The Colored Man in the Methodist Episcopal Church

This volume offers a careful, documentary look at how the Methodist Episcopal Church has wrestled with the place of African‑American members from the colony’s first enslaved arrivals through the post‑Civil‑War era. It traces the early attraction many Black worshippers felt toward Methodism, the church’s growing anti‑slavery stance, and the internal debates that kept the issue alive long after emancipation. By drawing on conference records, personal testimonies, and contemporary illustrations, the author maps the evolving relationship between the denomination and its colored faithful.

Written from the perspective of a longtime church leader, the work seeks to balance a narrative that has often been told from a single side. Chapters explore the “color‑line” secessions, the wartime challenges, the push for an African‑American bishop, and the broader question of what the church should do for its Black members. The result is a thoughtful, accessible history that invites listeners to understand a complex legacy and consider how past decisions still echo in today’s congregations.