Methodism: divisions and mergers.
Over the years Methodism suffered many divisions and breakaways before finally merging into one church again in 1933. In order to make sense of Methodism in Stapleford it is useful to have some understanding of these various groupings.
John Wesley died in March 1791 and whilst Methodists were prepared to accept autocracy when it was exercised by JW they were less enthusiastic when it was exercised by a Conference of Ministers. Murmurs of dissent were soon heard and when demands for change were ignored threats to break away began to arise. These divisions rarely occurred on doctrinal grounds. In most cases they arose either because of demands for lay participation or because people were asking for greater flexibility in preaching the gospel.
The first breakaway took place when Alexander Kilham was expelled from Wesleyan Methodism on the 28th July 1796. The reason was a call for greater lay participation. They formed their own Conference in August 1797 and called themselves the New Itinerancy - later the New Connexon -with about 5,000 members. Nottingham was one of the strongholds. By 1814 it numbered 8,292 members and 207 churches. It is said that the New Connexion opened a path upon which later Methodist leaders and reformers walked; close by the side of which reunited Methodist churches have found their way. The Jubilee of the New Connexion was held in 1846 when the membership was almost 20,000. There were 30,000 members in Canada.
The Bible Christians were a small grouping in the South West. Cornwall had been comparatively neglected by the Methodists and William O’Brian saw the need and began preaching. He refused to be restricted to one circuit and was excluded by the Wesleyans in 1810. The first Conference was held in August 1819 when there were 2,389 members and eight chapels. In 1829 there were 7,599 members. It closely modelled itself on the New Connexion and might be considered the New Connexion in Cornwall. In 1842 the membership was 14, 599 and 1865 it was 26,000
The Protestant Methodists left the main stream in 1827 as a result of the way in which a request by a small minority of the trustees to install an organ in Brunswick Wesleyan Church, Leeds had been dealt with. The consent of Conference was required for an organ to be installed and this was granted even though it was against the wishes of the majority of the leaders, members and local preachers. It was pointed out that the decision had been unconstitutional and over 1,000 members were expelled or seceded. They held an annual conference until 1836 when, numbering several thousand, joined the Wesleyan Methodist Association. (See below.)
The Wesleyan Methodist Association arose out of a further constitutional wrangle. The Wesleyan Methodist Conference planned to establish a Theological Training Institute. There were some who were against this in principle. It was also pointed out that this should be considered as “new legislation” and hence required a year’s notice. This has not been given and many officers of the four Manchester circuits formed themselves into a Grand Central Association and withdrew support for Connexional Funds. They petitioned the Rochdale Conference requesting the immediate admission of the people to all decision making as regards legislation but this was not accepted. The first Assembly of the Wesleyan Methodist Association, as it became known, was held in August 1836.
The Arminian Methodist Connexion was formed when 600 members were expelled or withdrew from the Wesleyan Methodist Society in 1831.
In 1836-37 the Protestant Methodists and the Arminian Methodist Connexion joined the Wesleyan Methodist Association and by 1839 the Association numbered 28,000 members and had 600 chapels.
The seeds of Wesleyan Reform were sown in 1849 when three ministers, Everett, Dunn and Griffith were expelled for publishing flysheets criticising Conference. This expulsion caused sensation and alarm. Vast gatherings of sympathisers were held and lifelong friends and ministers were ranged as bitter combatants. Expulsions or secessions numbered more than 100,000, almost one third of the membership. For seven years the Reformers petitioned Conference to be re-admitted but to no avail. In 1857 the Wesleyan Methodist Association and most of the Wesleyan Reformers joined together to form the United Methodist Free Churches. The combined membership was 39,968 with 769 chapels. In 1862 they numbered 60,980 members.
In 1857 some of the Wesleyan Reformers who still protested against any degree of Conference authority had formed themselves into the Wesleyan Reform Union. In 1860 the Union had 12,516 members and 378 chapels.
In 1907 the Methodist New Connexion, the Bible Christians and the United Methodist Free Churches united to become the United Methodist Church.
A separate strand of protest was running along with the above breakaways and that was Revivalism. Church order and regulations were of much less interest to them than was soul saving and individual edification. In 1796 it was learned that the church authorities had given instruction that the cottage church, meeting in Warrington, should be closed. It refused to obey and as a consequence was no longer regarded as forming part of the Society. . In 1806 a number of other disaffected Societies of various origins formed themselves into a body called Independent Methodists.
The largest Revivalist group is the Primitive Methodist Church-the largest offshoot of British Methodism. Revival meetings had been held on Mow Cop in Staffordshire in 1800 by Hugh Bourne and the whole area was evangelised. In 1805 in Tunstall William Clowes was converted. Camp meetings had been held in America since 1799 and in May 1807 the first Camp Meeting was held on Mow Cop. This did not find favour with the Methodist hierarchy and Hugh Bourne was expelled in 1808 and William Clowes in 1810 on the grounds that they attended camp meetings contrary to Methodist discipline. A joint meeting was held between Clowes and Bourne in May 1811 and they agreed on union. In February 1812 they adopted the name of Primitive Methodist. The First Conference was held in 1820. In 1819 the membership was 7,842 and by 1824 it has risen to 33,507. In 1843 it was 85,565, in 1860 it was 132,114 and by 1875 it had reached 165,410.
In 1933 the three main strands, the Wesleyans, the Primitives and the United Methodists joined together to form what is now called the Methodist Church in Great Britain. The Wesleyan Reform Union and the Independent Methodists continue to have a separate existence