Page:A short account of the rise and progress of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in America.djvu/43

 meeting in the afternoon, when Abraham Thompson preached and James Varick closed the meeting. We had a comfortable time; and John Dungy preached in the evening, commencing at half past 6 o'clock; so that the third meeting concluded before candle-light. Thus the Trustees endeavoured to accommodate the Society and other attendants on Divine worship with us, and on week nights we continued to occupy the Rose Street Academy. While the Trustees were thus struggling under three difficulties, (which were the withdrawing from the white church, the efforts of Bishop Allen to take the advantage of our necessity, and the uneasiness of some of our members,) to keep matters together in the best way they could, they were informed that some of our Preachers were inclined to join Bishop Allen's connexion and had called a meeting to consult about it. This so early an apparent change in the minds of the Preachers, together with a notice they had received from Enoch George, Bishop of the white Methodist church, upon the case of our withdrawing from them, sickened the hearts of some (if not all) of the Trustees ; but they took courage and went on, looking unto the great Head of the Church for his gracious aid.

The Preachers accordingly held their meeting at the residence of William Miller, in Mulberry Street, and, after some consultation, they resolved to request a meeting of all the official members of our Church. The official members, therefore, came together in the