BLOUNTVILLE CIRCUIT; HOLSTON CONFERENCE OF THE METHODIST
EPISCOPAL CHURCH STEWARDS' QUARTERLY CONFERENCE RECORDS
Minutes, 1841-1859, 1873-1886

East Tennessee State University
Archives of Appalachia
Box 70295
Johnson City, Tennessee 37614

E-mail: archives@etsu.edu
Telephone: (423) 439-4338

INTRODUCTION

Title: Blountville Circuit Quarterly Conference records
Collection Numbers: Accession No. 16; Library of Congress No. MS 82-586
Physical Description: 2 file folders
Creator: Blountville Circuit; Holston Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church Stewards
Repository: Archives of Appalachia, East Tennessee State University

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Provenance: The Blountville Circuit Quarterly Conference records were photocopied on May 24, 1966, from the originals in possession of Mrs. Edna Barnes, and placed in Sherrod Library, East Tennessee State University, and transferred to Archives of Appalachia, December 8, 1978.

Access: The records are open for research.

Processing Information: David Goodin completed processing and the records were opened for research May 18, 1979.

HISTORICAL NOTE

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.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The collection contains the 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.

Important subjects covered in the collection are:

Appalachian Region, Southern--Religion
Methodist Episcopal Church--Clergy--Appointment, call, and election
Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Holston Conference. Blountville Circuit (Tenn.)

SERIES DESCRIPTION

Series I, MINUTES, Box 1.

Subseries IA, MINUTES, 1841-1859, Box 1.

Subseries IB, MINUTES, 1873-1886, Box 1.

This subseries contains the minutes of the Blountville Circuit Quarterly Stewards' meetings and includes financial statements, local church problems, matters dealing with ministers and examinations of ministers, reports on Sunday School, stewards elected for circuit, committees appointed for building and funding the building of church structures, election of trustees, reports on state of the circuit.

BOX AND FOLDER LIST

Series I, MINUTES, Box 1.

Subseries IA, MINUTES, 1841-1859, Box 1.

Folder 1: Minutes of Blountville Circuit Quarterly Stewards' meetings, Holston Conference, Methodist Church, November 13, 1841 - December 4, 1859.

Folder 2: Minutes of Blountville Circuit Quarterly Stewards' meetings, Holston Conference, Methodist Church, September 30, 1873 - August 21, 1886.

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