Circuit rider (Religious)
Encyclopedia
Circuit rider is a popular term referring to clergy in the earliest years of the United States who were assigned to travel around specific geographic territories to minister to settlers and organize congregations. Circuit riders were clergy in the Methodist Episcopal Church
and related denominations.
." In the contemporary United Methodist Church
, a minister serving more than one church has a "(number of churches) point charge." However, in the rough frontier days of the early United States, the pattern of organization in the Methodist Episcopal
denomination and its successors worked especially well in the service of rural villages and unorganized settlements. In the Methodist denominations, congregations do not "call" (or employ) a pastor of their own choice. Instead, a bishop "appoints" (assigns) a pastor to a congregation or a group of congregations, and until late in the 20th century, neither pastor nor congregation had any say in the appointment. This meant that in the early days of the United States, as the population developed, Methodist clergy could be appointed to circuits wherever people were settling.
A "circuit" (nowadays referred to as a charge) was a geographic area that encompassed two or more local churches. Pastor
s met each year at "Annual Conference" where their bishop
s would appoint them either to a new circuit or to remain at the same one. Most often they were moved to another appointment every year. (In 1804, the Methodist Episcopal General Conference decreed that no pastor was to serve the same appointment for more than two consecutive years.) Once a pastor was assigned a circuit, it was his responsibility to conduct worship and visit members of each church in his charge on a regular basis in addition to possibly establishing new churches. He was supervised by a Presiding Elder (now called a District Superintendent) who would visit each charge four times a year (the "Quarterly Conference").
at the time. In 1784, there were 14,986 members and 83 traveling preachers. By 1839, the denomination had grown to 749,216 members served by 3,557 traveling preachers and 5,856 local preachers.
This early frontier ministry was often lonely and dangerous. Samuel Wakefield wrote a hymn about the perils circuit riders faced. It describes the circuit rider's family anxiously waiting for his return, and the final stanza says:
(1745-1816), the founding bishop of American Methodism, established the precedent for circuit riding, having traveled 270,000 miles and preached 16,000 sermons as he made his way throughout early frontier America supervising clergy. He brought the concept of the circuit from English Methodism, where it still exists: UK
Methodist churches in England are grouped in circuits, which typically include a dozen or more churches, and ministers are appointed ("stationed") to the circuit, not to the local church. A typical English circuit has two or three times as many churches as ministers, the balance of the services being led by lay Methodist local preachers or retired ("supernumerary") ministers. The title circuit rider, however, was an American coinage born of American necessities. Although John Wesley
, the founder of Methodism
, covered enormous distances on horseback during his career, and early British Methodist preachers also rode around their circuits, in general they had far less formidable traveling commitments than their American counterparts.
of 1784, but it is much more difficult to date the end of circuit riding because it was never an official category of ministry, so it never appeared in Annual Conference records. The U.S. census eliminated "frontier
" as a category in 1890, but the need for "old fashioned" circuits generally ended much earlier, sometime before the U.S. Civil War
. Whenever Methodist Episcopal congregations became well established, bishops would appoint clergy to groupings of small congregations rather than the territories to which earlier clergy had been appointed. Of course, this development moved west as the U.S. frontier moved west.
pastor will stay at a local church for 2-5 years before being appointed to another charge at the Annual Conference (although technically, every pastor is assigned to a charge every year, it is just usually the same one). In UK Methodism, ministers are normally appointed to a circuit for five years, and although there is some possibility of renewal, it is unusual for a minister to stay for longer than seven years in one circuit. The saying in the church is, "After seven years, if the person's any good, it's time someone else had them; and if they aren't any good, it's time someone else had them!"
who wrote two autobiographies. John B. Matthias
was an early circuit rider from New York state who is credited with having written a gospel hymn, "Palms of Victory
." Wilbur Fisk
, who became an educator, served as a circuit rider for three years. It was not uncommon for clergy to serve on circuits for a few years and then go to other work. Joseph Tarkington, a circuit rider in Indiana, was the grandfather of novelist Booth Tarkington
.
