Bible Christian Church
Encyclopedia
The Bible Christian Church was a Methodist
denomination founded by William O’Bryan
, a Wesleyan Methodist local preacher
, on 18 October 1815 in North Cornwall
, with the first society, just 22 members, meeting at Lake Farm in Shebbear
, Devon
.
. By 1820, missions had been established in the Channel Islands
and in Kent
. They were also strong in the Isle of Wight
amongst farm labourers, largely due to the inspirational teachings of Mary Toms of Tintagel
, Cornwall. The vicar of Brighstone
, Samuel Wilberforce
, urged that their influence be countered by having their adherents sacked from their jobs and turned out from their cottages, resulting in their sometimes meeting in a chalk pit. There are several chapels in rural areas of the Island which have the title "Bible Christian Chapel" over the doorway (e.g. Apse Heath
, Arreton
).
By 1831, ministers were being sent to Prince Edward Island
and Ontario
, and a mission was established in Canada
in 1845. Many of the emigrants from Devon and Cornwall to Canada and the United States in the 1830s were 'Bible Christians
', further encouraging the spread of the church in those countries. Other missions were later established in other countries: in Australia in 1850, in New Zealand in 1878, and in China in 1885.
Members of the Bible Christian Church were sometimes known as Bryanites after their founder. The church made extensive use of female preacher
s.
and the Methodist New Connexion
, to form the United Methodist Church
. In Canada, the Bible Christian Church had already been amalgamated, in 1884, into the Methodist Church of Canada
, which later became part of the United Church of Canada
.
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
denomination founded by William O’Bryan
William O’Bryan
William O’Bryan aka William Bryant was a Methodist preacher and founder of the Bible Christian movement.He was born at Gunwen, Luxulyan, Cornwall. In 1815 he changed his surname to O'Bryan, wishing to adopt Irish ancestry, and the branch became known as "Bryanites". His movement spread mainly...
, a Wesleyan Methodist local preacher
Methodist local preacher
A Methodist local preacher is a lay person who has been accredited by a Methodist church to lead worship on a regular basis. Local preachers play an important role in the Methodist Church of Great Britain and other churches historically linked to it, and have also been important in English social...
, on 18 October 1815 in North Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, with the first society, just 22 members, meeting at Lake Farm in Shebbear
Shebbear, England
Shebbear is a village and civil parish in the District of Torridge in Devon, England. It was once itself centre of the Shebbear hundred. It has a population of 858....
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
.
Early history
Primarily concentrated in Cornwall and Devon, the church sent missionaries all over EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. By 1820, missions had been established in the Channel Islands
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
and in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. They were also strong in the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
amongst farm labourers, largely due to the inspirational teachings of Mary Toms of Tintagel
Tintagel
Tintagel is a civil parish and village situated on the Atlantic coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom. The population of the parish is 1,820 people, and the area of the parish is ....
, Cornwall. The vicar of Brighstone
Brighstone
Brighstone is a village and civil parish on the Isle of Wight, 6 miles southwest of Newport on the B3399 road. Brighstone was previously known as "Brixton"...
, Samuel Wilberforce
Samuel Wilberforce
Samuel Wilberforce was an English bishop in the Church of England, third son of William Wilberforce. Known as "Soapy Sam", Wilberforce was one of the greatest public speakers of his time and place...
, urged that their influence be countered by having their adherents sacked from their jobs and turned out from their cottages, resulting in their sometimes meeting in a chalk pit. There are several chapels in rural areas of the Island which have the title "Bible Christian Chapel" over the doorway (e.g. Apse Heath
Apse Heath
Apse Heath is a hamlet on the Isle of Wight, UK. Apse Heath is centered around the intersection of Newport Road and Alverstone Road. It is northeast of Whiteley Bank and south of Winford....
, Arreton
Arreton
Arreton is a village and civil parish in the central eastern part of the Isle of Wight, England. It is about 3 miles south east of Newport.-Name:The settlement has had different names and different spellings over the years...
