William H. CANN

CANN, William H (b. Huckworthy, Devonshire, England, 4 May 1857; d. Henley Beach, SA, 9 Dec 1942). Methodist clergyman.

Child of a miner, William Cann did likewise from age ten. Converted at 16, he soon became a Bible Christian local preacher and was trained at Shebbear College (1878). His family migrated to the USA but Cann, now married, went to SA in 1884, where he ministered in various circuits. He was SA Methodism's full time fund-raiser in 1903, where his evangelistic zeal yielded significant new resources.

Cann's most significant work was as missioner of the Adelaide Methodist Central Mission (1911-29). He pressed for bigger facilities to permit the Maughan Church site to 'become the centre of a vigorous social and evangelistic enterprise in the western part of the city' (Chalmers, 114). He was optimistic, using many avenues to promote the Mission among Methodists, such as his 1912 presidency of the SA Conference, and the Australian Christian Commonwealth. Substantial extensions were opened in 1914 so that Cann could attempt to model the institutional church' approach to city ministry in Adelaide, targeting the poor - aged, families and others. During World War One Cann and his colleagues were openly pro-conscription, in sympathy with SA Methodism generally. The Mission's Children's Home was relocated to Magill and greatly expanded. But his central focus remained the evangelistic preaching on Sunday nights, based on a carefully constructed service including the use of emotionally powerful singing. Congregations were regularly 1000 and membership was c.400 by his departure. It was unlikely, however, that many of these were poor city residents, though some were respectable working-class families. Membership growth was as much a function of the failure of other city Methodist churches (Chalmers, 139).

Cann exploited open air preaching (with little success), and radio broadcasts from 1925 over 5CL with a much wider audience. In retirement Cann served as honorary supervisor of the children's homes at Magill.

ADB 7; B Chalmers, 'Need, Not Creed: A history of the Adelaide Central Methodist Mission 1900-1952', MA thesis, Flinders University, 1986

BRIAN DICKEY