Circuit preacher
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A circuit preacher is a Christian minister who, in response to a shortage of ministers, officiates at multiple churches in an area, thus covering a "circuit".
Circuit preaching was most common during and between the Second Great Awakening and Third Great Awakening in the United States. The style was most common west of the Appalachian Mountains, where American settment pushed westward throughout the 19th century. In many cases new churches did not yet have a permanent pastor or structure, thus the circuit preachers would hold services in camp meeting format, often riding from site to site on horseback.
As areas became more settled, circuit preachers either moved farther west to more unsettled areas or took a permanent pastoral position. Even as the frontier pushed westward, however, many poor rural areas kept circuit preachers because it was more economical for churches to share a minister. By the end of the 20th century circuit preachers had virtually disappeared from the United States, although some denominations maintain a reserve of substitute pastors who can fill for pastors at small churches, allowing them to take a vacation.