The father of outlaw John Wesley Hardin
, James "Gip" Hardin, was a Methodist preacher and circuit rider in the mid-1800s. Hardin's father traveled over much of central Texas
on his preaching circuit until 1869 when he and his family settled in Sumpter, Trinity County, Texas where he established a school – also named for John Wesley, the founder of Methodism.
's The Circuit Rider. and Ernest Thompson Seton
's Preacher of Cedar Mountain.
A circuit rider is also a character in the Newbery Award–winning novel for children, "Caddie Woodlawn
", set in western Wisconsin
in the 1860s.
During the 1970s, prior to its sign-off message Richmond, Virginia television station WWBT
broadcast "Justice and The Circuit Rider", a rural preacher appearing on his mount, Justice, and presenting a brief parable using props from his saddlebag
. These spots also appeared on the Richmond ABC affiliate WXEX, now operating as WRIC-TV
just after the end of "Shock Theater." In these short films, the host was identified only as the Circuit Rider from Cobbs Creek, Virginia
at the end of the three-minute segment. The preacher was William B. Livermon, Sr., who served several Virginia churches during his lifetime before passing away in 1992.
and Seabury-Western Theological Seminary
(Evanston, Illinois
) seems to have the largest collection of these writings, including over 70 items.
Through his role as chairman of the United Methodist editorial committee in Shreveport
, Louisiana
in the latter 1970s, the historian Walter M. Lowrey
spearheaded a project, A History of Louisiana Methodism, which includes material on the church's extensive network of circuit riders.
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
and related denominations.
History
In sparsely populated areas of the United States it always has been common for clergy in many denominations to serve more than one congregation at a time, a form of church organization sometimes called a "preaching circuitCircuit preacher
A circuit preacher is a Christian minister who, in response to a shortage of ministers, officiates at multiple churches in an area, thus covering a "circuit"....
." In the contemporary United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
, a minister serving more than one church has a "(number of churches) point charge." However, in the rough frontier days of the early United States, the pattern of organization in the Methodist Episcopal
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
denomination and its successors worked especially well in the service of rural villages and unorganized settlements. In the Methodist denominations, congregations do not "call" (or employ) a pastor of their own choice. Instead, a bishop "appoints" (assigns) a pastor to a congregation or a group of congregations, and until late in the 20th century, neither pastor nor congregation had any say in the appointment. This meant that in the early days of the United States, as the population developed, Methodist clergy could be appointed to circuits wherever people were settling.
A "circuit" (nowadays referred to as a charge) was a geographic area that encompassed two or more local churches. Pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
s met each year at "Annual Conference" where their bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
s would appoint them either to a new circuit or to remain at the same one. Most often they were moved to another appointment every year. (In 1804, the Methodist Episcopal General Conference decreed that no pastor was to serve the same appointment for more than two consecutive years.) Once a pastor was assigned a circuit, it was his responsibility to conduct worship and visit members of each church in his charge on a regular basis in addition to possibly establishing new churches. He was supervised by a Presiding Elder (now called a District Superintendent) who would visit each charge four times a year (the "Quarterly Conference").
Rural locations
Because of the distance between churches, these preachers would ride on horseback. They were popularly called circuit riders or saddlebag preachers. These frontier clergy were never officially called "circuit riders," but the name was appropriate and it "stuck." Officially they were called "traveling" clergy (a term that is still used in Methodist denominations). They traveled with few possessions, carrying only what could fit in their saddlebags. They traveled through wilderness and villages, they preached every day at any place available (peoples' cabins, courthouses, fields, meeting houses, later even basements and street corners). Unlike clergy in urban areas, Methodist circuit riders were always on the move. Many circuits were so large that it would take 5 to 6 weeks to cover them. The ministerial activity of the circuit riders boosted Methodism into the largest Protestant denominationReligious denomination
A religious denomination is a subgroup within a religion that operates under a common name, tradition, and identity.The term describes various Christian denominations...
at the time. In 1784, there were 14,986 members and 83 traveling preachers. By 1839, the denomination had grown to 749,216 members served by 3,557 traveling preachers and 5,856 local preachers.
