American Methodist History
The Issue of Slavery
Let’s Review a Few Ideas



1784 Richard Allen and Absalom
Jones are the first black men to be
granted licenses to preach.
1784 "The Christmas Conference" of
the Methodist Church passes a
resolution against slave holding.
1786 1,890 of a total of 18,791
Methodists are black.
Let’s Review a Few Ideas

1786 Richard Allen and Absalom
Jones establish the Free African
Society in Philadelphia. This is a
response to the need to create a
place of worship, social welfare, and
community for free blacks in the
area. Similar societies soon emerge
in other cities.
Let’s Review a Few Ideas


1794 Richard Allen founds Mother
Bethel.
1797 The number of black
Methodists increases to 12,215.
Most of these black members are in
Maryland, Virginia and North
Carolina.
Let’s Review a Few Ideas



1807 The African Union Church, the
earliest black Methodist church, is
incorporated in Wilmington,
Delaware.
1814 African Methodist Episcopal
Church forms in Philadelphia
1816 Several African Methodist
churches meet at Bethel church in
Philadelphia in April and form the
African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Let’s Review a Few Ideas


1822 Denmark Vesey, a Methodist
and a former slave to Captain Joseph
Vesey, leads a slave insurrection in
South Carolina. Vessey and his men
are arrested before they have a
chance to put their plan into action.
Vesey hanged. South Carolina
outlaws AME Church throughout
state.
1827 First African-American
newspaper, Freedom's Journal,
begins publication in New York.
Let’s Review a Few Ideas


In the early years of American
Methodism, the societies were
capable of resisting the institution
of slavery.
Dr. Thomas Coke’s vocal resistance
so intense his life threatened on
several occasions.
Let’s Review a Few Ideas

As Black Americans entered
leadership roles in the Methodist
Episcopal Church a clear tension
develops:

How can a church seek to liberate the
soul of a black man and not his body as
well?
The Struggle Intensifies


1808- One thousand copies of The
Discipline copied for South Carolina,
omitting the church’s anti-slavery
position.
1816- A sense of hopelessness
descends upon the Methodist
Episcopal Church regarding
resolution of the issue.
An Unavoidable Conflict

The history of the Methodist
Episcopal Church during the 19th
century finds itself mingling with
America’s Economic history,
especially as it relates to the issue
of slavery.
The Struggle Intensifies


North, East and Midwest churches
move toward active abolitionist
campaigns.
1837 Hosea Easton (AME Church
Zion) writes A Treatise on the
Intellectual Character and Civil and
Political Condition of the Colored
People of the United States and the
Prejudice Exercised Towards Them
Meanwhile in the South…


Holland McTyeire (destined to
become a bishop and first
Chancellor of Vanderbilt University)
writes Duties of Christian Masters
(1859)
William A. Smith offers Lectures on
the Philosophy and Practice of
Slavery (1856)
Meanwhile in the South…

“…because it [slavery] is a
fundamental principle of the social
state…and justified by the condition
and circumstances of the African
race in this country, and therefore
equally right.”

William A. Smith
Further Tensions


Many Methodists financed the
American Colonization Society,
founded in 1816, for the purpose of
shipping Black Americans to Africa.
But what about the mission to
spread “scriptural holiness?” A bit
difficult to perform under such
conditions.
Silas Comfort

The Rev. Silas Comfort appealed from a decision
of the Missouri conference, of which he was a
member. That conference had convicted him of
"mal-administration," in admitting the testimony
of a colored person in the trial of a white member
of the church. The General conference reversed
the decision of the Missouri conference. The
Southern delegates insisted on something being
done, to counteract the injurious influence which
the reversal would have on the Methodist church
in the slave States.
Silas Comfort



The Rev. Dr. A. J. Few, of Georgia,
proposed the following:—
Resolved,—
"That it is inexpedient and
unjustifiable for any preacher to
permit colored persons to give
testimony against white persons,
in any State where they are denied
that privilege by law."
Silas Comfort

