Bible Christian Church

For the Christian vegetarian sect founded in Salford, see Bible Christian Church (vegetarian).
"Bryanites" redirects here. For the genus of beetle, see Bryanites (beetle).

Bible Christian Church
Arreton Methodist Church on the Isle of Wight (originally a Bible Christian church)
ClassificationMethodist
ScriptureBible
FounderWilliam O'Bryan
OriginOctober 18, 1815 (1815-10-18)
Shebbear, Devon
Merged into
Defunct1907
William O'Bryan
This foundation stone at Arreton is inscribed bible christian chapel.
Bible Christian Chapel, St Agnes, Isles of Scilly erected in 1874

The Bible Christian Church was a Methodist denomination founded by William O'Bryan, (born 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 family Thorne came to dominate the movement as the same autocratic behaviour by Bryant that led to his separation from the Weslyan Methodists also led 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.