records that are seemingly close. Found in John Wesley Lewis Papers. Showing the Circuits and Stations to which they have been Appointed from the Commencement of their Itinerancy to the Conferences of 1881. Available on microfilm, #189-1-1. Box 474 Rockingham District, Presiding Elder's Minutes, 1892. TN Dozens of TN The divisional records contains a wealth of information that is of interest to historians of religion, politics, social studies, education and other disciplines, and to a lesser degree, genealogists and local historians. Available on microfilm, #192-2-1. Check the church records collections in archives and libraries. Explore the Special Collections through the collection names and descriptionsusing our searchable A-Z tool. United States, 803 Main Street Wilmington District, District Conference Records, beginning 1897. Brian Leslie Day BD (at Handsworth Theological College 1948-1950) A minister would be appointed to a circuit, station, or charge. WebIndex of Methodist ministers In this page: Index of ministers and probationers who have died in the Work Introduction Further information Useful reading Acknowledgements Unknown Co., Davidson Circuit (Greensboro District), Plan of Davidson Circuit and Preacher's Memorandum, 1860-1861. Request to Advertise Event with Conference, Virginia Conference The United Methodist Church, Virginia United Methodist Center Offices and Staff, Pictorial Directory of the United Methodist Center Staff, Map of Churches in the Virginia Conference, A Message from our Virginia Conference Lay Leader, Martha Stokes. 3.3 Consult available finding aids. Following the American Revolution, most of the Anglican clergy who had been in America went back to England. Correspond with genealogical or historical societies. Find the perfect church for you with Find-A-Church. Florida United Methodist Colleges & Universities, United Methodist Association of Preschools, United Methodist Connectional Federal Credit Union, Eligibility for the Institute of Preaching, Annual Assessment of Clergy Leadership - Spanish, Black Methodist for Church Renewal Florida Caucus, Standing Rules of the Florida Annual Conference, Links to Sites with General & Financial Advice, Tips, & Help, International Medical / Accident Insurance, Health & Pension Benefits Billing Information, 450 Martin L King Jr Ave Lakeland, FL 33815 USA, (863) 688-5563 or toll free (800) 282-8011. http://www.archive.org/details/alphabeticalarra00hilliala, Did you find what you QuestionPros survey software plays a major role in helping us keep in touch with our alumni, volunteers, donors, employees and other affiliates. Nashville 1. Payne Theological Seminary In the 1800s in the Methodist Church in the United States, a "circuit" consisted of two or more local churches or societies that were served by one pastor or a group of pastors in regular succession. 37204 Boundaries of the Blue Ridge-Atlantic Conference of the MEC change to include only N.C. CMCA continues as a separate denomination, MECS, MEC, and MPC merge into the Methodist Church (MC), Western N.C. Conference and N.C. Conference of the MC forms, composed of white ministers and congregations, Central Jurisdiction of the MC forms, composed of African-American congregations and ministers; exists until 1964, CMCA changes name to Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, North Carolina-Virginia Conference Central Jurisdictions, MC, form from the Central Jurisdiction, MC; jurisdictions exist until 1968, MC and the Evangelical United Brethren Church merge into the United Methodist Church (UMC), North Carolina-Virginia Central Jurisdictions merge into either the Western N.C. Conference or the N.C. Conference, UMC, "Chapter 1: The North Carolina Conference, 1838,", "History of the Western North Carolina Annual Conference,", Race relations -- Christianity -- Methodist Church, Church records and registers -- North Carolina, Church architecture -- United States -- North Carolina, Methodist Episcopal Church. Updated by Paula Jeannet, one volume added, May 2013. The core documents are the minutes of the district meetings, these contain character assessments of applicants for local preachers, information on ministers and their families, and detailed statistics of chapel and circuit membership. The Methodist Archives and Research Centre (MARC), established by the Methodist Church of Great Britain, has been held on deposit at the Rylands since 1977. If the church has a website, you may be able to. Wesley and his brother Charles brought the movement to the colony of Georgia, arriving in March 1736 as Church of England missionaries. Some church records have been given to historical societies. All rights reserved. Surveying them has helped strengthen our relationship. The Armed Forces Board collection contains material relating to the work of Methodist chaplains in Britain and abroad. WebWith more than 134,000 members, the Upper New York Annual (Regional) Conference of The United Methodist Church comprises 865 local churches and 85 new faith communities in 12 districts, covering 48,000 square miles in 49 of the 62 counties in New York state. 