Daniel Coker was the leading spiritual overseer in the Colored M. E. Church of Baltimore. It was his duty to watch over his colored brethren, take note of their condition and report to the white Elder; and the Elder's decision in Church matters was law to the colored brethren. Many of our people apprehended the wrongness in the manner which the Presiding Elder would often treat the colored Christian. They thought it was not a Christian spirit; therefore they became very much dissatisfied. Time had so altered things relative to colored preachers, that the M. E. Church now gave license to colored preachers, but these were only local.

The following are some of these preachers: Rev. Daniel Coker was the leading spirit, and the first licentiate in the city of Baltimore. Afterward the Rev. Daniel Moore, John Mingo, and two other Exhorters—the Rev. Jos. Touny and another whose name I cannot call now; these brethren came from Eastern Shore to the city. They were men possessing much talent and exercised themselves in Sharp-street church. These brethren became very popular in their Church; so much so, that the local preachers (white) became jealous of them, for they received all the appointments in the colored churches. At this point began the bone of contention between the white and colored Methodists. The contention continued until the leading colored brethren and sisters of Baltimore organized a separate and distinct body of Methodists, which resulted in the organization of an A. M. E. Church in Baltimore.

The Rev. Daniel Coker consulted the local preachers (colored) and the Exhorters from Eastern Shore as to how it would do for them to be to themselves—a separate and distinct body of Methodists. These brethren opposed the suggestion, but the Rev. Daniel Coker continued to discuss the subject in such a way as not to allow them to take advantage of him and report him to the white Elders. He continued for some time in this way, until all hope of getting them to agree with him was lost. He then left them and called together John C. Hall, Charles Hackett, Alexander Murray, Nathan Peck, Leben Lee, James Touston, Charles Pierce, Richard Williams, Henry Harden, Stephen Hill (the wonderful man of whom I spoke in Chapter IV), David Smith, N. T. Hammond and Faton Blake. All were pledged not to reveal the object of this council, for we were afraid of the opposite party, and that the white Elders would get into the secrets of our meeting and defeat our purposes; hence, the business was kept a profound secret.

We met weekly for a considerable while, instructed by Daniel Coker. Stephen Hill was our great lawyer. He continued to discuss the advantage of forming a distinct connection of Methodists, and we were all converted and sanctified to this end. I say sanctified, because not a man of us ever went back to the M. E. Church. To our great surprise, the Rev. Daniel Coker informed us, at one of our meetings, that there was a great disturbance in Philadelphia between the Rev. Richard Allen and some of the white Elders of the M. E. Church. The trouble arose, it seems, from this: The appointing power gave the colored people a minister (white) who was not faithful to his duties. The colored people became very much dissatisfied and began to murmur and neglect their Church obligations. The white Elder became much displeased at the conduct of the members, so much so that he threatened to turn them out of the Church as disorderly members, whereupon the members of the Church became enraged and entered a protest against the retention and support of the appointed pastor.

The Rev. Richard Allen was the leading spirit in the great colored congregation of Philadelphia. He claimed the colored people built the church and, therefore, had a right to it aside from the appointed Elder. The Elder contending on the other hand that the property had been made over to the Bishop and Conference and, hence, it belonged to the M. E. Connection. Revs. Daniel Coker and Richard Allen communicated with each other upon the subject of coming out from the M. E. Church and forming a separate and distinct body of colored Methodists. The particulars were kept a secret between the Reverends Coker and Allen. Daniel Coker informed us at one of our club meetings, in Baltimore, that it was the intention of Rev. Allen and his congregation to come out from the M. E. Connection in the city of Philadelphia.

He obtained our promise at that meeting to come out from the M. E. Connection in Baltimore—and out we came. A great number of brethren and sisters came out with us. Rev. Daniel Coker rented a Presbyterian church in Old Town, so that that part of the congregation which came out from Sharp-street church might have a place in which to worship. And the following Tuesday or Wednesday evening, we formed seven or eight classes. By Sabbath, Daniel Coker and others had agreed to buy a large church (in what was then called Fish street) for twelve thousand dollars—paying one thousand dollars cash, or before we got possession.

