John Evans (1702–1782) facts for kids

John Evans (born September 2, 1702 – died March 1782) was a priest from Wales who belonged to the Church of England. He was known for speaking out against a new religious movement called Methodism.

Early Life and Education

John Evans was born in a place called Meidrym in Carmarthenshire, south Wales, on September 2, 1702.

He went to grammar school in Carmarthen. Later, he studied at the University of Oxford, starting at Jesus College in 1722.

A Life in the Church

After his studies, John Evans became a priest. He was given a job in the church parish of Eglwys Cymyn in Carmarthenshire. However, he only visited this parish for a few weeks each summer. For most of the year, he lived in London and hired other priests, called curates, to do the work in Eglwys Cymyn.

In 1742, he became the Reading Chaplain at the Chapel Royal, Whitehall. This was an important church role. In 1750, he gave a special sermon for St David's Day to a group called the Society of Ancient Britons. This sermon was later printed as a book.

John Evans also helped start a group called the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion in 1751. He was one of its first members and part of its council. He was buried in Eglwys Cymyn on March 14, 1782.

Views on Methodism

John Evans was inspired by Bishop Edmund Gibson to speak out against Methodism. Methodism was a new and growing Christian movement at the time.

In 1749, Evans wrote a pamphlet that was critical of Griffith Jones, who was a well-known Methodist leader. He wrote another critical piece in 1752 in a book called Some Account of the Welch Charity Schools (etc).

However, these writings did not really hurt Griffith Jones's reputation. Instead, they made some people think less of John Evans himself.