Skip to Main Content

Religious Records Research at the Archives & Library of the Ohio History Connection

Methodist

Methodism was one of the earliest Christian faiths to arrive in Ohio. Several prominent Ohioans belonged to the Methodist Church, including Thomas Worthington, one of Ohio's first United States Senators, and Edward Tiffin, Ohio's first governor. Ohio Weslyan University was established by the church in 1842. The two main denominations were the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Methodist Protestant Church. Some African-American members broke with the Methodist Church in the early 1800s after disagreements regarding slavery, and established the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The Methodist Episcopal Church split again prior to the American Civil War over the issue of slavery into the Northern Methodist Episcopal Church and the Southern Methodist Episcopal Church, both existing in Ohio. Methodists remained divided until the 1930s when the Northern Methodist Episcopal Church, the Southern Methodist Episcopal Church, and the Methodist Protestants reunited. In the 1960s, the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church joined together as the United Methodist Church.

Below are lists of select archival and library materials related to the Methodist Church, available for research at the Ohio History Connection Archives & Library. Review the catalog links below, or explore our Online Collections Catalog using a specific church name or related search terms for more information [example search terms: "Methodist", "Methodist Episcopal", "Methodist-Episcopal", "Methodist Church", "Methodism", "Methodist Episcopal Church -- Periodicals"].

New Discovery Layer - One catalog for Print, State Archives, Manuscripts & AV collections


Discover books, newspapers, periodicals, company catalogs, pamphlets, maps, atlases and more!