About this time Rev. Richard Allen and others were in great trouble about their Christian rights. The white Elder tried to force himself on them as their pastor. He made an appointment to preach for the colored people one Sabbath, at 3 o'clock P.M. When the time arrived, he came and brought other ministers of the M. E. Church with him. The church was filled and all the aisles were crowded, so much so the ministers and pastors were unable to reach the pulpit; and aside from the crowd there were brethren appointed by the dissatisfied part of the congregation to prevent the pastor from preaching that afternoon. The Rev. Richard Allen and others were assigned this duty.

[I do not defend or praise such conduct, but simply relate it as it is, and leave the readers to exercise their own judgment.]

The Rev. Tapseco (colored) was preaching when the white Elder and his associates came, and when the Elder found he would not be permitted to preach for his colored brethren that afternoon, he said to the ministers who accompanied him: “Bear witness; this man has taken my appointment.” They then departed much displeased.

On the following Monday, the Rev. Richard Allen called upon Mr. Paul Brown, one of the most eminent lawyers in Philadelphia, and consulted him about the Church and her troubles, and finally this counsel drew up a supplement which he (Allen) and his congregation—the dissatisfied part of his members—were to sign. The lawyer advised the Rev. Allen to convey this document to Harrisburg and present it to the Legislature, praying the right of church property situate in the city of Philadelphia, which property they (the colored people) had purchased with their own means. The Rev. Allen was to remain in Harrisburg until special legislation decided the matter. This he did. The Legislature granted the colored people the church property in the city of Philadelphia. The Rev. Richard Allen had nearly sixteen hundred members belonging to his congregation at the time, and when the news reached us at Philadelphia, there was a wonderful shout among this long oppressed people. Then was it that the Rev. Richard Allen became so deeply seated in the hearts of his people, and this Christian hero remained the loved and admired until his death.

Baltimore was out from the M. E. Church three weeks before the Rev. Richard Allen and his congregation came out in the city of Philadelphia.

The following year the Conference sat in Baltimore, brother Bassett and I made our report to this Conference. The members of this Conference were highly pleased over the success which attended our year's labors on the Harrisburgh Circuit. I was then ordained Deacon and Elder, and returned to the Harrisburgh Circuit by the appointment of Bishop Allen. This year I had no associate to assist me in the Pastoral work of the Circuit, but I soon found the work was more than I could faithfully attend, for the Lord began to pour out his blessings upon the people as he did the first year, and our number increased daily. I then wrote Bishop Allen, praying him to send me help; which he did. The Rev. Bishop Allen sent an elderly man by the name of Cousin. Brother Cousin was from Virginia; he brought papers with him, representing them to be from the hand of the Rev. Richard Allen. These made statements to this effect:—that the Bishop had given him the over-sight of the Circuit and that I was to be under him. He was a great speaker, and entertained and pleased the people very much. I submitted, thinking his report was true. He had no family, but I had, and he retained all the money gathered from the people. I wrote Bishop Allen, stating to him that he had given Elder Cousin the over-sight of the Circuit, and he kept all the means, and my family was about to starve. The Bishop said he did not give Bro. Cousin the over-sight of the Circuit, and told me to drive him off; but I could not do this if I wanted to, for brother Cousin had won the affections of the people, and therefore had the inside track of me; but at the next Conference he was tried and expelled for misdemeanor. The same year Elder Cousin and I had charge of the Harrisburgh Circuit, a trouble occured at East Point, between the white and colored people, about some Church property; you can not imagine the excitement there was at this place. Bishop Allen ordered me to go there and hold a Quarterly Meeting. I soon found myself in the midst of this turbulent scene, ready to do what I could to reconsile these contending elements. Here (at East Point) I found brother Wm. Paul Quinn, he was quite young at that time, and a licensed preacher.

The Conference year came on, and Bro. Quinn made all the necessary preparations to meet the Conference which was to convene in the city of Philadelphia. There was a man by the name of Rev. Collins, accompanied and introduced Bro. Quinn to the Conference. Bro. Collins doubtless is well known by the old citizens of Pittsburgh, for he afterwards settled in this smokey city, and became one of the highly respected citizens of the same.

