HISTORY
Primitive Methodism began in England, in the early 1800's, as an attempt to restore the Methodist Revival begun under the ministry of John Wesley. In America, Methodist preachers invented a new form of Evangelism, the Camp Meeting. Such a preacher, Lorenzo Dow, visited England. He told of many converts being won to the Lord in these outdoor meetings. He spoke of John Wesley, and his Field preaching. Hugh Bourne and William Clowes listened.
On May 31, 1807, these two leaders called for and aggressively promoted an American style Camp Meeting, an all day prayer, song, and preaching event. Many people were converted to Christ at that meeting, now called: “Mow Cop”. At the left is an artist rendition of a rock outcropping of the remains of a castle that is located on the top of a hill that is known as Mow Cop.
Mow Cop, ruins of a Castle where many lives were saved during Camp Meetings in the early 1800’s. Illustration by Carol Kropp.
John Wesley won many to Christ preaching outdoors, but the leaders of the Wesleyan church of that day found this innovation unbearable. They firmly refused to allow any of the Mow Cop converts to join their churches. They dismissed Hugh Bourne and William Clowes for their innovation without permission.
For two years, these enthusiastic converts waited in vain for acceptance by the established Church. Finally, they decided to form their own society. They named it “The Society of Primitive Methodists” because they desired to return to the Roots of the Methodist movement.
In 1829, a group of missionaries arrived in America to minister to English and Welsh Immigrants living in the industrial and mining areas. Their ministries thrived and their Churches grew. On September 16, 1840, the “American Primitive Methodist Church” was established.
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