Page:A short account of the rise and progress of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in America.djvu/47

 Thompson, Chairman; Charles Anderson, Secretary. Abraham Thompson was requested to give in the report of the committee sent to Bishop Allen. He then stated that Bishop Allen refused to assist in ordaining Elders for our church, and that he could not do any thing for us in that respect, except we agree to put our church under the government of his Conference. Thus ended all further interview with him on that subject, and which, by the by, proved to be a sad disappointment to Father Thompson, who had been heretofore endeavouring to hold up the old man as a proper source for the organization of our church in preference to a white man.

William Miller reported, in behalf of the committee sent to Bishop Hobart, that he called on Rev. Thomas Lyel, the Presbyter of Christ Church, in Ann (now Anthony) Street, who informed him that he thought there would be no difficulty in obtaining ordination, but that Bishop Hobart was out of town, and he promised to speak to him upon the subject when he returned to the city. William Miller further stated, that Rev. Thomas Lyel also informed him that William M. Stilwell would be a very suitable person for us to apply unto for ordination, he being the Presbyter of the Methodist Church newly formed, and which he thought would be a much easier way to obtain the desired end. Several of the official brethren, in the interval of our meetings, having had an interview with William M. Stilwell, in order to gain some information in regard to church government, and had got their minds fully satisfied that