From this Conference, Bro. Wm. Paul Quinn was appointed to lay out a Circuit in Pennsylvania, which he was very sucessful in doing. In those days Bro. Quinn was considered to be a great man, though he was not very learned, he was both witty and talened, and these endowments enabled him to accomplish much in the behalf of the Church. His first work in the A. M. E. Church, in the way of laying out a Circuit, was mostly in Buck county, Pa. Take notice, Rev. Quinn always claimed to be the first itinerant preacher in the A. M. E. Church, simply because he traveled his Circuit on horse-back, but I walked, because I did not understand how to ride very well. He rode horse-back in laying out his Circuit. The question as to who was the first itinerant preacher in the A. M. E. Church, was never settled between us. At the next Conference, which met in Philadelphia, Rev. Win. Paul Quinn made a very favorable report, which the Bishop and Conference received with much joy. The reader must remember at this stage of development of the Church, it was our custom to hold two Conferences during the same year. The first was held in the spring, in Philadelphia, and this was called the Pennsylvania Conference, after which Bishop Allen went to the city of Baltimore and held what was then called the Maryland Conference.

The Secretaryship, seemed to be the most difficult position in these Conferences, and why? Simply because there were so few men of color who could write sufficiently well as to keep correct minutes. We were often compelled to select persons as Secretaries of the Conference, irrespective of their religious or moral condition. Richard Allen, jr., was our first Secretary, he was not a religious man, but he was an excellent scribe, and he filled the position of Secretary for several Conference years. His office was so important that he would leave Philadelphia with the Rev. Bishop Allen and come to Baltimore to act as Secretary of the Maryland Conference. Richard Allen, jr., remained Secretary of the Connection, until the Rev. Jacob Matthews joined the A. M. E. Church, who became Richard Allen's successor, in this position. The Rev. Jacob Matthews was an M. E. preacher from the city of New York. He moved to Philadelphia, joined the A. M. E. Church, and was stationed at Bethel Church as the successor of Bishop Allen, after serving his time with this congregation, Bishop Allen appointed him to Bethel Church, Baltimore, Md. Rev. Matthews was a fair scribe and an excellent man, very much beloved by the people. He filled the office of Secretary for a considerable while. The Harrisburgh Circuit was then under the jurisdiction of the Maryland Conference.

We will now return to the Harrisburgh Circuit. It was at the session of the Baltimore, following the Philadelphia Conference which met in the spring (at the time Bro. Quinn joined), that Bro. Cousin was tried and expelled from the Conference for misdemeanor. Now the Harrisburgh Circuit by this time had become so large that it was thought best by the members of the Conference to divide it, so as to make Fredricktown a station, this was done, and two Circuits and one station was made out of what was formerly called the Harrisburgh Circuit. Then the people of Fredricktown petitioned Bishop Allen to send me to Fredricktown as their stationed preacher. This was very unpleasant to me, for I always had the spirit of an evangelist. However I remained in this station about three months. I felt as a bird caged, deprived both of the use of wings and free air. My habit had been to preach two or three times a day, and nearly every night to large congregations composed of white and colored people. To see the same faces and preach to the same people, night after night, became a painful affliction to me. I became so much dissatisfied, I left and went to Washington, D.C. At that time our people in Washington were very much opposed to the A. M. E. Church, and declared if any of the A. M. E. preachers should dare to come to Washington to establish an A. M. E. Church, they (the people under the M. E. Connection) would tar and feather them, but like the great Apostle of the Gentiles, I thought in myself “none of these things move me,” for it was my purpose to trust in the living God, who is able to do more than I could think or ask. Now with unshakened faith in God, I went to Georgetown, not knowing what would befall me. My only ambition was to preach the Gospel of the Son of God, that souls might be saved, and the kingdom of rightousness established among my people. While passing through the streets, I met a colored man who was leader in the Church choir. His congregation was then building a new church, he asked me if I was not a preacher? I told him I was; he then requested me to remain and preach for the congregation that evening. I consented, and preached for them; we had a wonderful time, eight persons came to the altar to be prayed for, and two of them came through that evening, and there was a wonderful shout in the camp. I wish now to relate a little instance which may be amusing to the readers:

One of the leading breathren was as happy as he could well be, and seized me around the neck and said “brother where did you come from?” I told him I was from Fredricktown, and that I was a Bethel preacher, of the Bethel Connection, “put out the lights!” and out the candles went. He did not only put out the candles, but drove me out also. One of the brethren got my horse and commanded me to depart. It was about 12 o'clock in the night when he brought my horse. This kind of treatment was a sad affliction to me, for I was a stranger and a pilgram in that part of the country. You might imagine my distress, if you could for a single moment, think of this one fact, 12 o'clock at night, drove out of the church, unacquainted with any one, or place where I might find shelter and sympathy.

