A Short Account of the Rise and Progress of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in America/Chapter 1
A
SHORT ACCOUNT
of the
RISE AND PROGRESS
of the
African Methodist Episcopal Church
IN AMERICA.
CHAPTER I.
Of the Formation and Establishment of Zion Church.
In the year 1796, when the coloured members of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the city of New-York became increased, and feeling a desire for the privilege of holding meetings of their own, where they might have an opportunity to exercise their spiritual gifts among themselves, and thereby be more useful one to the other, a few of the most intelligent of our brethren obtained permission from Bishop Francis Asbury, to hold meetings by them-selves, in the intervals of the regular preaching hours of our white brethren, in the best manner they could. The names of some of the men who went forward in this dawning of. religious privileges, were Francis Jacobs, William Brown, Peter Williams, Abraham Thompson, June Scott, Samuel Pontier, Thomas Miller, William Miller, James Varick, William Hamilton, and some others whose names are not now recollected, who united together, and by some means hired a house in Cross Street, between Mulberry and Orange Streets, which formerly was a stable, but at that time was occupied by William Miller as a cabinet-maker's shop, which house they fitted up with seats and a pulpit, and also a gallery. In this house they held prayer meetings on Sunday afternoons, in the interval of Divine service among our white brethren, between afternoon and evening or night service, and held also preaching and exhorting meetings on Wednesday nights, by such of our coloured brethren that were licensed to preach and exhort. At this time there were, in the city of New-York, three Licensed Preachers, viz. Abraham Thompson, June Scott and Thomas Miller, and William Miller, Exhorter, who officiated as they had opportunity, and once in a while they were aided by coloured preachers from Philadelphia and other places. In this way they continued until some time in the year 1799, when the number of coloured members, of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the city of New-York, became further increased, and as the seats in the church among our white brethren were limited, they began to think about building a House of Worship for themselves, and to form themselves into a body corporate, separate from the white church, according to the privilege granted to religious societies by the laws of the state of New- York. For this purpose they called a meeting of some of the most respectable and intelligent religious coloured men of the city, in order to consult upon the best method to proceed in this great undertaking, for coloured people in the city of New-York.
The meeting was held in their Meeting-house in Cross Street, but the names of the persons who attended this meeting are not now recollected, as the minutes have not been preserved ; we can only add, from strength of memory, to those already given in the commencement, George E. Moore, Thomas Sipkins, David Bias, George White, Thomas Cook, John Teesman, and George Collins. After they had duly considered the object of the meeting, they concluded that theChurch should be under the Methodist government, and should be named the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. They then appointed nine Trustees, to attend to the business of the Church and getting up the house of worship, among whom were Francis Jacobs, William Brown, Thomas Miller, Peter Williams, Thomas Sipkins, William Hamilton, and George Collins ; the names of the others are at present forgotten. Francis Jacobs was appointed Chairman of the Board of Trustees; Thomas Miller, Treasurer, and George Collins, Secretary. The Trustees then issued subscriptions, and solicited the citizens of New-York for aid to build the contemplated house for religious worship; and when they had collected eighty dollars, they deposited the same in the hands of the Treasurer, Thomas Miller, and being anxious to commence the operation of building, they immediately appointed him to go forward and procure a spot of ground for that purpose. According to appointment, the Treasurer, Thomas Miller, purchased a lot of ground, twenty-five feet front and seventy-five or one hundred feet deep, in Orange Street, between Cross and Chatham Streets, for which he paid the eighty dollars on account, and obtained a deed for the same, in his own name; but upon examination it was found that it was not a suitable place to erect a church, for the purpose contemplated, especially when they found that he would not consent to have the deed altered, which caused much dissatisfaction in the minds of the Trustees; and being thus disappointed, (but not discouraged,) Francis Jacobs, who was appointed Chairman of the Trustees, being a very intelligent man and of good repute, undertook the procuring a suitable place for the Church, and for this purpose he consulted with William Brown, who united with him, and they went forward and obtained two lots of ground, each twenty-five feet front and seventy-five feet deep, situate at the corner of Church and Leonard Streets, and fronting on Church Street, which circumstance renewed the courage of the Trustees, who agreed to accept the said ground, and resolved upon its being a suitable place for the contemplated building.
The lots of ground being now procured and agreed upon to be the place where the Church, or house of worship, should be erected, the Trustees took fresh courage, and joyfully renewed their efforts to collect money for that purpose. They therefore went forward with their subscription books, and solicited the public generally for aid in this great and laudable work, for the benefit of coloured people, in the city of New-York, and in the month of September, or October, of the year 1800, they effected a framed building, on the aforesaid spot of ground, thirty-five feet wide and forty-five feet long, which was dedicated for the House of God, and named the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church.