ITINERANCY, a term applied to limited pastorates in the Methodist church. The system originated with Wesley. To accomplish what he considered necessary for the revival of religion in England, lie traveled from town to town, and, remaining but a day or two in a place, he adopted the plan of commissioning a few competent men to preach in the societies which he had organized. These helpers, as lie called them, rap idly increased, but the societies increasing still more rapidly, he found it necessary to extend and methodize their labors on some plan of itinerancy, and accordingly appointed them to definitive "circuits" for a year. At first the who!e country was divided into '7 of these itinerant districts, and at Wesley's death there were 72 in England, 3 in Wales, 7 in Scotland, 28 in Ireland. The ' circuits" were long, and the preachers were changed from one circuit to another every year or two. The " circuit" system is still retained in Eag,land, and exists in America ammig the feebler churches, and gen erally among the frontier settlements of the west. The societies in cities anti the large
societies in the country are generally " stations," each being supplied by its own pastor. Connected with the itinerancy of Wesley were the local ministry, or gifted laymen in secular business, who preached in the absence of the regular or itinerant preachers. and the weekly class-meeting of 12 members under an experienced leader. Wesley adopted this system from expediency, as it enabled one preacher to serve in many places, and made small abilities available on a large scale; and he found hy experience that a fre quent change of teachers was best. The itinerant system has always been cherished with great care by the Methodists, though the length of time for which a minister may remain on the same "charge" hiss varied at different lilacs from one to three years. 'Many in the Methodist church are dissatisfied with the system of frequent removals, and its comparative advantages and disadvantages have been fully discussed in their leading periodicals.