Page:A short account of the rise and progress of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in America.djvu/84

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these societies have approved and determined to be governed by.

The foregoing items were approved by the aforementioned committee, and by the official members of Zion Church, and the instrument of writing was handed to Bishop McKendree, according to his request.

On the 6th of June, 1822, Abraham Thompson, Christopher Rush and James Smith, three of the committee, called on Bishops George and Roberts, (McKendree being gone out of town) and received an answer from them, relative to the instrument of writing which was presented to Bishop McKendree; which was, that they could not do any thing for us if it were to save their lives and ours, unless we submitted to their government as heretofore; and they, at the same time, informed the committee, that William Miller and some more of the officers of the Asbury Church, had given the charge of the said church unto them as heretofore, and had agreed to give one hundred dollars a year for the service of a white Elder. So much for delaying and waiting for Bishops and Conferences.

On the evening of the same day, (6th of June) the official members held a meeting to hear the result of the few items sent to Bishop McKendree; and being informed that nothing would be done by the Bishops and Conference of the old connexion, or mother church, they again continued the same committee, and authorized them to