This was carried: but it was at
variance with the decision in
Comfort's case. The conference saw
the absurdity of their position, and
that something must be done to
shift it. To this end, it was thought
best to attempt getting rid of the
whole subject.
Silas Comfort

A motion was made to re-consider the
decision in Comfort's case, with a view, if
it should be carried, to another, not to
entertain his appeal. Should this latter
prevail, a motion was then to follow, to
re-consider Dr. Few's resolution. If this
should be carried, by another motion it
could be laid on the table, and kept there.
In this way the whole matter might be
excluded.
Orange Scott

Orange Scott became
convinced that the holy
hearts should result in
holy lives and that holy
men should seek to
bring an end to social
evils such as slavery and
intemperance. When his
efforts to reform the
existing church were
rejected, he took the
lead in establishing the
Wesleyan Methodist
Connection of America.
Orange Scott

Scott found himself facing
opposition within his own church.
While serving as a delegate to the
General Conference of 1836 at
Cincinnati, he was accused of lying
and was described as either a
"reckless incendiary" or a mental
incompetent.
Orange Scott

Later that summer, his bishop told
him that he must cease promoting
abolition or cease being presiding
elder. Scott refused to compromise
on a matter of conscience and was
returned to the pastorate at Lowell,
Massachusetts.
Orange Scott

November 8, 1842, Orange Scott
and two other ministers withdrew
from the Methodist Episcopal
Church and began publication of
The True Wesleyan. Beginning on
May 31, 1843, Scott presided over a
convention assembled at Utica, New
York, to establish a new church—
known at first as the Wesleyan
Methodist Connection.
Orange Scott

In addition to being a point of congregation for
abolitionists, the church was active in fund raising
and publishing. The building served as a safe
haven for refugees from the South at an
important transportation crossroads on the way to
Canada. Recounting his involvement with the
Wesleyan Methodist Church, Luther Lee, the
church's founding pastor and editor of the antislavery publication the True Wesleyan, states that
in Syracuse "...I did the largest work of my
life on the Under-ground Rail-road. I passed
as many as thirty slaves through my hands
in a month (Luther Lee 1882:331)".
Orange Scott


The Wesleyan Methodist Connection
not officially a denomination until
1947.
1968- through a merger of the
Pilgrim Holiness Church and the
Wesleyan Methodist Church, The
Wesleyan Church is formed.
General Conference of 1844



Greene Street Church, New York
City- May 1 to June 1
Issue of Slavery
Authority of the General Conference
vs. the integrity of the Episcopacy.
General Conference of 1844

Southern Speakers


William A. Smith
William Capers

Northern Speakers


John A. Collins
Stephen Olin
Bishop James O. Andrew (an abolitionist) embarrassed to
discover that he “owns” slaves bequeathed to him by his late
first wife’s estate. Georgia law did not allow emancipation.
Decided that Bishop Andrews should not exercise the office of
Bishop until this “impediment” was addressed.
Ruling leads to a minority protest document, answered by a
terse “Reply”
Committee of Nine submits “A Plan of Separation” on June 8.
Methodist Episcopal Church, South

Formed in Five Steps:





1844 Plan of Separation
Southern Delegates at the Methodist
Episcopal General Conference of 1844
call for a Constitutional Convention, to
be held in Louisville
Southern Delegates named
Louisville Convention, 1845
First MEC,South Convention held in
Virginia, 1846
Methodist Episcopal Church, South



Joseph Soule declares adherence to
Southern churches during the first
MEC,South General Conference.
This conference ends with William
Capers and Robert Paine being
elected as bishops.
U.S. Supreme Court eventually
rules on ownership of Publishing
House in 1854- Goes to the South.
Methodist Episcopal Church, South


1858 General Conference finally
removes the prohibition to slavery
from The Discipline.
Denominations remain separated
until 1939.