However I mounted my horse and inquired of the watchman the way to Capitol Hill, he gave me the directions, which I followed very closely. I crossed the bridge leading from Georgetown to the city of Washington. I was acquainted with a Bro. by the name of St. Cypian Beanes who was a noble hearted man and was then in good circumstances. He lived on Capitol Hill, and my purpose was to find his comfortable home. I was satisfied if I could only find him, God would open his heart and he would take one of God's humble servants and give him shelter. The watchman directed me to Bro. Beanes' house, and it was about 2 o'clock when I arrived. This dear brother received me very kindly. After I had been seated for a short while I made known to him the object of my visit. He said my life was not secure, but if God was for me I would come out more than conqueror. He promised me to do what he could to assist me in the accomplishment of my intentions, but advised me to be very cautious in my operations. I spoke to him of the recommendation which I had obtained of Mr. John T. Barr, Esq., of Baltimore, Md. He said it would do very well to show it to the white people, but that colored people did not stop for this kind of recommendation. In the midst of this danger I began to study some plan by which I might succeed in my undertaking. The thought of appointing a committee of protection presented itself to me.

I commenced my work by selecting and appointing the best men (not Church members) from among those who were porters and waiters at the Capitol. These were to protect me in my intended work to establish an A. M. E. Church in Washington. The first on the committee were George Hicks, Dora Bowen and William Coster, runners at the Capitol, and two other names which I can not now remember. At the War office I appointed Wm. Deacher, Wm. Warren and others. These men had wonderful influence among the colored people; and what these men said was generally received as true by the colored people of Washington. The news soon spread all through Washington that an A. M. E. preacher was in the city. The city was in great excitement. The people (colored) who were under the M. E. Church soon made me leave between two suns. Now, before I left Washington I obtained a written permission from a 'squire by the name of Jackson Chambers to preach the following Sabbath in his rope-walk. Mr. Chambers was an M. E. preacher (local). Brother Beanes was the chief agent in obtaining this permit, for he was well acquainted with Mr. Chambers. I then mounted my horse, crossed the river and came to a little town, about sixteen miles from Washington City, and stopped with a tavern-keeper by the name of George Cole, with whom I became acquainted at the Baltimore Conference some time before. Mr. Cole was a brother-in-law to Bro. Beanes, and both were thought much of by the wealthy whites. I arrived at Mr. Cole's tavern between 10 and 11 o'clock A.M. The slave-holders generally assembled here about this time of the day to drink and talk about their slaves. I was introduced to them by Mr. Cole. They were all pretty much under the influence of liquor. I immediately showed them the recommendation I had from Mr. John T. Barr, of Baltimore. They then and there requested me to preach, which I did, taking as a text, John, III chapter, 7 verse; subject: “The new birth.” These men were all much pleased with the discourse.

On Sabbath, I returned to Washington in company with a great many colored men, who went to protect me from the violence which they supposed awaited me in the city. O, just think, all these were slave men! As we got to the bridge leading into Washington, we saw a great crowd of people on the opposite side of the bridge awaiting our arrival. This was Sabbath morning, and I was on my way to the rope-walk to fill my appointment at 11 o'clock. We naturally thought they were there for the purpose of disturbing us. I was then advised by my protectors to take off my ministerial costume that I might not be distinguished from the rest of the company. I took off my costume, and when we came to the rope-walk we found a great crowd of people—white and colored—awaiting our arrival, and three constables to prevent me from preaching; but I had the written agreement from 'Squire Chambers himself, stating that I was authorized to preach in his rope-walk on Sabbath. The committee of protection, whom I had appointed before I left Washington for Mr. Cole's tavern, met me at the rope-walk and showed my permit to the constables, and insisted on my preaching in the rope-walk that morning; hence, the constables abandoned the premises and I was allowed to proceed.

