Methodist Episcopal Church of Lyons records, 1851-1887.
Collection Number: 6047

Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections
Cornell University Library

DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY

Title:
Methodist Episcopal Church of Lyons records, 1851-1887.
Repository:
Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections
Collection Number:
6047
Abstract:
One volume of steward's quarterly conference meeting minutes (1851-1887) and one volume of class leader's meeting minutes. Central issues in the church are the Sunday school, church finances, and during the 1870-80s, revival activity and the lyceum.
Creator:
Methodist Episcopal Church of Lyons (Lyons, N.Y.)
Quanitities:
1 microfilm reels.
Language:
Collection material in English
ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY

Lyons was visited by the Methodist circuit riders David Dunham and Benjamin Bidlack as early as 1789 and activity there continued regularly after that. In 1803 a log house and lot was purchased for the site of the first church in Lyons - the Methodist Episcopal Church of lyons, a name it retained through the 19th century. In July 1810 the Genesee Conference was organized at the store-house of Daniel Dorsey, a prominent member of the parish. Gideon Draper was the presiding elder, Francis Asbury the presiding bishop.
In 1810 it vas voted to sell the old meeting house and $743.96 was raised to construct a new church which vas usable by 1813 and completed in I8l8. This structure vas demolished in 1851 and a nev building constructed. The debt from this church vas not paid until 1857.
COLLECTION DESCRIPTION

Contains one volume of Stevard's quarterly conference meeting minutes (1851-87) and one volume of class leader's meeting minutes (1856-65.) Central issues in the church are the Sunday School, church finances and during the l870's-80's, revival activity and the lyceum.
INFORMATION FOR USERS
Cite As:

Methodist Episcopal Church of Lyons records, #6047. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.
SUBJECTS

Names:
Genesee Conference (Lyons, N.Y.)
United Methodist Church of Lyons (Lyons, N.Y.)
Places:
Wayne County (N.Y.) -- Religious life and customs.
Lyons (N.Y.) -- Religious life and customs.
Subjects:
Methodist Episcopal Church -- New York (State) -- Lyons.
Revivals -- New York (State) -- Lyons.
Sunday schools -- New York (State) -- Lyons.
Form and Genre Terms:
Minutes.
CONTAINER LIST
Container
Description
Date
Item 1
"Stevard's Book, M.E. Church Lyons",
 November 12, 1851 - May 6, 1887
Scope and Contents
Contains minutes of the quarterly meeting conferences which contain attendance, committee reports, and occasionally, resolutions and obituaries of members. While early minutes show three committees (Committee on Table Expenses, Committee on Missions, and Sunday School Committee) later reports list in addition, Church Extension and Freedman's Aid, Temperance, Church Records, Education, Parsonage and Furniture, Music, Conference Claimants, Tracts, and Visiting. In addition, there vas a Women's Home Missionary Society, a Ladies' Aid Society, a Women's Foreign Missionary Society and a Mission Band. Regular conference year end lists of contributions for benevolent purposes are also recorded.
Other items of note include: (April 5, 1856) a resolution by the Sunday School Interest calling for books and teachers, (March 7, 1857) a lengthy and detailed report on the history of the church [note: this is followed by a history of the church and records until December 31, 1859. Then come records of January and March 1859, the beginning of the history], (June l86l) Pastor D.D. Buck requested a leave of absence to serve as chaplain in the army, (August 21, 1875) a trustee resigned because he felt the board had violated the terms of a legacy, (December 23, 1876) the congregation invited the Presbyterian minister to preach for "Watch Night" and his congregation to attend, (May 1878) the pastor spent four weeks holding revival services, (October 2, 1882) a special speaker came and collected for the Freedman's Aid Society and a history of the formation and development of the lyceum (Literary and Social Union), (October 5, 1883) three weeks of extra services led to no conversions, (February 4, 1887) revival work in the past three weeks Drought in 12 probationers.
Item 2
Record Book, 1856-1865 , paginated, chronological
 1856-1865
Scope and Contents
Contains minutes of class leader's meetings which include attendance, leader's class reports (mainly lists of contributions) - rarely - discussion of church business, probationers received into full membership, and the formation of new committees. Items of interest include (p. 94, l4th official meeting) a history of the church, (February 8, 1864) a suggestion to hold extra religious meetings beginning the next week, (November 18, l864) a criticism of the preacher, Following the minutes pp. 231-314 are blank, pp. 314 begins accounts for 1861-62.