Bishop Hill United Methodist Church

The church at Bishop Hill is the birthplace of Swedish Methodism. A group of immigrants from Sweden settled in that area in 1846, having fled religious persecution in Sweden due to their dissent from the state (Lutheran) church of Sweden.

 

They came to form a commune under the leadership of Erik Jansson, bringing their Swedish language and culture with them. Jansson was subsequently murdered and the colony eventually broke up.

 

In the meantime the colony came into contact with Methodist circuit riders and class leaders. They established a Swedish Methodist Church, which is now the Bishop Hill Community United Methodist Church. As the Swedes moved away from the colony, Methodism went with them, and a Swedish conference was formed. Some former colonists from Bishop Hill returned to Sweden and took Methodism to that part of the world as well.

 

United Methodist Historic Site #450