Who Were The Bible Christians? Where did they come from? Where did they go?
The Bible Christians were part of the large family of British Methodist branches. They came into existence in 1815 in Devon and spread quickly across that County and across Cornwall, next door. In ensuing years they spread out to include the Scilly Isles off the coast of Cornwall, the Channel Islands, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Kent, Somerset, and a few scattered chapels/congregations in the north of England, mainly Yorkshire.
These people emigrated from their homes from about 1830 onwards, immigrating to Australia, New Zealand, US and Canada.
This phase of The Bible Christian Project covers the immigration to Canada and the US. Future phases will look at New Zealand and Australia as well as back to where it all began in Devon and Cornwall, England.
About the Books
A Corner For The Preacher
This book looks at the founding of the Bible Christian Branch of the Methodist Church. Who were the people who embraced it? We look at the places they lived, and why conditions existed that caused them to emigrate. We follow them to the ports of departure, and take a look at some of the ships that carried them to their new homes. We accompany them on their often perilous journey across the North Atlantic, and we find them again in the places they settled. Their stories are the stories of ALL who came to our shores, and these stories are told in their own words using their diaries, journals, letters home, and the obituaries written about them by their ministers in years to come.
Bible Christian Chapels of the Canadian Conference
Between the years 1832 (the arrival of the first missionary)and 1884 (the year of Union between the five Methodist branches) over 230 chapels were constructed across North America. This book holds a short history of each one with many never before published photographs. The areas covered include Prince Edward Island, Ontario, Wisconsin, Ohio and Upper Michigan.
Read the Introduction by Colin Short
The Damascus Road
Short Biographies of every minister who served the Canadian Conference between the years 1832 and 1884. Includes a chapter about Shebbear College in Devon where many of them received their education and training. Some of the photos in this chapter have not been published in over 100 years. Also a chapter about the hardships of being ‘a preacher in the bush’. The epilogue of this book takes a look at future phases of The Bible Christian Project and includes some previously unpublished photos of some of the missionaries who went to China in the 1890s.