Among the persons who constituted the committee of protection which met me at the rope-walk, and perhaps the most prominent, was Bro. Beanes, with whom I had stopped when I first whent to Washington. My opening hymn on this occasion was thus:

I took for my text, John iv: 29: “Come see a man that told me all things that I ever did. Is not this Christ?” The text is so familiar to the people, even to this day, when I visit that great city, Washington, the subject and text is a traditional talk, for many of the people have the text written in their Bibles, and I have had to preach from the same text several times to satisfy them.

After preaching in the rope-walk that morning, I told them all about the A. M. E. Connection and what the African M. E. Church proposed to do. I then called for joiners, and forty-three came forward and joined our Connection. We gained a great victory, and the meeting was long remembered by all those who were present. Many of those who joined us were converted that day and night.

I did not preach at Jackson Chambers' in the afternoon, nor at night. Some people might want to know the reason I did not preach in this rope-walk in the afternoon? Simply, because “the slaying of the Lord were many,” and the people were crying for mercy in every direction. I then thought it would be better to wait until night before I began preaching again. Night came on and I went to Capitol Hill; the moon was shining very bright. I took Mr. George Bell's door-step as my pulpit, and here I stood and proclaimed the Gospel to dying men and women. After the meeting was opened I took for my text, Isaiah, 53—1: “Who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?” A large crowd of people attended the meeting that evening. After preaching I again opened the door of the Church, and twenty more joined the Connection. I then requested all the members to meet me on Monday evening, to be assigned to their classes. I then called my committee to meet on Tuesday evening, to take into consideration the best method of building a church.

We met, and Mr. George Hicks stated that there was an old school-house on Capitol Hill that could be bought for $300, but this school-house was on leased ground; but, if the house was fixed up it would make a comfortable place of worship. We agreed to buy the school-house, and the next night I made the intention known to the congregation (this was on Wednesday evening). I appointed a meeting again on Thursday evening, and told the congregation to bring all the money they could, for I desired to get possession of the school-house by the next Sabbath; and, on Thursday, we collected three hundred dollars and enough over that amount to repair and make the school-house comfortable for worship the following Sabbath.

The colored people under the M. E. Church had stirred up the people to such an extent that on the Sabbath, three constables were stationed at the school-house to prevent us from holding our meeting. We had the lease for the ground and a receipt for the money we had paid for the school-house. Mr. George Hicks showed these papers to the constables and they left the premises, and did not arrest me as the enemies of the A. M. E. Church had intended. The next thing after we got possession of the school-house was the breaking out of a great revival, and the people fell before the Word of God like grass before a scythe. Prominent among those who embraced the Christian religion were Mr. George Hicks, who became an earnest preacher in the A. M. E. Church, and George Simms, an Exhorter. I took the Rev. Bro. Schurman into the A. M. E. Church and appointed him to Fredericktown to fill out the Conference year.

I returned again to Mr. Cole's tavern, and in a short while established a Church in the neighborhood —the congregation being composed chiefly of slave people. The white people thought a great deal of me because I did not say anything to their slaves about becoming free from their earthly masters, but impressed upon them the necessity of becoming free from the devil. I then went to Prince George co. and established a Church of nearly two hundred members. These three points constituted the circuit of which Washington was the head. I held a camp meeting in Prince George co., and many were converted to God. The Rev. Jacob Matthews, who was then stationed in the city of Baltimore, assisted me in this camp meeting.

You will remember that I was to preach at Fredericktown that year, but when I took the Rev. Schurman in the A. M. E. Connection, I appointed him to the Fredericktown station, which he filled with credit and success. Bro. Schurman had a wonderful revival and many souls were added to the Church. Now, after the Conference labors were closed, I returned to the Conference, which met in the city of Baltimore, and made the report of my work, and there was great rejoicing among the Conference members over my labors.

I was sent back to Washington the following year, but I did not remain there; the Rev. Schurman went in my stead, as there were some family matters which called me home for a while. I was then living in Baltimore. When the Rev. Schurman had gotten as far as Mr. Cole's tavern, he was arrested and put into jail by the slave-holders, and the Churches at this place (Mr. Cole's) and the one at Prince George's were closed against us. I went back to Washington and continued in that city from that time until the Church in Washington was a station, and I named the church Israel. After my departure from the city, the members bought a church under Capitol Hill.

Now, I leave Washington and turn my attention to another field of my labor.