United Church of Canada. Random South Pastoral Charge. (N.L.)

Methodism has a long and noble history in the Random area. The whole of the South West Arm of Random was settled between 1865 and 1880. At Northern Bight, the first arrivals were James Styles and D. Benson, the former was a Methodist. Random first appeared in the Minutes in 1871 in connection with Shoal Harbour. This mission had thirty appointments. By 1874, the circuit included the whole bottom of Trinity Bay with more than twenty appointments. In 1878, Shoal Harbour was divided into two missions - Random North and Random South, and later, the former went back to the title of Shoal Harbour.

Random South became head of the pastoral charge with a total membership of 238 under the pastorate of Rev. K. Davis. The first Methodist building went up in 1878 and Edgar Taylor was appointed as the first resident pastor. The first church was erected in 1899 and the new church, much larger than its predecessor, in 1923.

At the time of the union of the churches to form the United Church of Canada in 1925, Random South was still head of the circuit with thirteen preaching points and a membership of 223. Boundary changes in 1930, saw Hillview, which was formerly called Northern Bight, being made the head of the circuit under the pastorate of Rev. Chesley Howell. The pastoral charge included: Adeytown, Deep Bight, Hatchet Cove, Loweburn, North West Brook, Queen's Cove and St. Jones Within.

In 1933, Little Hearts Ease was added to the pastoral charge and the name was changed to the Hillview-Little Hearts Ease Pastoral Charge and more preaching places were added to this charge for a total of twelve preaching places. Hillview was combined with Little Hearts Ease until 1955.

Boundary changes after 1955 resulted in Hillview being combined with Sunnyside to form the Sunnyside-Hillview pastoral charge and it remained like this for a period of six years. Little Hearts Ease became a pastoral charge on its own with seven preaching points.

Then in 1974, Random South appears as pastoral charge as a result of the amalgamation of the two former charges of Little Hearts Ease and Hillview with a total of eleven preaching points stretching along both sides of North West Arm in Random South. In 1985, the pastoral charge of Random South was disbanded and ceased to exist. The charge was split into two pastoral charges - Hillview and Little Heart's Ease.

Created - April 28, 2013

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