April 9, 1807 — to the Trustees of the African Methodist Episcopal Church
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
ASB_VOL3.PDF, PDF page 457
This letter from the Philadelphia Conference, signed for the conference by Asbury, is an answer to a memorial which was sent to the conference by Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia. It is not clear what the “strife” referred to was over, but it is clear that the members of Bethel were declaring their allegiance and loyalty to the Methodist Church. The message expresses the confidence of the Philadelphia Conference in the African brethren. The memorial is printed here as a note. On June 11, 1799, Asbury ordained Richard Allen a deacon, the first Negro to receive ordination from the Methodist Episcopal Church. David Payne, “a man of color,” was ordained deacon by the Virginia Conference in 1824. In 1793 Richard Allen erected in Philadelphia a meetinghouse called the Bethel Society. On June 29, 1794, Asbury says, “I preached at the new African Church. Our colored brethren all to be governed by the doctrine and discipline of the Methodists.” Only Negroes were to be admitted to membership. In time the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania declared the Bethel Society independent. The date is not clear. The African Methodist Episcopal Church was not organized until 1816. PHILADELPHIA, PA.
April 9, 1807
[TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE AFRICAN METHODIST
EPISCOPAL CHURCH]
Your memorial1 of the 8th instant was laid before the Philadelphia Conference and provided the supplement to your act of Incorporation which you allude to, be not contrary to the allowed usages, customs, and privileges of the Methodist Episcopal Church according to the established principles and government of the said church, admitted of in case of incorporation among our white brethren for the protection and security of their rights and privileges, the Conference accepts your memorial and entertains a confidence that our African brethren will evince their unshaken stability and firmness as Methodists according to our Discipline from time to time. And we cordially wish you prosperity, unity, holiness and happiness.
Signed in behalf of the Philadelphia Conference
FRANCIS ASBURY
The Historical Society of the Philadelphia Conference and Old St. George’s Methodist Church, Philadelphia
Notes (1)
- “The Memorial of the Trustees of the African Methodist Episcopal Church called Bethel, to the Philadelphia Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, ministers assembled. Greeting. To prevent any misconstruction and to guard against a wrong understanding of our motions and designs in the late strife we have taken in procuring a Supplement to our act of incorporation. We judge it prudent to declare to you in your official capacity in the most explicit manner as follows Viz. “1. We have no purpose or intention whatever of separating ourselves from or of making ourselves independent of the Methodist Conference and the Discipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church. “2. Our only design is to secure to our selves our rights and privileges, to regulate our affairs, temporal and spiritual, the same as if we were white people, and to guard against any opposition which might possibly arise from the improper prejudice or administration of any individual having the exercise of discipline over us. “3. We wish and expect that the minister having the charge over us should preach and exercise discipline among us as formerly they have been accustomed to do, in conformity to the Discipline and the act and supplement of our incorporation, and it is our purpose to contribute toward the support of the ministers. “4. We do advise you of our cordial attachment to the Methodist Connection and of our full and entire purpose to continue Methodists in future as heretofore. Signed in behalf of the Board of Trustees. Richard Allen, Pastor, Philadelphia, April 8, 1807” ↩