How did such religious revivals actually contribute to stability on the frontier? The converts of itinerant revivalists organized grassroots classes that reinforced family and community values and became the foundations for Methodist churches. Embarrassed converts redoubled their commitments to mainline churches once the revivalists left. Circuit riders stopped to settle down in a specific town or village after a set period of roaming ministry. Roving ministers hand-selected so-called settled ministers to continue their work once the circuit riders moved on.