Page:A short account of the rise and progress of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in America.djvu/50

 arranged in a regular manner and prepared for the printer. The case of our Church being at this time in a very precarious state, in regard particularly to the want of Elders in the Church, it became essentially necessary that something must be done to relieve her from that religious pressure; whereupon, a meeting of all the official members of the Church was held in the Rose Street Academy, on Wednesday night, September 13th, at which time the Elder, William M. Stilwell, informed the brethren that he called them together to consult about the propriety and necessity of electing an Elder, and read to them several extracts from books, written by Methodist Preachers, to prove the validity of such proceedings in cases of necessity. He also advised them to pursue or adopt the plan, as it would be a case of real necessity with them, being an African Methodist Church without an Elder, and he not having a sufficient number of Elders connected with him at present to perform ordination. A vote was then taken, in order to know whether the official brethren approved of the measure and were ready to act upon it; which was carried in favour of being ready. They then proceeded to nominate Abraham Thompson and James Varick, to be recommended to the Society as persons to be elected to the office of Elders in the Church. Bishop William McKendree having arrived in the city, and being desirous to see some of the official members of our Church, nine of them, viz., Abraham Thompson, 5*