# John Dickins

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Not to be confused with [John Dickin](/source/John_Dickin).

**John Dickins** (1746—1798) was an early [Methodist](/source/Methodism) [preacher](/source/Preacher) in the United States. Born in [London](/source/London) in 1746 and educated at [Eton College](/source/Eton_College), he came to America and was appointed a Methodist preacher in 1774. He served circuits in [Virginia](/source/Virginia) and [North Carolina](/source/North_Carolina), then went to [New York](/source/New_York_(state)) in 1784. He was one of the founding members of the [Methodist Episcopal Church](/source/Methodist_Episcopal_Church) (actually it was he who suggested the name) at the [Christmas Conference](/source/Christmas_Conference) in [Baltimore](/source/Baltimore) in 1784. He had been one of the greeters of [Thomas Coke](/source/Thomas_Coke_(Methodist)) who had arrived as Wesley's emissary to the new American Church.

In 1789 he set up the [Methodist Book Concern](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Methodist_Book_Concern&action=edit&redlink=1) with $600 of his own money and began to publish books and other literature.

Methodist [circuit riders](/source/Circuit_rider_(Religious)) from then on carried his materials on their travels and distributed them widely. His first book was *Christian Pattern* by [Thomas à Kempis](/source/Thomas_%C3%A0_Kempis). He also published the Methodist hymn book, the *[Arminian](/source/Arminian) Magazine* and later *The Methodist Magazine*.

In time his publishing concern grew into *The Methodist Publishing House*, which in the mid-twentieth century was the largest religious publishing house in the world.

As the principal provider of literature for the growing Methodist movement, he must take a significant amount of credit for its growth into the largest American church by the mid 20th century.

## References

Pilkington, James Penn. *The Methodist Publishing House*. New York: Abingdon Press, 1968. Vol 1.

Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF FAST WorldCat National United States Other Open Library SNAC Yale LUX

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