This early frontier ministry was often lonely and dangerous. Samuel Wakefield wrote a hymn about the perils circuit riders faced. It describes the circuit rider's family anxiously waiting for his return, and the final stanza says:
- Yet still they look with glistening eye,
- Till lo! a herald hastens nigh;
- He comes the tale of woe to tell,
- How he, their prop and glory fell;
- How died he in a stranger’s room,
- How strangers laid him in the tomb,
- How spoke he with his latest breath,
- And loved and blessed them all in death.
Bishop Francis Asbury
Francis AsburyFrancis Asbury
Bishop Francis Asbury was one of the first two bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church, now The United Methodist Church in the United States...
(1745-1816), the founding bishop of American Methodism, established the precedent for circuit riding, having traveled 270,000 miles and preached 16,000 sermons as he made his way throughout early frontier America supervising clergy. He brought the concept of the circuit from English Methodism, where it still exists: UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Methodist churches in England are grouped in circuits, which typically include a dozen or more churches, and ministers are appointed ("stationed") to the circuit, not to the local church. A typical English circuit has two or three times as many churches as ministers, the balance of the services being led by lay Methodist local preachers or retired ("supernumerary") ministers. The title circuit rider, however, was an American coinage born of American necessities. Although John Wesley
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
, the founder of Methodism
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
, covered enormous distances on horseback during his career, and early British Methodist preachers also rode around their circuits, in general they had far less formidable traveling commitments than their American counterparts.
The end of circuit riding
It makes sense to date the beginning of circuit riding at the Christmas ConferenceChristmas Conference (Methodism)
The Christmas Conference was an historic founding conference of the newly independent Methodists within the United States held just after the American Revolution at Lovely Lane Chapel in Baltimore, Maryland in 1784....
of 1784, but it is much more difficult to date the end of circuit riding because it was never an official category of ministry, so it never appeared in Annual Conference records. The U.S. census eliminated "frontier
Frontier
A frontier is a political and geographical term referring to areas near or beyond a boundary. 'Frontier' was absorbed into English from French in the 15th century, with the meaning "borderland"--the region of a country that fronts on another country .The use of "frontier" to mean "a region at the...
" as a category in 1890, but the need for "old fashioned" circuits generally ended much earlier, sometime before the U.S. Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Whenever Methodist Episcopal congregations became well established, bishops would appoint clergy to groupings of small congregations rather than the territories to which earlier clergy had been appointed. Of course, this development moved west as the U.S. frontier moved west.
Modern Methodist practices
As well as being constantly on the move between the churches in their charge, Methodist ministers were regularly moved between charges, a principal known as itinerancy. Although most charges in the US now consist of a single church, the tradition of itinerancy is still alive and functioning today in US Methodism, as it is in most Methodist Churches worldwide. Although not moving as frequently as in the past, the average US United Methodist ChurchUnited Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
pastor will stay at a local church for 2-5 years before being appointed to another charge at the Annual Conference (although technically, every pastor is assigned to a charge every year, it is just usually the same one). In UK Methodism, ministers are normally appointed to a circuit for five years, and although there is some possibility of renewal, it is unusual for a minister to stay for longer than seven years in one circuit. The saying in the church is, "After seven years, if the person's any good, it's time someone else had them; and if they aren't any good, it's time someone else had them!"
Examples
Possibly the most famous circuit rider was Peter CartwrightPeter Cartwright (exhorter)
Peter Cartwright was an American Methodist revivalist and politician in Illinois. Born in Amherst County, Virginia, Cartwright was a missionary who helped start the Second Great Awakening and personally baptized twelve thousand converts. He settled in Illinois. He lost against Abraham Lincoln...
who wrote two autobiographies. John B. Matthias
John B. Matthias
John B. Matthias is known as the writer of the words and music for the gospel song, “Palms of Victory” , for which he is generally given credit...
was an early circuit rider from New York state who is credited with having written a gospel hymn, "Palms of Victory
Palms of Victory
The gospel song, Palms of Victory, also called “Deliverance Will Come,” and “The Way-worn Traveler,” was evidently written in 1836 by the Rev. John B. Matthias, a Methodist Episcopal minister in New York state. This attribution is not well documented, and Matthias had no known history of...
