User:WilyD/William Case/Peter Vannest

Peter Vannest was a Methodist circuit rider.

Vannest was born August 5, 1759 in Bethlehem Township, New Jersey. Vannest moved with his family to Philidelphia in 1771. In Philidelpha, he was "powerfully awakened to a sense of sin", and lived in constant state of guilt. He first became interested in religion in 1780, but it was not until 1788 that he converted to Methodism. Vannest was in Bristol, England, and an acquaintence took him to a Methodist sermon by Thomas Warwick. He began attending class meetings and after three years, he was appointed a class leader of a class in Bedminster. He began preaching locally, and returned to North America in 1796.

When he returned to America, he was received on trial by the Philidelphia Conference, and assigned to the Salem Circuit in New Jersey. He had arrived later in the season, and did not travel the circuit. He did attend the 1797 conference in Duck Creek, and was again received on trial. He was assigned to ride the Middletown Circuit, alongside Michael Coate. He split his time in 1798 on the Middletown and Croton Circuits. In 1799, he rode the newly created Whitingham Circuit. In 1800 he rode the Fletcher Circuit, and in 1801 the New London Circuit. Both these circuits lead him to take occasional trips through Upper Canada. In 1802, he was assigned to the Bay of Quinte Circuit, in Upper Canada, and he was assigned to the Oswegotchie Circuit in 1803. In 1804 he returned to New Jersey, and rode circuits in that district until his retirement in 1818. He remained on the rolls of the superannuated until his death on October 18, 1851.