Eighteenth-Cenhuy Newfoundland Methodism as a M uy Angela Robinson School of Graduate

148 Pages·1998·7.98 MB·English

Eighteenth-Cenhuy Newfoundland Methodism as a
Revitalkation Movement.
by
Muy Angela Robinson
A thesis submitted to the
School of Graduate Studies
in p d a i f aIfilment of the
requirements for the degree of
Master of Arts
Department of Religious Shidies
Mernorial University of Newfoundland
December 1996
St. John's Newfoundland
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A bs trac t
Because of the prevailing political and economic conditions, the interna1
problems inherited r€om Laurence Coughlan's ministry (1766-1773), and the
inabilihr of Methodist leaders to tend to the Conception Bay societies properly,
the development of early Newfoundland Methodism proved to be rife with
complications. Coughlan's departure kom Newfoundland in 1773 ieft his
Col lowers under the care of his lay preachers, whose attempts to keep the
societies intact were effective in the short term, but a steady decline in the
membership was evidenced over time. The fint oficial mission to
New foundland (1785-1791), conducted by John McGeary, had its pro blems as
well. McGeary's mission met with resistance from the Anglican church, and was
further disadvantaged by personal and professional problems incurred by
McGearv himself. As a result the progress of Methodism in Conception Bay in
the late eighteenth-centuy was a formidable chalienge for those who attempted
to maintain and ovenee it Anthony F. C. Wallace's Revitalkation theory offers a
useful methodology that enables one to shidv this period and how early
Newfoundland Methodism was prone to decline and almost certain collapse.
Wallace's mode1 outlines a series of phases (processird striichrre) which determine
how religious rnovements are initiated, developed and stabilized. According to
ii
Wallace, religious reform must corn plete the prima- stages of mazeway
reformulation, communication, organization and adaptation before success can
be realized. The foIIowing study applies Wallace's theory to the events and
circumstances of early Newfoundland Methodism, and in doing so identifies
several recurrent problems within the movement which help to explain the
volatile nature of its early development
iii
The writing of this thesis from its inception to the fùushed product could
no t have been completed without the support and encouragement offered by the
following people.
First I would like to thank the School of Graduate Studies and the
Department of Religious Studies for theu generous financial support during the
period of my graduate program. The staffs of the Centre for Newfoundland
Stud ies and the Provincial Archives gave invaluab le and willing assis tance, for
which I am grateful. I would also like to thank Dr. Dermot Kelly for reading the
drafts of this thesis; Rubin Vineberg for the use of his cornputer; Kevin Keough
for his endless patience and support; Ms. Mary Walsh for her kind and helpful
assistance; Dr. Michael Shute for his Mendship and encouragement; Dr. Te-
Murphy for his thoughthilness and advice. Thanks also to my family, especially
my rnother, who has supported me in countless ways during my studies. Finally,
but most im portintly, 1 offer a sincere thank-pu to my supervisor, mentor, and
friend, Dr. Hans Rollmann, w ho offered direction, instilled confidence and
encouraged me at al1 tirnes.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
-
Chapter 1 The Eighteenth-Centary Background
1.1 tntrodtaction ................................................................................................... 1
1.2 "More than a fishery, less than a colony" .................................................. 2
1.3 The Late Eighteenth Centnry ....................................................................... 9
1.4 Social Progress in the Midst of Adversity ................................................. 11
.........................................................................................................
1.5 snmmary 15
-
Chapter 2 Methodism as a Revitalization h e s s
2.1 .....................................................................................................
Lntroduction 16
2.2 The Hope for Change ..................................................................................... 17
23 The Introduction of Methodism to Conception Bay .................................. 20
.
Chapter 3 Coughlan's Newfotmdland Ministry
3.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 34
3.2 Coughlan's Early Period: "The rage of Arctos and etenid frost!" .............. 36
3.3 The Success of Coughlan's Mission: "the Atm of the Lord revealed" ...... QO
3.4 The Contribution of Methodism to Personal and Social Renewal ......a...4. 2
.......................e.................................
3.5 Methodisrn as a RevitaLizatioa Pnwress 45
............................................................................................................
3.6 Summary 56
Chapter 4 .C oughlan's Legacy
4.1 IntrodUcfion ....................................................................................................... 58
4.2 The Roblems with Leadership ....................................................................... 61
4.3 The Roblems with Organization ~.........m....m.............................................6..4.. .e
4.4 Methodism Under the Lay Preachers: 1773-1785 .......................................... 70
................................................................................
4.5 John McGeq's Ministry 78
............................................................................................................
4.6 Summary 83
.
Chapter 5 William Black's Wevival" of 179î
...............................e.......................................a.............................
5.1 Introduction 85
...................................................................................................
5.3 WLUiam Black 86
5.3 Blackrs Revivd: "A quickening tirne" .8 9
........œ............oœ..L..oooo.......,,.....,.......
...................................................................
5.4 Black's Revivai as Revitalization 94
5.5 Summary .... .......................... 98
œ............,..œ....o..e....o.œ.....o........oœ.o..œo....................o. .
.
Chapter 6 William Thoresby's Mission: 17S1798
............................e........................................................................
6.1 introduction 101
6.2 Life in Late Eighteenth-Cen- Newfo~dland... ....................................1 04
6.3 Itineracy -... ...................................................................................................... 1M
..
.......... .....
6.4 William Thoresby: The Itinerant hacher of Conception Bay 108
6.5 The Post-Thoresby Period: 1798-1815 ............................................................ 119
6.6 Snmmary ........................................................................................................... 121
Conclusion .. ....................... ............................................................................ 124
Bibliography ........................................................................................................... 132
vii
CNS Centre for Newfoundland Studies, Queen Eüzabeth II
Library, Mernorial University of Newfoundland.
DAB Dictions- of American Biography.
DCB Dictionary of Canadian Biography.
PANL Provincial Archives of Newfoundland and Labrador,
Colonial Building, Military Rd., St John's,N ewfoundland.
SPG Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts.
v i i i
Chapter 1
The Eighteenth-Centary Backpand
2.1 Introduction
The progms of Methodism in Conception Bay during the eighteenth
century is determined bv a series of events which suggest a history of
inconsistent and unstable development. Early Newfoundland Methodism
exhibits a series of "fits and starts" of which the most notable occurrences inchde
the introduction of Method ism by Laurence Coughlan, William Black's "revival"
in 1791, and, later, William Thoresbv's successhl mission- Aside from these
periods of success there were times w hen Methodist support underwent serious
dedine and the rnovement was in danger of king completely eradicated. For the
purpose at hand the stages outlined in Anthonv F. C. Wallace's "Revitalization
Theory"' have been applied to the shidy of early Newfoundland Methodism in
order to better understand how the movement developed- As a methodology,
WallaceJsm ode1 of religious reform helps to identify and explain the vanous
stages of advancement and decline met with in the process of establishing
Methodism on the island-
Before the events and circumstances of Methodist development in
1T he particulars of Wallace's theory are explauied in detail in Chapter 2 of
this thesis.