37208 Unknown Co., White Sands, Westville, and Mt. Clergy: You may make changes online to your address and phone numbers by visiting https://unity.vaumc.org/ and use your EVC Username and Password to access. There are thousands of entries of digitized Methodist church records listed in the FamilySearch Catalog: 2. Nashville For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library. See the information folder for this collection in the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library for a copy of the latter resource. They may also use the Historical Sketches Series to locate minister, circuit, and church names in alphabetical order. An Alphabetical Arrangement of all the Wesleyan-Methodist Ministers, and Preachers on Trial, in Connection with theBritish and Irish Conferences; with the Ministers of the Affiliated Conference of France. Found in John Wesley Lewis Papers. The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. WebThe ministries team exists to equip the Methodist Church by training, developing and supporting those called by God to serve in lay and ordained ministry. London: Wesleyan-Methodist Book Room, 1885, xi, 194 pp. These groups came primarily from the southern states. Conferences of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South (MECS), and national records from both the MECS and the Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC), this chronology is provided as an aid to understanding the context of the records contained in this collection. United States, 2334 Herman Street Arranged in five series: National Records Series; Non-N.C. Conference Records Series; N.C. Conference Records Series; Western N.C. Conference Records Series; Historical Sketches Series. The history of Methodism in the United States dates back to the mid-18th century. There are also bound volumes of N.C. Conference, MECS, district conference minutes (1866-1939); financial, administrative, and legal records for the Board of Missions and Church Extension of the Western N.C. Conference, MECS (1909-1952); bound journals of annual conference meetings of the N.C. Conference, MECS (1838-1913); as well as some district, conference, and national records for non-N.C. conferences and for the MECS and the Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC). You should first check the Index to Conference Memoirs to see if your ancestor is listed. Special attention should be drawn to the Green collection of 2,865 copies of 1,783 pamphlets authored by the Wesley brothers and their associates; the Green Anti-Methodist Collection, which comprises 396 copies of 348 works published mainly in the 18th century and is the largest such collection in the world; and the Charles Wesley Family Library, which contains over 430 volumes owned by Charles and his immediate family. 3.4 Iowa Published Church Records 3.5 Correspond with or visit the actual churches. There are two resources for doing genealogy research on this site: WebAll reported job changes since 1999 are listed. This Methodist Family Tree diagrams the development of the various branches of Methodist religion. Methodism thrived in America thanks to the First and Second Great Awakenings beginning in the 1700s. Accessions from 1948-1997 were merged into one collection, described in this finding aid. United States, 1014 14th Avenue North These include over 5,000 volumes of magazines and newspapers containing a full run of the Wesleyan Methodist Magazine (formerly Arminian Magazine), the Primitive Methodist Magazine and Bible Christian Magazine. Unknown Co., Lexington First Church, Minutes of the Board of Trustees, 1809-1841 (not entire volume) (Lexington District). Look for the contact information for the archivist, historian or researcher. Found in Benjamin E. Stanfield Papers. In addition, the libraries of former training colleges Didsbury College, Richmond College, Hartley Victoria College and Wesley College Bristol are represented in the collection. 