Bands small societies instituted by Wesley to promote personal holiness and good works among the early Methodists. The first rules of the band societies," drawn up December 25, 1738, may be found in Emory, History of the Methodist Discipline, p. 200. These societies were more select than class- meetings (q.v.), and admitted only persons of the same sex, all married or all single, who were put in charge of a "band-leader." They have nearly gone out of use in America, the article relating to them in the Discipline having been struck out by the General Conference of 1856. They still may be found in England, though not very numerous. See Emory, History of the Discipline, p. 200 sq.; Grindrod, Compendium of Laws of Methodism, 174 sq.; Porter, Compendium of Methodism, 50, 460; Stevens, History of Methodism, 1:122; 2:455; Wesley, Works, v. 183.
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More