December 15, 1870 • African-American Methodists United

ethodism in the United States split in 1844. The cause of the split was slavery. Bishop Andrew came into possession of slaves. At the Methodist general conference anti-slavery voices proposed that Andrew not be permitted to exercise office until he rid himself of his human property. Northern Methodists voted in favor of and Southern Methodists against the resolution. Within two years the Southern churches had formed their own conference.

A quarter of a million slaves worshipped in the new denomination. After the American Civil War, however, the black Americans departed the Methodist church in droves. Some joined other churches. Some dropped out altogether. The numbers of blacks declined from a high of 270,000 to about 80,000. At general conference in 1866, the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, decided to encourage the former slaves to form their own general conference. The bishops wrote: "It is our purpose, unless you otherwise order, to call a General Conference to be holden next winter for the purpose of organizing them into an entirely separate Church, thus enabling them to become their own guides and governors."

On this day, December 15, 1870, black Methodists from eight local conferences met in Jackson, Tennessee. After opening remarks by Bishop Payne, the delegates founded their new church. They adopted the rules of order of the existing Methodist Episcopal Church, and established committees to work out details of discipline, boundaries, public worship, Sunday schools, finance and the like.

Samuel Watson, an eyewitness to the entire conference said, "I have never seen a more harmonious conference of any kind. There was a good degree of intelligence among its members. A distinguished judge, who attended the Conference daily, said it would compare favorably with the Tennessee Legislature.

A name had yet to be decided upon. After discussion, the denomination called itself the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church. In a statement, its leaders noted that they were not breaking with the long-established Methodist Episcopal Church, but merely forming a new branch of it. Their roots and antiquity were identical to those of any other Methodist body in America. They made only such changes in the Manual of Discipline as were absolutely necessary to their condition and gratefully acknowledged the assistance of their white brethren in establishing the church.

On the 21st, praying for divine guidance, they elected W. H. Miles and R. H. Vanderhorst as their first two bishops. One cannot help but admire the Christ-like efforts of these two godly men. Like the founder of Christianity, they subsisted on meager incomes as they traveled constantly to build up the church.

In 1954 the Colored Methodists changed their name to Christian Methodist Episcopal Church.

Bibliography:

1. Philips, C. H. The History of the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church in America: Comprising Its Organization, Subsequent Development and Present Status. Jackson, Tennessee: Publishing House, C.M.E. Church, 1925.
2. Washington, Booker T. New Negro for a New Century. Chicago: American Publishing House, 1900.

Last updated May, 2007.