Community & Civic Life

Circuit Meetings

"Circuit and Sub-Missionary Committee"
from Primitive Methodist Preachers' Plan
Powys County Archives

Every quarter, the committee for Knighton Primitive Methodists held a meeting. The members of the committee were detailed on the Preacher's Plan:

These meetings decided not only on the suitability and availability of preachers and the appointment to committee posts but on meetings and on more temporal matters.

Maintaining the number of members of the church was something of a preoccupation:

Minute 9 of the Circuit & Sub-Missionary Committee Minutes
Powys County Archives

"That the report of Members be received and we regret to have to report to District Meeting only 175 members being 5 decrease for the year, owing to the number of removals we have had."

The Annual Report to the District meeting duly tried to explain the decrease in numbers:

Item 16 of the Annual Report
Powys County Archives

"We have a decrease of ten members. The reason of which is that 19 have removed, 3 have died and 5 have left us.

We have received no members from other stations. We deeply regret having to report a decrease, but the population is decreasing and our removals have been of such a serious nature, that the causes of it are quite beyond our controll."

The committee was also concerned that there would not be preachers or leaders of the right quality. In the meeting of June 5th 1891 it was proposed:

Minute 7 from the Minutes of Quarterly Meeting, 5 June 1891
Powys County Archives

"That Bro. J. Jenkins is leaving Llandewy we present an address to him acknowledging his long and valuable services in connection with Llandewy Society, and expressing our high esteem for his personal worth and character."

The committee was quite reluctant to give up a good leader, although sometimes it had little choice:

Minute 1, Minutes of the Quarterly Meeting, 1 December 1892
Powys County Archives

"That we do not accept Bro J Udell's resignation of membership, but as he is getting old and infirm we accept his resignation as Class Leader & School superintendent."

Others, however, were not held in quite such high esteem. The meeting on September 1st 1891 agreed:

Minute 1, Minutes of the Quarterly Meeting, 1 September 1891
Powys County Archives

"That as Bro. J D Rutter is insolvent and the views of his principal creditors in relation to his insolvency are unsatisfactory his name disappear from the Plan as per rule 213 Consol. Minutes 1882."

The meetings also discussed appeals for funds, as in this meeting on September 1st:

Minute 10, Minutes of the Quarterly Meeting, 1 September 1891
Powys County Archives

"That an appeal for the Great Connexional Chapel Fund appear on next plan."