37208 London: John Mason, 1833, [2], 96pp. 37210 Payne Theological Seminary and A.M.E. Church Archive Look for digital copies of church records listed in the FamilySearch Catalog. TN When the records on the conference level were created by churches other than the MECS, an abbreviation in parentheses notes which church (MEC or ME). The printed reference book by Oliver Beckerlegge lists all the ministers, even if they left the ministry. Historical Methodist Church Records and Archives - ThoughtCo The Western N.C. Conference consists primarily of bound volumes of quarterly conference minutes and church registers that document the administrative life of MECS and Methodist Church (MC) circuits, charges, churches, missions, and stations in the western and west central counties of North Carolina (1893-1932). TN Although this collection contains records primarily from the N.C. and Western N.C. Unknown Co., Duke's Chapel Methodist Church. Baptism and local church membership records are the two most frequently requested materials. Some church records have been deposited for preservation in government archives or in libraries. However, for both the N.C. and Western N.C. The MECS national records comprise primarily correspondence, minutes, reports, and printed material documenting the planning for the reunification of the MEC and the MECS (1906-1916, 1932-1939), especially hymnal revision. The Methodist Church Registered Charity no. http://solo.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/primo_library/libweb/action/ London: John Mason, 1862, iv, 198 pp. Unknown Co., Hardy Circuit (West Va.), Notebook, 1870-1878. Showing the Circuits and Stations to which they have been Appointed from the Commencement of their Itinerancy to the Conferences of 1869. The Methodist Church Registered Charity no. An Alphabetical Arrangement of all the Wesleyan-Methodist Ministers and Preachers on Trial, in Connection with the British and Irish Conferences, with several of the Ministers of the Affiliated Conferences. See which churches are leaving. http://archive.org/details/alphabeticaland00unkngoog [At end, following main work], Hill, William. Various African-American denominations were formed during this period, including the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Nashville Some archives provide research services for a fee. A detailed list of MARC archive holdings can be found in the Methodist Archives Collections Catalogue. An Alphabetical Arrangement of all the Wesleyan-Methodist Preachers and Missionaries who are now Travelling, or are Located, in Great Britain, and in Distant Parts of the Globe, with a View of all the Circuits and Stations to which they have been Appointed by the Conference,from the Commencement of their Itinerancy to the Present Period. London: Methodist Publishing House, 1964. 1502 Edgehill Avenue In the Western N.C. Conference the Asheville District (1912-1916) and Winston-Salem District (1924-1935) are well-documented, along with Alamance Circuit (Alamance Co., 1893-1908), First Methodist Church/Station (Lincoln Co., 1902-1962), Jefferson Circuit (Ashe Co., 1893-1932), Morganton Circuit (Burke Co., 1889-1932), Polkville Circuit (Cleveland Co., 1911-1927), and Randolph Circuit/Charge (Randolph Co., 1893-1930). Original materials in the N.C. Conference series, Conference Records subseries have some restrictions. United Methodist Church records, 1784-1984, bulk 1800-1940. Randolph Co., 37208 Unknown Co., Green Valley Mission (Va.), Notebook, 1870-1878. Found in John Wesley Lewis Papers. If you're looking for anonline worship service, check out our list that includes congregations from across the connection. Journals, 1838-1923. Dr. Henry Brown Methodist minister and author of The Impending Peril: Or, Methodism and Amusement William Gannaway Brownlow Governor of Tennessee Nashville There are conference-level records only for the Virginia and Wisconsin Conferences and these include an 1815 list of ministers serving Virginia Conference districts and circuits, as well as a group of hand-written "responses" of the Eastern Shore of Virginia to the Methodist Episcopal Church split (1864-1866). Gates Co., North Gates Circuit (Elizabeth City, Murfreesboro, Va., and Suffolk, Va. Found in the Mt. On Sunday mornings, Methodist ministers will be in front of their congregations, leading the people in prayer and worship. Available on microfilm, #191-7-1. Candy Wynn. Those are two key findings from a new United Methodist Communications survey of United Methodists in the United States. Appointments are listed in the P.O. Ministers who have Died in the Work, ninth edition, corrected and enlarged by John Partis Haswell. Glen Allen, VA 23060 through the collection names and descriptionsusing our searchable A-Z tool. The Non-N.C. Conference Records Seriesconsists primarily of bound volumes of quarterly conference minutes for circuits, charges, and churches in the Baltimore, North Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia and other Conferences, especially those in Lumpkin Co., Ga.; Marion Co., S.C.; and Gates and Loudoun Cos., Va. dlDisplay.do?vid=OXVU1&docId=oxfaleph014072227, Hill, William. Email: heritage_hall@hotmail.com, African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Zion Church Collection TN The first extensive Methodist work among the Spanish-speaking people of Texas began in the West Texas Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, in 1874 with the formation of a Spanish-speaking district. Rockingham District, Quarterly Conference Minutes, 1891-1893. If a church closes and there is no successor then the records are transferred to the annual conference archives - the regional depository. Vernon United Methodist Church, Trinity, N.C. Richmond Co., Rockingham Station (Fayetteville District), Pastor's Visiting and Memorandum Book, 1889-1890. E-mail: bcref@bklynlibrary.org, Collins-Callaway Library Archives and Special Collections Or you may email any updates/corrections to [emailprotected]. 