).
By 1831, ministers were being sent to Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
and Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, and a mission was established in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1845. Many of the emigrants from Devon and Cornwall to Canada and the United States in the 1830s were 'Bible Christians
Bible believer
Bible believer is a self-description by conservative Christians to differentiate their teachings from others who see non- or extrabiblical tradition as higher or equal in authority.In normal usage, "Bible believer" means an individual or organisation that believes the Christian Bible is true in some...
', further encouraging the spread of the church in those countries. Other missions were later established in other countries: in Australia in 1850, in New Zealand in 1878, and in China in 1885.
Members of the Bible Christian Church were sometimes known as Bryanites after their founder. The church made extensive use of female preacher
Methodist local preacher
A Methodist local preacher is a lay person who has been accredited by a Methodist church to lead worship on a regular basis. Local preachers play an important role in the Methodist Church of Great Britain and other churches historically linked to it, and have also been important in English social...
s.
Later history
In 1907, the Bible Christian Church in England was amalgamated with the United Methodist Free ChurchesUnited Methodist Free Churches
United Methodist Free Churches was an English nonconformist community which merged into the United Methodist Church in 1907. The organisation was itself formed in 1857 by the amalgamation of the Wesleyan Association and the Wesleyan Reformers United Methodist Free Churches was an English...
and the Methodist New Connexion
Methodist New Connexion
Methodist New Connexion was a Protestant nonconformist church, also known as the Kilhamite Methodists. It was formed in 1797 by secession from the Wesleyan Methodists, and merged in 1907 with the Bible Christian Church and the United Methodist Free Churches to form the United Methodist...
, to form the United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church (Great Britain)
There are other bodies that have been called the United Methodist Church----The United Methodist Church in Great Britain was a Protestant denomination that existed in the early twentieth century...
. In Canada, the Bible Christian Church had already been amalgamated, in 1884, into the Methodist Church of Canada
Methodist Church of Canada
The Methodist Church of Canada was a united church formed in 1884 and comprising most former Methodist denominations in Canada including some that had been active along Canada's eastern coast and north of the St...
, which later became part of the United Church of Canada
United Church of Canada
The United Church of Canada is a Protestant Christian denomination in Canada. It is the largest Protestant church and, after the Roman Catholic Church, the second-largest Christian church in Canada...
.
See also
- Sam PollardSam Pollard- Sources used : — Dingle describes how Sam Pollard used positioning of vowel marks relative to consonants to indicate tones — Morrison recounts meeting Sam Pollard and his wife at the Bible Christian Mission in 1894 — reports on an article in The Sunday Times describing the...
— Bible Christian missionary to China - Paul RobinsPaul RobinsRev. Paul Robins , was a Cornish Bible Christian. He was born on 6 September 1804 in Kenwyn, Cornwall, United Kingdom to Paul Moyle Robins, a tin mine manager and Agnes Rule. In the spring of 1819 he was converted to the Bible Christian church by Ann Cory...
— Bible Christian missionary to Canada - John Hicks EynonJohn Hicks EynonJohn Hicks Eynon was a Bible Christian minister.He was born in Gloucestershire, England. At the Bible Christian Conference of 1831, held in Cornwall, UK, it was decided to send missionaries to Canada. Eynon was among those sent...
— Bible Christian missionary to Canada - Mary Toms
- Billy BrayBilly BrayWilliam Trewartha Bray was a Cornish preacher born at Twelveheads, a village in the parish of Kea, near Truro, Cornwall, England.His grandfather and father were pious Methodists, but his father died when his children were young...
- Bible Christian MissionBible Christian MissionBible Christian Mission was a Protestant Christian missionary society that sent workers to countries such as China during the late Qing Dynasty.- See also:*Protestant missionary societies in China during the 19th Century*Timeline of Chinese history...
- Bible Christian Magazine 1878