Christopher Mends (22 February 1724 or 1725 – 5 April 1799) was a

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...

exhorter and later an independent minister.

Biography

Mends' birth is of uncertain origin: he was born either at the Cotts near

Hasguard Hasguard is a parish northwest of the town of Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire, Wales. The name applies to several other locations: Upper and Middle Hasguard, Hasguard Hall (at ), Little Hasguard () and Hasguard Cross (), this last on the B4327 Hav ...

Pembrokeshire Pembrokeshire ( ; cy, Sir Benfro ) is a Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. It is bordered by Carmarthenshire to the east, Ceredigion to the northeast, and the rest by sea. The count ...

, or at

Haverfordwest Haverfordwest (, ; cy, Hwlffordd ) is the county town of Pembrokeshire, Wales, and the most populous urban area in Pembrokeshire with a population of 14,596 in 2011. It is also a community, being the second most populous community in the county, ...

, on 22 February 1724 or 1725, one of nine children of a cloth merchant. By 1741, Mends worked as a fuller with his brother, William, at

Laugharne Laugharne ( cy, Talacharn) is a town on the south coast of Carmarthenshire, Wales, lying on the estuary of the River Tâf. The ancient borough of Laugharne Township ( cy, Treflan Lacharn) with its Corporation and Charter is a unique survival i ...

. After hearing

George Whitefield George Whitefield (; 30 September 1770), also known as George Whitfield, was an Anglican cleric and evangelist who was one of the founders of Methodism and the evangelical movement. Born in Gloucester, he matriculated at Pembroke College at th ...

's preachings, the brothers became exhorters. In January 1745, Mends was appointed to exhort in East Walton and Studder. Mends studied at

Carmarthen Academy Carmarthen (, RP: ; cy, Caerfyrddin , " Merlin's fort" or "Sea-town fort") is the county town of Carmarthenshire and a community in Wales, lying on the River Towy. north of its estuary in Carmarthen Bay. The population was 14,185 in 2011, d ...

under independent minister Evan Davies for some of his training. By September 1748, the brothers had established a meeting house in Laugharne, which was registered as a

dissenting Dissent is an opinion, philosophy or sentiment of non-agreement or opposition to a prevailing idea or policy enforced under the authority of a government, political party or other entity or individual. A dissenting person may be referred to as ...

meeting house by January 1750. Mends was ordained as a Congregationalist in Brinkworth,

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...

. In 1761, he moved to

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymouth ...

, where he died on 5 April 1799.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mends, Christopher 1724 births 1799 deaths 18th-century Welsh Methodist ministers