25 Library Place WebThe Central Pennsylvania Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church was created in 1868. You will want to read about our clergy research service in order to understand what we can offer and how to make a request. Modern periodicals, such as MetConnexion, Connexion and journals of the Wesleyan Historical Society continue to be added to the MARC. For more instruction in evaluating evidence, read the Wiki article, Evaluate the Evidence. The national records include correspondence--especially to and from J. H. Colpais Purdon--and financial records from the American Mission in North Africa, MEC (1909-1952); and correspondence, minutes, reports, and printed material documenting the planning for the reunification of the MEC and the MECS (1906-1916, 1932-1939), especially hymnal revision. The most revealing documents are the unique manuscript journals of Conference proceedings; these contain significantly more detail than the published minutes. 2019 ratified as disaffiliated churches. Membership records include baptisms, probationary or preparatory memberships, and memberships in full communion. Nashville Send us your feedback, Historic Artefact Collections Management Policy, http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/detail.jsp?R=DC-37131055298558D, http://archive.org/details/alphabeticaland00unkngoog, http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=JuwNAAAAQAAJ&source=gbs_slider_thumb, http://solo.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/primo_library/libweb/action/, http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=i-QNAAAAQAAJ, https://archive.org/details/analphabeticala00hillgoog, http://www.archive.org/details/alphabeticalarra00hilliala. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, sent Thomas Coke to America where he and Francis Asbury founded the Methodist Episcopal Church, which was to later establish itself as the largest denomination in America during the 19th century. The ministries team exists to equip the Methodist Church by training, developing and supporting those called by God to serve in lay and ordained ministry. The General Commission on Archives and History does not hold such records. Box 821 Nashville London:Wesleyan Methodist Book Room, 1882, [5], 231 pp. An Alphabetical Arrangement of all the Wesleyan-Methodist Ministers, and Preachers on Trial, in Connection with the British and Irish Conferences; Showing the Circuits and Stations to which they have been Appointed from the Commencement of their Itinerancy to the Conference of 1884; also an Alphabetical List of the Ministers who have Died in the Work,together with a List of Ministers in Connection with the French, the Australasian, and the South African Conferences who Entered the Ministry previous to the Constitution of these Affiliated Conferences, fifteenth edition,corrected and enlarged by David James Waller. Calvin Haney. 1132208. is the simplest way for finding the location and contact details of your nearest Methodist church. Available on microfilm, #192-2-1. Phone: (706) 821-8200 or 1-800-476-7703, The Wesleyan Church Archives and Historical Library County locations are approximate, based primarily on circuit, charge, or station name, and current to 2004. WebPrint-outs of complete listings for each minister are available for consultation at the Methodist Historical Society Archives at Edgehill College, Belfast. In addition to the quarterly conference and district conference minutes, the N.C. Conference and Non-N.C. Conference Series include membership, Sunday School, abstinence society, and susbscription and class lists (Buckhorn, Currituck, Forsyth, and Haw River Circuits); plans and maps of circuits (Currituck, Forsyth, and Holly Springs Circuits); notes, drawings, and inventories of church buildings and furniture (Iredell and Roanoke Circuits); and handwritten "responses" of the Eastern Shore of Virginia to the MEC split, some written by William Gwynn Coe. The MARC also contains the personal library of John Fletcher, along with a fine collection of 18th-century anti-Methodist printed material and thousands of tracts and pamphlets dating from 1568 onwards. Additionally there is a substantial collection of early hymnals, including the only complete copy of John Wesleys Charleston Hymnbook. Mission Conference, which includes the entire state of N.C.; exists until 1878, Southern and western piedmont counties move from the S.C. Conference, MECS, to the N.C. Conference, MECS; the N.C. Conference is now composed of all N.C. counties except territory to the west of the Appalachian mountains, which remain in the Holston Conference of the MECS, A separate Methodist Church, the Colored Methodist Church in America (CMCA), forms out of the MECS for all African-American members; exists until 1956, White members of the N.C. Conference of the MEC and the N.C. part of the Asheville District of the Holston Conference, MEC, form the Southern Central Conference, MEC; exists until 1880, N.C. Black Conference of the MEC forms out of the Va.