Page:A short account of the rise and progress of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in America.djvu/66

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The foregoing being prepared and all ready, the brethren appointed Abraham Thompson and Leven Smith to take it to Philadelphia. It was presented to the official brethren of the Wesleyan Church, who approved the same and also signed it by the President and Secretary of their meeting, and was taken by Abraham Thompson to their Conference, which was held at Milford, in the state of Delaware. The Conference at Milford accepted the address, and having acted upon it, they transmitted the same to the New-York Conference, according to our request. We will insert a copy of their proceedings, which reads tis follows:

The committee, to whom was referred the memorial of the official members of the African Methodist Zion and Asbury Churches, in the city of New-York, and the Wesley Church, in the city of Philadelphia, in behalf of themselves and others of their coloured brethren, proposing and requesting the organization of a Conference for the African Methodist Preachers, under the patronage of the Bishops and Conferences of the white Methodist Episcopal Church, having had the subject under serious and close consideration, in its various bearings and relations, ask leave now to report:

1. We view it as a subject of great importance to the coloured people, demanding from us our friendly patronage and pastoral attention, so far as circumstances willadmit of it. We have always acted upon the principle toward the people of colour, of doing them all the good that was in our power, in promoting and improving their