Report to Conference 2023
The Methodist Historical Society is grateful to the Connexion and its members for continued support during the past year.
Archive work. The Archives and Reading Room has been visited regularly by those in pursuit of family history and academic research alike. Formation Ministry Students were introduced to the archives and were given an insight into the records held there. Currently, approximately eighty percent of the MCI church records are now held in the MHSI archive, and this material is being catalogued and indexed by the team of volunteers. The Society’s website attracts a high level of traffic. Listings of MCI records and digitised Methodist journals from 1895-2015 are easily accessible without a paywall.
Lectures and Pilgrimage. After holding virtual lectures during the past two years, it was good to be able to hold the 2022 Annual Lecture at the Agápē Centre, Belfast South, both in-person and on-line. It was given by Dr Nicola Morris on ‘The Methodist Press in the Twentieth Century: Looking Beyond the Circuit’. Ian d’Alton was invited to give the 2023 Spring Lecture in Leeson Park, Dublin on the subject of Ristéard Ó Glaisne’s Irish Protestant Journal, Focus. The AGM was held via Zoom and following the meeting the retired American lecturer, Jane Donovan, spoke of Henry Foxall’s connection to Irish Ironworks and Methodism.
It was a pleasure to be invited by the Carlow Circuit to visit churches and former churches on the Circuit during the year of its 125th anniversary.
Bulletin. The first edition published under the new editor, Rev. Dr Stephen Skuce, featured transcripts of the lectures given by Peter S. Forsaith on Adam Clarke and the Struggle for Wesley’s Methodism and Brian Callan on Methodist Mission in Stamps. It also featured a significant paper on the Methodist New Connexion by Robin Roddie, along with various book reviews.
MHSI sadly records the death of Miss E. Maureen Weir who served the Society for fourteen years as Secretary and Treasurer, a role she took over from her father, Mr Jack Weir. Her commitment and dedication to the work of the Society has been much appreciated.
The Society endeavours to serve the Connexion by maintaining and making available our Methodist heritage. To help us achieve this, we are grateful for the prayerful and financial support of our members and circuits.
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