Fonds - Burin Pastoral Charge fonds

In 1817 Burin became a Methodist mission in the Newfoundland District of the English Wesleyan Methodist Conference under the supervision of the Wesleyan Missionary Society. Rev. J. Lewis was appointed the first minister of the mission. Conference minutes reports that in 1830, Sound Island, Rock Harbour, Oderin, Burgeo (renamed Chambers Island), Haystack, Haddock’s Brook, North Harbour, “and several other places” were visited.

The first Chapel in Burin was built at Parsons Point (reports of having a chapel and dwelling house were made in 1830) and was used until 1841 when a new one was erected at Church Rock. In 1843 the “old mission house was sold and a new one purchased”, and in 1844 a Chapel was reported being built at Bull Cove. In 1865 a second chapel was constructed and remained in operation until 1904 when the cornerstone for the third church was laid. The Church was officially opened in 1906.

The original organizational structure of the Circuit is not known but after 1874 the Burin Circuit was administered under a Sessions/Steward/Official Board organizational model. This structure continues until the present day.

The boundaries of the circuit shrunk as new missions were formed on Sound Island in 1850, Flat Islands in 1873, and Epworth in 1894. Although these new missions were formed, Burin ministers still travelled the Bay as needed. At the turn of the century Burin congregations were being listed only in the immediate area. In 1930 congregations are listed as in Collins Cove, Great Burin, Footes Cove, Bull Cove. In 2001 the Pastoral Charge consisted of congregations in Burin Bay Arm (Bethany) and Burin-Collins Cove (Zion).