Circuit riders collection

Collection — Folder: Circuit Riders Collection, Methodist Vertical File

Identifier: MSU-2012-0068

Staff Only

Collection Statement

This collection includs magazine articles, newspaper clippings, and research papers.

Dates

1914 - 1958

Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Usage Restrictions

Legal title, literary rights, including copyright reside with the creators of the documents or their legal heirs and assigns. All requests to publish or quote must be submitted to the DePauw University Archives and Special Collections. The publisher must also obtain permission from the copyright holder.

Historical Note

In the early days of Methodism, most churches belonged to circuits. A typical circuit was served by two ministers, a senior preacher and a junior preacher. A large church was known as a society and was divided into classes. A small church might consist of only one class. There were generally about 24 preaching points on a circuit. This meant that each minister preached six days a week and made the rounds of a circuit every four weeks. Each preaching point had a service every two weeks. Sometimes three ministers were assigned to a a six week circuit with about 36 preaching points, or one minister to a two week circuit with 12 points. Circuits grew and new preaching points were added. A congregation did not have to organize and issue a call to a minister. The Methodist circuit rider rode into a new community, found a Methodist home and announced a service for a month later. On the second round, they would organize a class. Changes in the circuits were made every year at the annual conference.

Source: Items within the collection.