-NC. Be prepared to find the correct church records by gathering in advance as many of these exact details about the ancestor as possible: Carefully evaluate the church records you find to make sure you have really found records for your ancestor and not just a "near match". 701 West Monroe Street (See the entries for "circuit" and"charge, pastoral" in the Encyclopedia of Methodism (1888) and Encyclopedia of World Methodism(1974)). Baptism and Local Church Membership Found in Rosa Belvin Papers. Roman Catholics became WebAn Alphabetical Arrangement of all the Wesleyan-Methodist Ministers, Missionaries & Preachers on Trial, in Connexion with the British and Irish Conferences, or with the Affiliated Conferences of France, Australasia and Eastern British America, and Including some of the Ministers of the Canadian Conference; Showing the Circuits and Stations to You will possibly find many different people with the same name as your ancestor, especially when a family stayed in a locality for several generations, and several children were named after the grandparents or aunts and uncles. Some materials and descriptions may include offensive content. Conferences, some districts, circuits, and counties are well-represented. More info. This collection contains approximately one-third of Johns extant correspondence, comprising just over 700 autograph letters, together with his diaries, sermons, annotated printed material and miscellaneous notebooks. Contact Research Services for more information. Methodist Christians who distinguished themselves as Ministers (whether clergy or lay) in all Methodist denominations. TN The Directory of Annual Conference Archives for The United Methodist Church will list the appropriate contact person. This can lead to two common errors: Some records are still held in the local churches. Tirzah Circuits. Please note that the church details which appear on the map are drawn from statistical informationsubmitted annually by churchesduring theannual data collection. In United Methodist practice these records are kept at the local church. The mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Conferences, the N.C. Conference, and the Western N.C. Conference are each arranged into three further groupings of conference, district, and circuit records. WebThomas Aubrey (Methodist minister) Benjamin Fish Austin B Purley Baker Stephen Bamford William Barleycorn Lem Barney John C. A. Barrett Henry Bidleman Bascom Hopkin Bevan Stafford Bird Charles Blue Jacket Robert Bradford (Northern Irish politician) Roger Surveying them has helped strengthen our relationship. http://solo.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/primo_library/libweb/action/ Key to Map of the Western N.C. Conference. Pleasant, Richmond, Robeson, Chadbourn, Jonesboro, Creedmoor, Durham and Mt. 37219 WebBishops: Primary contact information for bishops of The United Methodist Church. Camille M Henderson-Edwards. Paul Wood,Interim Director of the Ministries Team. dlDisplay.do?vid=OXVU1&docId=oxfaleph014072227, Hill, William. If you have a clergy-person in your family tree we may be able to provide some biographical information about them. Ministers of the Evangelical United Brethren Church, List of presidents of the Methodist Conference, Robert Bradford (Northern Irish politician), John Petty (primitive Methodist minister), James Wilson (New South Wales politician, born 1865), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Category:Methodist_ministers&oldid=949397774, Protestant religious leaders by denomination, Template Category TOC via CatAutoTOC on category with 101200 pages, CatAutoTOC generates standard Category TOC, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 6 April 2020, at 07:36. Email:library@ptsem.edu, Heritage Hall Archives and Research Center The MARC holds the worlds largest collection of circuit plans up to 1933 (over 5,000), which record the names of itinerant and local preachers in particular circuits, and can be used to chart the growth and decline of Methodism at the local level. In 1791, as part of a restructuring following John Wesleys death, Methodist circuits were grouped into districts, analogous to Anglican dioceses. In the decades following statehood, the largest religious groups in Illinois were the Methodist, Episcopal, Baptist, and Presbyterian churches.