Methodist denomination within the conservative holiness movement
The
Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection
(
AWMC
), originally the
Wesleyan Methodist Church (Allegheny Conference)
, and also known as the
Wesleyan Methodist Church
(
WMC
), is a
Methodist
denomination within the
conservative holiness movement
. It is primarily based in the United States, with
missions
in
Peru
,
Ghana
, and
Haiti
.
[1]
The Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection is currently led by Rev. David Blowers (President) and Rev. Joseph Smith (Vice President).
[2]
History
[
edit
]
The first official Methodist organization in the United States occurred in
Baltimore, Maryland
, in 1784, with the formation of the
Methodist Episcopal Church
at the
Christmas Conference
with
Francis Asbury
and
Thomas Coke
as the leaders.
[3]
[4]
The
ordination
of Bishop
Francis Asbury
by Bishop
Thomas Coke
at the Christmas Conference establishing the
Methodist Episcopal Church
, 1784.
Though John Wesley originally wanted the Methodists to stay within the Church of England, the
American Revolution
decisively separated the Methodists in the
American colonies
from the life and sacraments of the Anglican Church. In 1784, after unsuccessful attempts to have the Church of England send a bishop to start a new Church in the colonies, Wesley decisively appointed fellow priest Thomas Coke as superintendent (bishop) to organize a separate Methodist Society. Together with Coke, Wesley sent
The Sunday Service of the Methodists
, the first Methodist liturgical text, as well as the
Articles of Religion
, which were received and adopted by the Baltimore Christmas Conference of 1784, officially establishing the Methodist Episcopal Church. The conference was held at the
Lovely Lane Methodist Church
, considered the Mother Church of American Methodism.
[5]
The new Church grew rapidly in the young country as it employed
circuit riders
, many of whom were
laymen
, to travel the mostly rural nation by horseback to preach the
Gospel
and to establish churches until there was scarcely any village in the United States without a Methodist presence. With 4,000 circuit riders by 1844, the Methodist Episcopal Church rapidly became the largest Protestant denomination in the country.
Grace Wesleyan Methodist Church in
Akron, Ohio
The Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection specifically traces its origin to the
Wesleyan Methodist Church
which was a
Methodist
denomination in the United States organized on May 13, 1841. The church withdrew from the
Methodist Episcopal Church
because of disagreements regarding
abolitionism
, church government, and the doctrine of holiness according to the Discipline of the Wesleyan Methodist Connection (1841). The first secessions in 1841 took place in Michigan although the new church group was formalized in Utica, New York. In November 1842, Orange Scott,
La Roy Sunderland
and J. Horton seceded from the M. E. Church for reasons given in their publication of the "True Wesleyan." The following month Luther Lee and L. C. Matlock followed. The first general conference was held in Utica, NY in October, 1844. Later the name was changed to The Wesleyan Methodist Connection of America.
[6]
The Allegheny Conference of the Wesleyan Methodist Church entered into a schism with the rest of the Wesleyan Methodist Church because it favored a
connexional polity
and opposed the merger of the Wesleyan Methodist Church with the
Pilgrim Holiness Church
; it thus became the Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection while the rest of the Wesleyan Methodist Church merged with the majority of the Pilgrim Holiness Church to become the
Wesleyan Church
.
[7]
While it officially operates under the name "Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection (Original Allegheny Conference)" due to an agreement during the merger between the Wesleyan Methodist Church and the Pilgrim Holiness Church in 1968, most of the churches continue to be called Wesleyan Methodist.
[8]
Campgrounds
[
edit
]
A service of worship at the
tabernacle
of a
camp meeting
of the Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection, held at Wesleyan Methodist Camp in
Stoneboro, Pennsylvania
.
In 1900 the Allegheny Conference of the Wesleyan Methodist Church purchased land in
Stoneboro, Pennsylvania
to be used for a camp meeting ground; it is known as Methodist Campground.
[9]
Located next to this campground is the Stoneboro Wesleyan Methodist School which was built in 1965. The denomination continues to hold its annual conference at its campgrounds in the month of June, and its historic annual
camp meeting
in the month of August.
[10]
The denomination has other smaller campgrounds that also hold camp meetings throughout its geographic territory, such as those in
Belsano, Pennsylvania
and
Princeton, West Virginia
.
Educational institutions
[
edit
]
It operates
Allegheny Wesleyan College
, a four-year
Bible college
dedicated to preparing Christian ministers, missionaries, and teachers. It is located in Salem, Ohio.
[11]
Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection also runs Northwest Indian Bible School (NIBS) in
Alberton, Montana
.
[11]
In addition, the Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection has sixteen
Christian schools
in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Montana, and New Mexico.
[11]
Missions
[
edit
]
The Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection runs 33
missions
, with 20 more missions being added since 1968.
[11]
These are located in
Haiti
,
Ghana
,
Peru
, as well as among
Native Americans
of the United States and
Canada
.
[12]
Publications
[
edit
]
The Allegheny Conference of the Wesleyan Methodist Church publishes a monthly periodical known as
The Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist
.
[11]
It also runs a radio program known as
Wesleyan Gospel Echoes
.
[11]
Gallery
[
edit
]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Doctrines - Holiness Churches & Denominations - Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection"
.
Swartzentrover.com
. Retrieved
2023-08-19
.
- ^
"Board of Directors"
.
Allegheny Wesleyan College
. 2018-08-16
. Retrieved
2024-05-08
.
- ^
"Methodists"
. The American Religious Experience (West Virginia University). Archived from
the original
on December 30, 2007
. Retrieved
December 24,
2007
.
- ^
"Origins: Christmas Conference"
. Greensboro College. Archived from
the original
on 2008-07-06
. Retrieved
December 24,
2007
.
- ^
"Maryland Historical Trust"
.
Lovely Lane Methodist Church, Baltimore City
. Maryland Historical Trust. November 21, 2008.
- ^
"Wesleyan Methodist Church of America." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 11 April 2009 <
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/639965/Wesleyan-Methodist-Church-of-America
>.
- ^
Kurian, George Thomas; Day, Sarah Claudine (14 March 2017).
The Essential Handbook of Denominations and Ministries
. Baker Publishing Group. p. 318.
ISBN
9781493406401
.
- ^
Knight, Henry H. (11 August 2010).
From Aldersgate to Azusa Street: Wesleyan, Holiness, and Pentecostal Visions of the New Creation
. Wipf and Stock Publishers. p. 294.
ISBN
9781606089880
.
- ^
Smith, Helene; Swetnam, George (1991).
A guidebook to historic western Pennsylvania
. University of Pittsburgh Press. p. 270.
Methodist Campground, covering twelve acres, was built in 1900 by the Allegheny Wesleyan Connection, a group of churches with headquarters in Salem ...
- ^
"StoneboroPA.com ~ History"
.
www.stoneboropa.com
. Archived from
the original
on 2010-09-06.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
Kostlevy, William (1 April 2010).
The A to Z of the Holiness Movement
. Scarecrow Press. p. 3.
ISBN
9781461731801
.
- ^
Melton, J. Gordon (2003).
Encyclopedia of American Religions
. Gale.
ISBN
9780787663841
.
External links
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]
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Background
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Doctrine
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Distinctive beliefs
and practices
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Worship
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People
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Related
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Organization
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