The Portland daily press., 1892-05-14
Il E!.!E!II |Es!EIIsR

arrived in Maryland and settled in Fred
erick county an Englishman named
Robert Strawbridge. In the latter part
OF 1765 he organized class meeting and
subsequently built log meeting house,
which, it is said, stands today. Among
his little band was servant known as
Aunt Fannie, and she is probably the
first colored person in America to en-
brace Methodism. Moving to Baltimore,
Strawbridge began preaching in the
streets, his first pulpit being block in
front of blacksmith's shop. The next
Sunday he preached from table at the
corner Of Baltimore and Calvert streets
and was mobbed. Undeterred by oppo-
s1t1on, however, he soon organized So
clety and built church, the first Metho-
dist meeting house in Baltimore.
Among the members were a goodly
number Of colored persons, but about
the year 1850 or 1871 considerable fric-
ton was developed between the two
races. and the colored members began to
hold Independent prayer meetings.
From one Of these grew the Colored
Methodist society. It was organized in a
cellar occupied by bootblack near the
corner Of Baltimore and Calvert streets,
afterward the site Of Peel's museum and
at present the property of the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad company. Glass and
prayer meetings were held from house
to house, until the formal organization
on May 8, 1915, and the adoption of the
name, 'tThe African Methodist Bethel
Church Society of the City of Balti-
more" EARLY in the year 1916 an invi-
tation was received asking the body to
be represented in a convention called to
meet in Philadelphia, of which more
later on.
In the latter city the African Metho-
dist movement received its first strong
impetus from Richard Allen, who was
born a slave in the state of Delaware,
but who had redeemed himself and &C.
curnulated property. He grew up while
Methodism was pushing its way across
the sea, and began his itinerant work
when only twenty-three years of age.
Going to Philadelphia, he affiliated with
his brethren in ST. Georges church on
Fourth street, but it soon being evident
that the white and colored members of
the congregation could not agree, the
latter left the church and formed an as
ISOLATION of their own.
Allen, who was a born leader, pllr-
chased an old blacksmith shop, fitted it
up as place of worship and named it
Bethel" It was dedicated by Bishop
Asbury, June 80, 1894. The congrega-
ton, which comprised sixty-six mem
bers, adopted as a part of its platform
the following: "We consider every child
of God member of the mystical body
of Christ, yet in the political govern
ment Of our church we prohibit our
white brethren from electing or being
elected into any Office among us save
that of preacher or public speaker"
Nevertheless it remained under the dis
cipline Of the Methodist Episcopal
church until 1916, Richard Allen acting
as the chief pastor and Bishops Asbury
and Coke, pioneers in Methodism, fire.
quently preaching in the little meeting
house.
The trouble that had caused the with
drawal of the colored people from st.
Georges twenty-eight years before still
existing, convention assembled in
Philadelphia April 9, 1916, comprised of
delegates from Baltimore, Salem, N. j.,
and other localities, and then and
there the african Methodist Episcopal
church" was established. After this
the most important work Of the confer
ence was the election of a bishop, and
Richard Allen being chosen, he was
duly consecrated on the 18th of April
by Rev. Absalom Jones and four other
regularly ordained clergymen.
1t is said Of Richard Allen that he was
one of the first men in the country to or
ganize mutual aid societies, and as early