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Title
Date(s)
- 1845 (Creation)
Extent
10000
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Administrative history
The Wesleyan Methodist Church of America emerged in response to the Methodist Episcopal Church's support of slavery and its centralized, authoritarian governance. In November 1842, leaders O. Scott, J. Horton, and L. R. Sunderland withdrew from the Methodist Episcopal Church and launched The True Wesleyan, a weekly publication explaining their reasons for separation. In December, Luther Lee and L. C. Matlack also withdrew, marking the formal beginning of the Wesleyan movement. Although earlier separations had occurred—particularly in Michigan, where a conference was established—these events laid the foundation for the official organization. The first church of the new denomination was founded in Providence, Rhode Island. In February 1843, a preliminary convention was held in Andover, Massachusetts, which led to a General Convention in Utica, New York, on May 31, 1843. There, the Wesleyan Methodist Church was officially organized and adopted a governing Discipline. The first General Conference convened in October 1844 to revise this Discipline, followed by a second in October 1848, which produced a more comprehensive and clearly organized version.
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Scope and content
This series comprises records from the Wisconsin conference. They capture the district’s role as a vital regional hub within the wider church. The materials include minutes from district conferences, correspondence between local pastors and district leaders, reports from area churches, pastoral appointments, membership and financial statistics, and policy documents specific to the region.
These records reveal how the district guided and supported local congregations and clergy, implemented denominational policies on a regional level, and fostered church growth and ministry within the community.
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Notes element
General note
In 1845, Wisconsin was prepared to organize as its own body and, with permission from the General Conference, was officially authorized to separate from the Miami Conference. In the organization of the conference, the churches in Iowa were included, and the first session was held seven miles west of Burlington, Iowa, adjourning on Saturday, September 13. Attendance was small because none of the brethren from Wisconsin, where most of the churches were located, had been able to make the trip.16 The Wisconsin brethren sent a request that an adjourned session be held in October 1845 at Prairieville, Wisconsin.
From 1860 to 1868, a second conference was in existence in the western part of Wisconsin, known as West Wisconsin. Its presidents were: A. C. Hand, 1860-63 ; George Pegler, 1863-65, 1866-68; S. D. Delap, 1865-66. The General Conference of 1867 authorized the uniting of the two Wisconsin conferences. The uniting session was held October 15-17, 1868, at Lindina, four miles south of Mauston.
By 1968, the Wisconsin Conference had twenty-five organized churches and 1,197 in total membership.
General note
Wisconsin Conference Presidents:
George Pegler , 1868-70, 1871-72
D . C. Vaughn, 1870-71
W . C. Mullenix , 1872 -73, 1875-79
(no record, 1873-74)
William Warner, 1874-75, 1881-82, 1886-88
R . E. Johnson, 1879-81
5 . A. Gilley, 1882-86
R. Powell , 1888-91
A. A. Martin, 1891-94
J. W. Delap, 1894-95
0 . 5. Warner, 1895 -97 , 1898-1916
F. Decker, 1897-98
E. R. Dodd , 1916-17
Joseph B. Clawson, 191 7-45
G . M . Hahn , 1945 -50
Loring H . Peterson, 1950-60
David D. Peterson , 1960-67
Dayton A. Manker, 1967 -68