HOLSTON METHODIST CONFERENCE COLLECTION
1820-1843

East Tennessee State University
Archives of Appalachia
Box 70295
Johnson City, TN 37614-0138

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Telephone: (423) 439-4338

INTRODUCTION

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Provenance: The Holston Methodist Collection was placed in Sherrod Library, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee, date and donor unknown. Transferred to the Archives of Appalachia January 15, 1979.

Access: The collection is open for research.

Processing Information: David Goodin completed processing, and the collection was opened for research June 4, 1979.

HISTORICAL NOTE

The Holston Conference developed from the Holston District. The first circuit rider was sent to the district in 1783. At that time, Holston was a part of the Western Conference, which contained most settlements west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. With the westward expansion, the church grew to where the Tennessee Conference was established in 1812 with Holston still as a district. In 1800, the Tennessee District contained four circuits: Holston, New River, Russell, and Greene.

The Holston circuit covered parts of present Sullivan, Hawkins, and Grainger 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, November 27, 1824.

The history of the Holston Conference Messenger began when Thomas Stringfield established the Western Arminian in the fall of 1823 at Huntsville, Alabama. The Western Arminian was printed in book form, forty pages in length by Yokes and Bledsoe. Stringfield was appointed presiding elder of Knoxville District, Holston Conference before the end of 1823. Stringfield found a partnership with Rev. George Atkin in Knoxville and changed the title of the Western Arminian to Western Arminian and Christian Instruction. After a year, Atkin dissolved the partnership, and Stringfield became sole editor and proprietor of the magazine. In the fall of 1826, Stringfield transferred his property in the periodical to Holston Annual Conference. The Conference took charge of the periodical and published through the agency of a publishing committee with Stringfield retained as editor. The title was changed to Holston Conference Messenger, and it was issued as a weekly, the first number appearing January 6, 1827. The periodical was reduced to sixteen pages. The Conference returned the Holston Conference Messenger back to Stringfield after a year. Stringfield continued to publish the magazine under the shortened title Holston Messenger.

Important subjects covered in the collection include:

Methodist Episcopal Church. Holston Conference

CONTENTS

The collection contains the published minutes of the annual Holston Conference, 1833-1840. Also included are published pamphlets dealing with the Methodist faith, and the Conference Messenger, 1827, as well as the magazine, Monthly Miscellany, August 1843.

Folder #:

1. Pamphlet, 1820.
2. Pamphlet, 1823.
3. Holston Conference Messenger, January 27, February 17, 1827.
4. Holston Conference Messenger, February 24, March 10, 1827.
5. Holston Conference Messenger, April 7, April 27, 1827.
6. Holston Conference Messenger, June 2, September 1, 1827.
7. Holston Conference Messenger, September 8, September 15, 1827.
8. Holston Conference Messenger, September 22, 1827.
9. Minutes, Holston Conference, 1833.
10. Minutes, Holston Conference, 1834.
11. Minutes, Holston Conference, 1835.
12. Minutes, Holston Conference, 1836.
13. Minutes, Holston Conference, 1837.
14. Minutes, Holston Conference, 1840.
15. Pamphlet, February 1843.
16. Pamphlet, May 1843.
17. Monthly Miscellany, August 1843.

INDEX*

* The notation following the index item refers to the folder location of the item within the the collection.

Holston Conference Messenger, January 27, 1827: 3.
Holston Conference Messenger, February 17, 1827: 3.
Holston Conference Messenger, February 24, 1827: 4.
Holston Conference Messenger, March 10, 1827: 4.
Holston Conference Messenger, April 7, 1827: 5.

Holston Conference Messenger, April 27, 1827: 5.
Holston Conference Messenger, June 2, 1827: 5.
Holston Conference Messenger, September 1, 1827: 6.
Holston Conference Messenger, September 8, 1827: 7.
Holston Conference Messenger, September 15, 1827: 7.

Holston Conference Messenger, September 22, 1827: 8.
Minutes, Holston Methodist Conference, 1833: 9.
Minutes, Holston Methodist Conference, 1834: 10.
Minutes, Holston Methodist Conference, 1835: 11.
Minutes, Holston Methodist Conference, 1836: 12.

Minutes, Holston Methodist Conference, 1837: 13.
Minutes, Holston Methodist Conference, 1840: 14.
Monthly Miscellany, August 1843: 17.
Pamphlet, "A Discourse on Foreknowledge, Predestination, and Election," by Reverend Creed Fulton: 15.
Pamphlet, "A Letter," by Reverend Freeborn Garretson: 1.

Pamphlet, "A Sermon," by Reverend John Tevis: 2.
Pamphlet, "Minutes of the Trial and Conviction of a Prisoner," by S. Patton: 16

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