User:WilyD/William Case/David Culp

David Culp (c. 1782 - ?) was a Methodist circuit rider.

Culp was born in Upper Canada to parents of Dutch extraction, who lived in the Beamsville area. Culp converted to Methodism at the age of 20. He was received on trial as a circuit rider at the Canadian General Conference in 1812, which was organised by Henry Ryan to address the inability of those in the United States to travel to the Canadas, owing to the War of 1812. The location of his assignment that year was somewhere in Upper Canada, but the specific circuit is not known. He rode alongside John Rhodes on the Long Point Circuit in 1813. He remained on the Long Point Circuit in 1814, where he worked alongside Ezra Adams. Late in 1814 or in 1815, he was working along the Yonge Street Circuit.

Culp was ordained a deacon at the annual conference of the Genesee District on June 29th, 1815. That year, he was assigned to the Bay of Quinte Circuit. He he again rode alongside Ezra Adams. That year saw an increase of 123 members in the Methodist church on their circuit, spurred by a revival in Adolphustown. In 1816, he was assigned to the Ancaster Circuit, where he rode alongside David Youmans. The number of members on the circuit decreased by one hundred twenty eight from the previous year, however, much territory had been transfered from the Ancaster Circuit to the Westminster Circuit, which showed an increase of one hundred sixty six members. The apparent loss of church members may have been a result of this redistribution.

Culp was assigned to the Yonge Street circuit in 1817. That year, membership in the Methodist church on that circuit decreased from 160 to 140 members, partially due to redistribution of some of the circuit to the Duffin's Creek circuit. Preaching in York, Upper Canada, along with the district Elder Henry Ryan, they were able to raise money and material to build the first Methodist meeting house in York, on King Street between Bay Street and Yonge Street. Construction was finished in the summer of 1818. In 1818, Culp remained assigned to York. He preached the first sermon in the King Street meeting house before construction was finished. In 1821, he was assigned to the Yonge Street circuit. Membership in the church on the Yonge Street circuit remained unchanged that year. In 1822, he was assigned to the Long Point circuit, where he rode alongside George Ferguson. In 1823, he was assigned to the Lancaster circuit, riding alongside Isaac B. Smith. Smith's health declined, and he was replaced by Joseph Messmore. The trio oversaw a decrease in church membership of eighty-two.