BIBLE CHRISTIANS, one of the denominations now merged in the United Methodist Church (see UNITED METHO DISTS), so called because its early preachers appealed solely to the Bible in confirmation of their doctrines. The denomination arose in the agricultural districts and fishing villages of north Cornwall and Devon; a district only slightly influenced by John Wesley and the original Methodist movement. The founder was William O'Bryan (afterwards Bryant), a Methodist lay preacher of Luxillian, Cornwall. Finding that the people had no evangelical preaching he began an itinerary to supply the need. The coastmen were expert smugglers and wreckers, the agriculturists were ig norant and drunken, the parish clergy were slothful, in many cases intemperate, and largely given to fox-hunting. Only in a parish or two was there any approach to religious ministry. O'Bryan commenced his labours in North Devon, and in 1815 a small so ciety was formed at Lake Farm, Shebbear. The movement had the seeds of great vitality in it. In 1819 the first conference was held at Launceston. By this time the work had spread through Cornwall; and shortly afterwards Kent, Northumberland, and the Channel Islands appeared on the list of stations. For a few years the movement was weakened by internal controversies over ad ministration. These ended when O'Bryan left England in 1836 and settled in America.
On O'Bryan's departure, James Thorne, the first fully recog nized minister, became its leader. Although reared as an ordinary farm lad, he proved to be a man of singular devotion and spiritual genius. He laid the foundations broadly in evangelism, finance, temperance and education, founding in the latter connection a middle-class school at Shebbear, at which generations of ministers' sons and numerous students for the ministry have been educated. James Thorne was five times president of the conference and 15 times secretary. He died in 1872. Another powerful leader was Frederick William Bourne, who served the Bible Christians as edi tor, missionary treasurer, book steward, and three times president of conference. (See METHODISM.)