Blountville Circuit. Methodist Episcopal Church. Holston Conference (Tenn.)
Biography
The Holston Conference developed from the Holston district. The first circuit rider was sent in 1783. At that time, Holston was a district of the Western Conference, which contained most settlements west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. With the movement west, the church grew to where the Tennessee Conference was established in 1812, with Holston still as district. In 1800 the district contained four circuits: Holston, New River, Russell, and Greene. The Holston circuit covered parts of present Sullivan, Hawkins, and Granger counties in Tennessee. Between 1802 and 1812, the Holston district grew to nine circuits, and in 1816 the district was split to form the Holston and French Broad districts. The Holston Conference was formed in 1824, and the first session was held in Knoxville, Tennessee, on November 27, 1824. The new conference had three districts: Knoxville, Abingdon, and French Broad, with 25 circuits. The Blountville circuit was in the Abingdon district.
The circuit was organized with stewards, two to four per circuit. These stewards were little more than auditors of the small financial transactions of the circuit. The lack of any formal rules or procedures allowed the quarterly meetings of the stewards to engage in any subject the presiding elder or minister wished.
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Blountville Circuit Quarterly (Holston) Conference Minute Books
The collection consists of photocopies of minutes of Blountville Circuit Stewards' Quarterly Conference (November 13, 1841-December 4, 1859 and September 30, 1873-August 2, 1886) and includes financial statements, ministerial examinations and licensing, reports on Sunday School election of trustees, reports on the state of the church for Blountville Circuit, and committee reports on various subjects.