." Wilbur Fisk
Wilbur Fisk
Willbur Fisk , also known as Wilbur Fisk, was a prominent American Methodist minister, educator and theologian. He was the first President of Wesleyan University. Willbur Fisk (August 31, 1792 – February 22, 1839), also known as Wilbur Fisk, was a prominent American Methodist minister,...
, who became an educator, served as a circuit rider for three years. It was not uncommon for clergy to serve on circuits for a few years and then go to other work. Joseph Tarkington, a circuit rider in Indiana, was the grandfather of novelist Booth Tarkington
Booth Tarkington
Booth Tarkington was an American novelist and dramatist best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning novels The Magnificent Ambersons and Alice Adams...
.
The father of outlaw John Wesley Hardin
John Wesley Hardin
John Wesley Hardin was an American outlaw, gunfighter, and controversial folk hero of the Old West. He was born in Bonham, Texas. Hardin found himself in trouble with the law at an early age, and spent the majority of his life being pursued by both local lawmen and federal troops of the...
, James "Gip" Hardin, was a Methodist preacher and circuit rider in the mid-1800s. Hardin's father traveled over much of central Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
on his preaching circuit until 1869 when he and his family settled in Sumpter, Trinity County, Texas where he established a school – also named for John Wesley, the founder of Methodism.
In culture
In retrospect, the circuit rider became a romantic figure and was featured in a number of novels in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Two of the better known novels are Edward EgglestonEdward Eggleston
Edward Eggleston was an American historian and novelist.-Biography:Eggleston was born in Vevay, Indiana, to Joseph Cary Eggleston and Mary Jane Craig. As a child, he was too ill to regularly attend school, so his education was primarily provided by his father. He became an ordained Methodist...
's The Circuit Rider. and Ernest Thompson Seton
Ernest Thompson Seton
Ernest Thompson Seton was a Scots-Canadian who became a noted author, wildlife artist, founder of the Woodcraft Indians, and one of the founding pioneers of the Boy Scouts of America . Seton also influenced Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting...
's Preacher of Cedar Mountain.
A circuit rider is also a character in the Newbery Award–winning novel for children, "Caddie Woodlawn
Caddie Woodlawn
Caddie Woodlawn is a popular children's novel by Carol Ryrie Brink which won the John Newbery Medal in 1936 and the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1958. The original edition was illustrated by Newbery-award winning author and illustrator Kate Seredy...
", set in western Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
in the 1860s.
During the 1970s, prior to its sign-off message Richmond, Virginia television station WWBT
WWBT
WWBT is the NBC-affiliated television station for Richmond, Virginia. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 12 from a transmitter at its studios on Midlothian Turnpike in the city. Owned by Raycom Media, the station operates CW affiliate WUPV through a shared services...
broadcast "Justice and The Circuit Rider", a rural preacher appearing on his mount, Justice, and presenting a brief parable using props from his saddlebag
Saddlebag
Saddlebags are bags that are attached to saddles.-Horse riding:In horse riding, saddlebags sit in various positions, on the back, side, or front of the saddle. Most attach to the saddle by straps and ties. They can be made from various materials. Although leather was the traditional material, it is...
