Black pastors petition the Secretary of War to partner with the A.M.E. Church
Dublin Core
Title
Black pastors petition the Secretary of War to partner with the A.M.E. Church
Description
A.W. Wayman, D.A. Payne, John M. Brown, M.F. Stuby, & James Lynch to Edwin Stanton responding to Stanton's order authorizing the Methodist Episcopal Church to oversee all Southern Methodist Churches. Wayman et al. inform Stanton of the existence of AME church, the strength of its membership and ministers, and the readiness of the AME to assume control of the spiritual direction of Black Southerners. "The aforementioned order virtually excludes us from a vast field of Christian labor among our brethren, whom we have long payed to meet, and organize."
Date
6/1/1864
Coverage
Baltimore, MD
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
Black Clergymen to the Secretary of War
[Baltimore, Md., June 1, 1864]
To the Hon. Edwin M. Stanton,
Secretary of War:
Dear Sir: Sometime since an order was issued by your Department, authorizing the Methodist Episcopal Church, North, to take possession of all Methodist Churches, South, formerly under the jurisdiction of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, over which no loyal minister, of said denomination, is presiding.
The noble and Christian spirit which prompted such an order, encourages your petitioners to ask your consideration of a fact which is thought not to have been brought to your notice: to wit:—
There exists in this Country a religious organization, known as the African M. E. Church, embracing a majority of all the Colored Methodists of the loyal States, having a membership of forty thousand, and five hundred itinerant ministers, also four Bishops, and a College near Xenia, Ohio.
The aforementioned order virtually excludes us from a vast field of Christian labor among our brethren, whom we have long prayed to meet, and organize.
It is conceded by all denominations that we are peculiarly
adapted to their spiritual wants. Indeed under circumstances not the most favorable have we planted Churches in South Carolina, Virginia, Louisiana — Mississippi and Tennessee. Our devotion to the government as a denomination — the devotion of the Colored people to whom we represent, to the government we believe is appreciated by you, while it is equaled only by our desire to build Moral and Religious bulwarks around the millions of our people just now emerging into the sunlight of American freedom. We would now most respectfully ask that you will so modify the order granted to the Methodist Episcopal Church, North, as to authorize the African Methodist Episcopal Church to take possession of all Churches formerly belonging to the Methodist Church, South which were used by Colored Congregations before the commencement of the present rebellion, and such Churches as are now used mainly by Colored Methodists.
We beg leave to state that we make this appeal in pursuance of a resolution passed by our last General Conference which was convened in the city of Philadelphia, May 1864.
Hoping that this matter may commend itself to your favorable notice we are
with highest regard and esteem, Your most obedient servants,
A. W. Wayman
D. A. Payne
John M Brown
M. F. Sluby
James Lynch
In behalf of General Conference of the A. M. E Church Baltimore Md June 1 1864
A. W. Wayman et al. to Hon. Edwin M. Stanton, 1 June 1864, W-1941 1864, Letters Received, RG 107 [L-53].
[Baltimore, Md., June 1, 1864]
To the Hon. Edwin M. Stanton,
Secretary of War:
Dear Sir: Sometime since an order was issued by your Department, authorizing the Methodist Episcopal Church, North, to take possession of all Methodist Churches, South, formerly under the jurisdiction of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, over which no loyal minister, of said denomination, is presiding.
The noble and Christian spirit which prompted such an order, encourages your petitioners to ask your consideration of a fact which is thought not to have been brought to your notice: to wit:—
There exists in this Country a religious organization, known as the African M. E. Church, embracing a majority of all the Colored Methodists of the loyal States, having a membership of forty thousand, and five hundred itinerant ministers, also four Bishops, and a College near Xenia, Ohio.
The aforementioned order virtually excludes us from a vast field of Christian labor among our brethren, whom we have long prayed to meet, and organize.
It is conceded by all denominations that we are peculiarly
adapted to their spiritual wants. Indeed under circumstances not the most favorable have we planted Churches in South Carolina, Virginia, Louisiana — Mississippi and Tennessee. Our devotion to the government as a denomination — the devotion of the Colored people to whom we represent, to the government we believe is appreciated by you, while it is equaled only by our desire to build Moral and Religious bulwarks around the millions of our people just now emerging into the sunlight of American freedom. We would now most respectfully ask that you will so modify the order granted to the Methodist Episcopal Church, North, as to authorize the African Methodist Episcopal Church to take possession of all Churches formerly belonging to the Methodist Church, South which were used by Colored Congregations before the commencement of the present rebellion, and such Churches as are now used mainly by Colored Methodists.
We beg leave to state that we make this appeal in pursuance of a resolution passed by our last General Conference which was convened in the city of Philadelphia, May 1864.
Hoping that this matter may commend itself to your favorable notice we are
with highest regard and esteem, Your most obedient servants,
A. W. Wayman
D. A. Payne
John M Brown
M. F. Sluby
James Lynch
In behalf of General Conference of the A. M. E Church Baltimore Md June 1 1864
A. W. Wayman et al. to Hon. Edwin M. Stanton, 1 June 1864, W-1941 1864, Letters Received, RG 107 [L-53].
Collection
Citation
“Black pastors petition the Secretary of War to partner with the A.M.E. Church,” Black Maryland in the Civil War—A Microedition of the Freedmen and Southern Society Project, accessed June 8, 2026, https://fssp.artinterp2.org/items/show/40.