Frontier History Minute

Radio Broadcast with YNOP / Your Network of Praise

Helping to Celebrate America's 250th Birthday

by remembering the pioneer Circuit Riders of the 1860s through 1910sthat with devotion to Christ, 

labored to care for the developing nation with the Gospel.


To Encourage The Rural Church, and Their Communities

FHM - The Focus is on the Heart of Their Stories

While the vast majority of the circuit riders represented the Methodist Episcopal Church, - the Presbyterians, Lutherans, Baptists, … and many others also found that having itinerant ministers on the trail, proved very effective for establishing churches and caring for the people living all across the vast expanse.


Truly, the number of Christian church affiliations that used circuit riders, was far beyond these umbrella categories.  This is because immigrants were coming from all over the world who desired to begin new lives on the frontier.  So all of the backgrounds listed above are also represented by church affiliations established to minister to the different language and ethnic groups that were present and clustered in new settlements all over the developing territories and states.


For this reason (and because of limited time) the focus of each broadcast will not be about the minister's Christian affiliation, but about the stories shared, especially those that illustrate God's hand at work, and what life was like for all of them. 


Our hope is that the historical stories and situations talked about, will also be applicable, and be used to encourage those in ministry now.  Some methods and resources have changed, but the heart of ministry remains the same.  Exalting Jesus Christ, and caring for people, no matter where you find them!

FHM - Index of Episodes with Topics

Episode 1 - Van Orsdel / Called To Be A Missionary (In Montana)

Episode 2 - Van Orsdel / Challenging First Steps (In Montana)

Episode 3 - Van Orsdel / The Perfect Place To Meet (In Montana)

Episode 4 - Logan / Covering The Miles (In Montana)

Episode 5 - Riggin / Fitting In A Bit Better (In Montana)

Episode 6 - Riggin & Van Orsdel / Is All the Time & Effort Worth It? (In Montana & Idaho)


Episode 7 - Shippen / A Step Up In Ministry (In Idaho)

Episode 8 - Shippen / Palm Sunday, 1884 (In Idaho)

Episode 9 - Dyer / Sometimes We Don't See It Coming (In Colorado)

Episode 10 - Dyer / Moved By What He Saw (In Colorado)

Episode 11 - In Every New Place, Everyone There Had A Past

Episode 12 - Get To Know Everyone At The Community Center


Episode 13 - "Brother Van" / A Name Used With Affection (In Montana)

Episode 14 - "Father Dyer" / A Name Used With Affection (In Colorado)

Episode 15 - God Stirs Us To Do His Will (In Idaho)

Episode 16 - Everyone Was New, And Many Prayed For A Minister (In Idaho)

Episode 17 - "Brother Van" / We Need To Be Consistent & Reliable (In Montana)