Part of the Bandon Churches series... A three stage multi cache starting at the Methodist Church and taking in 3 churches from the many forms of religious practice in Bandon .
Stage one.... Using the date the church was built, A = the second digit, B = the third digit and C = the fourth digit. The coordinates for stage two are N51°44.ACB' W008°44.095' Stage two...... Also using the dates on this building, A = the third digit, B = the fourth digit and C = the most common digit of the other date (it will be obvious when you see them)
The coordinates for the final stage are N51°AA.B60' W008°AA.CB3'
BANDON METHODIST CHURCH...
George Bennett, Bandon’s first reliable chronicler (History of Bandon 1868) states that the Rev. Wesleys visited Bandon 17 times, so enthusiastic were their congregation. Like other Protestant Christians, Methodism has a fundamental belief in the Bible and Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.
The most fundamental distinction of Methodist teaching is that people must use logic and reason in all matters of faith. Methodism has its roots in 18th century Anglicanism. Its founder was a Church of England minister, John Wesley (1703-1791), who sought to challenge the religious assumptions of the day. He and others met regularly for bible study and prayer, to receive communion and do acts of charity. They became known as "The Holy Club" or "Methodists" because of the methodical way in which they carried out their Christian faith."
Methodism is characterized by its emphasis on helping the poor and the average person. These ideals are put into practice by the establishment of hospitals, universities, orphanages, soup kitchens, and schools.
Most Methodist churches annually follow the call of John Wesley for a renewal of their covenant with God. It is common for each congregation to hold an annual Covenant Service on the first Sunday of the year. The original covenant prayer given by John Wesley is still widely used, with minor modifications.
Methodists are convinced that building loving relationships with others through social service is a means of working towards the inclusiveness of God's love. Most Methodists teach that Christ died for all of humanity, not just for a limited group, and thus everyone is entitled to God's grace and protection. In theology, this view denies that God has pre-ordained an elect number of people to eternal bliss while others are doomed to hell no matter what they do in life.
Methodism is known for its rich musical tradition. Singing is a big part of the Methodist Church service. Charles Wesley, brother of the church founder, was instrumental in writing some 6,000 hymns, and many other eminent hymn writers come from the Methodist tradition. SPOILER ALERT.. PLEASE READ AFTER YOU FIND THE CACHE Scots Kirk, Riverside Hall With the closure of Allmans the decline in congregation of the Dissenters house was total, and it was sold to Brennans Bakeries (later Kellehers). Visiting missions brought a revival, in 1847 strong enough for a new church the Scots Church in Watergate Street. Its simple Gothic Revival style is typical of Presbyterian churches of the mid nineteenth century. A school was added later, and a Manse (Scots Rectory) and the congregation flourished. The words Presbyterian and Presbyterianism describe the form of government and organisation of what became known as the Reformed Church, emphasising continuity with the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, for reformers like Calvin did not believe that they were founding new churches. They were reforming the church, bringing her back to her New Testament origins. The New Testament church, they contended, had been Presbyterian, rather than Episcopalian, in government. Emissaries of both Reformation and Counter-Reformation who came to Ireland were at one in their opinion that the Irish were essentially pagan. The Scots Presbyterian congregation flourished in Watergate Street up to the first decade of the 20th C, which culminated in the closure and sale of the church in 1961. It has since been converted into apartments. The last minister to serve in the Church was the much loved and highly respected Rev Thomas Rentoul Brown. He held services in his home in the Manse before he died in 1979. DISSENTERS CHURCH.... Dissenting Church The settlers brought into Bandon by Capt Newce (who founded Newcestown) were much more Calvanistic that those brought in by Beecher. Their meeting house was established 1610 between the Courthouse and the Shambles, and was moved to where Kelleher Building Providers are located. Here the Unitarian Presbyterian Meeting House site was obtained by Allmans distisllers, where their workers were the main worshippers. The site was sold to Brennans Bakeries in 1912. The origins of Unitarian Presbyterianism lie with the English and Scottish settlers who came to Munster in the late 16th and 17th centuries. Among these people were significant groups of Puritans, Protestants who followed particularly strict moral and religious rules and included many followers of the Swiss reformer John Calvin. In those early days, Puritan clergy were still tolerated within the Established Anglican Church. "God preordained...a part of the human race, without any merit of their own, to eternal salvation, and another part, in just punishment of their sin, to eternal damnation. " John Calvin As a result these settlers enjoyed greater freedom and were able to establish their own congregations, and worship as they wished. One of the earliest of these congregations was in Bandon in County Cork. The largest number of such people – who were already beginning to call themselves Presbyterians – arrived as part of the Scottish parliamentary and English Cromwellian armies in the 1640s. These new immigrants were 'Dissenters' from Anglicanism, the state-run Church of England, believing that people should find their own way to God through Jesus and the Bible alone and required no priest, no bishop and no state church to act as mediator. In politics they were among the earliest republicans, who had probably supported the execution of King Charles 1 during the English Civil War. Some of them were Levellers, who believed in extending voting rights to every man, rich or poor, and even abolishing private property, both truly revolutionary ideas in the mid-17th century (the latter idea is obviously still revolutionary today nearly 4 centuries later).Presbyterians place great importance upon education and lifelong learning. Continuous study of the scriptures, theological writings, and understanding and interpretation of church doctrine are embodied in several statements of faith and catechisms formally adopted by various branches of the church, often referred to as "subordinate standards". It is generally considered that the point of such learning is to enable one to put one's faith into practice; some Presbyterians generally exhibit their faith in action as well as words, by generosity, hospitality, as well as proclaiming the gospel of Christ