. These spots also appeared on the Richmond ABC affiliate WXEX, now operating as WRIC-TV
WRIC-TV
WRIC-TV, virtual channel 8 , is the ABC-affiliated television station for the Richmond, Virginia market. It is owned by Young Broadcasting. The station is licensed to nearby Petersburg, while its studios are just off the Powhite Parkway extension in the Arboretum office park in western...
just after the end of "Shock Theater." In these short films, the host was identified only as the Circuit Rider from Cobbs Creek, Virginia
Mathews County, Virginia
As of the census of 2010, there were 8,978 people, 3,932 households, and 2,823 families residing in the county. The population density was 108 people per square mile . There were 5,333 housing units at an average density of 62 per square mile...
at the end of the three-minute segment. The preacher was William B. Livermon, Sr., who served several Virginia churches during his lifetime before passing away in 1992.
Autobiographies
The first person accounts of pioneer circuit riders give insight to the culture of the early United States as well as the theology and sociology of religion (and especially Methodism) in the young nation. Quite a few circuit riders published memoirs. These are generally available in the collections of United Methodist seminary libraries. The United Library of Garrett-Evangelical Theological SeminaryGarrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
Garrett–Evangelical Theological Seminary is a graduate school of theology of the United Methodist Church located in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1853, Garrett-Evangelical is on the campus of Northwestern University and continues many associations with the university...
and Seabury-Western Theological Seminary
Seabury-Western Theological Seminary
Seabury-Western Theological Seminary is a seminary of The Episcopal Church, located in Evanston, Illinois. It was formed in 1933 by a merger of Western Theological Seminary of Evanston , and Seabury Divinity School of Faribault, Minnesota...
(Evanston, Illinois
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
) seems to have the largest collection of these writings, including over 70 items.
Through his role as chairman of the United Methodist editorial committee in Shreveport
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
in the latter 1970s, the historian Walter M. Lowrey
Walter M. Lowrey
Walter M. Lowrey was an historian affiliated with Centenary College, a Methodist-institution in Shreveport, Louisiana, who was also a founding member of the Louisiana Historical Association....
spearheaded a project, A History of Louisiana Methodism, which includes material on the church's extensive network of circuit riders.
Further reading
With the advent of Google Books, several memoirs became available on-line. Here is a list of some circuit rider memoirs available through Google Books:- Bangs, Nathan. The life of the Rev. Freeborn Garrettson [1752-1827], 1845.http://books.google.com/books?id=kCd4kVVAJ_wC&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Life+of+the+Rev.+Freeborn+Garrettson#PPA1,M1
- Dyer, John Lewis, 1812-. The Snow-shoe Itinerant : An Autobiography of the Rev. John L. Dyer, Familiarly Known as "Father Dyer" of the Colorado Conference, 1890.http://books.google.com/books?id=uKcDAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Snow-shoe+Itinerant#PPA1,M1
- Richardson, Simon Peter, 1818-1899. The Lights and Shadows of Itinerant Life, 1900 http://books.google.com/books?id=aYkZAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Lights+and+Shadows+of+Itinerant+Life#PPA7,M1
- Finley, James Bradley, 1781-1856 (W. P. Stricklkand, Ed.). Autobiography of Rev. James B. Finley, or, Pioneer Life in the West, 1856.http://books.google.com/books?id=aYkZAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Lights+and+Shadows+of+Itinerant+Life#PPA7,M1
- Caughey, James, 1810?-1891. Earnest Christianity Illustrated, 1855.http://books.google.com/books?id=8oGrpsoXSNQC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Earnest+Christianity+illustrated#PPR3,M1
- Hibbard, Billy, 1771-1844. Memoirs of the Life and Travels of B. Hibbard, 1843 http://books.google.com/books?id=_BcSAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Memoirs+of+the+Life+and+Travels+of+B.+Hibbard#PPP3,M1 (Someone wrote “Good Circuit Riding” on one of the unnumbered front pages of the Google copy.)
- Peterson, Daniel H. The looking-glass: being a true report and narrative of the life, travels and labors of the Rev. Daniel H. Peterson, a colored clergyman; embracing a period of time from the year 1812 to 1854, and including his visit to western Africa, 1854.http://books.google.com/books?id=YM0EAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Looking-glass:+being+a+true+report#PPA5,M1
External links
- How the Circuit Riders Saved America Brief overview of early Methodism in America