Bible Christian Society - Jersey - P-S126 - Foreign Paper Money

5 Pounds, P-S126. "Bible Christian Society". The Bible Christian Church was a Methodist denomination founded by William O'Bryan (originally Bryant), a Wesleyan Methodist local preacher, on 18 October 1815 in North Cornwall. The first society, consisting of just 22 members, met at Lake Farm in Shebbear, Devon. Members of the Church were sometimes known as Bryanites, after their founder.

Although founded by O'Bryan, the Thorne family eventually came to dominate the movement due to William Bryant's autocratic behavior, which led to his separation from the Wesleyan Methodists and subsequently to him losing the leadership of the Bible Christians to James Thorne. William Bryant was its first superintendent until 1828 when, following internal strife, he was replaced by William Mason, with James Thorne as Secretary. The name was changed to the popular Bible Christians. O'Bryan left in 1832 for America where he continued to preach, but no further church was founded.