Quote Originally Posted by McElmurry View Post
My Dad’s recollection of my Grandfather’s reckoning was the Methodists made inroads on the frontier by using lay pastors supported by circuit ministers who performed functions requiring ordination. According to his story the Presbyterians required all pastors to be educated at seminary. The Methodists simply had a better business model to keep up with the rapid westward expansion. Again, this was an explanation by my 80 year old grandfather (born 1881) as told to his son in law 50 years ago and then recently conveyed to me. The story would pertain to north central Arkansas, Searcy County.
Sounds reasonable to me, although the period I was referencing was much earlier, circa 1790-1840 and in the eastern states.

The hypothesis, though, is the same. The Second Great Awakening focused on emotional appeals through preaching, often by "lay" preachers, that lead to many conversions to Arminianism and Anabaptism, while the First Great Awakening was rooted in much more rigorous and defensible theological scholarship that originated with Puritan and Calvinist clergy within the Anglican and Presbyterian denominations.

Since this is OT, I'll stop there.

Cordially,

David