User:WilyD/William Case/John Dempster

John Dempster was a Methodist circuit rider, preacher, and Elder.

Dempster was born in Florida, New York. Dempster converted to Methodism in September of 1812, at a Methodist Camp-meeting in Deerfield, New York, presided over by William Case. Dempster was the only person to convert at the meeting, which was regarded as a failure for only converting "a young tin peddler". Dempster was accepted on trial as a circuit rider in 1816, and assigned to the St. Lawrence circuit. The Canadian weather proved too severe for Dempster, who was reassigned to Paris, New York after only a few months. In 1817, he was reassigned to Watertown. In the comfort of a city, away from the demands of circuit riding, Dempster took up the study of ancienct languages, learning Ancient Greek, Hebrew, and Latin. Around 1827, he was appointed presiding Elder of the Cayuga District, and later the Black River District. He left that position in 1835, and after an extended sabbatical at San Augustine, he travelled to Montevideo, arriving on Christmas day, 1836, where he preached a sermon. He moved to Buenos Aires thereafter, and worked as a preacher there until 1842.

After returning from South America, Dempster began work to establish Bible Schools. He successfully founded one in the eastern United States, and one in the mid-west. Planning to undertake a journey to California to establish a third school, he underwent an operation to remove a tumour, and died from complications of the operation.