The Doctrine

We deem it expedient to annex to our Book of Discipline a brief historical sketch of the rise and progress of the African Union and the First Colored Methodist Protestant Church of the United States of America or elsewhere. The African Union Church was formerly members of the M. E. Church, of Wilmington, Delaware, of African descent, and as early as A. D., 1805; and as the M. E. Church in this region thought proper to deny the colored members of said Church the privileges guaranteed by the word of God and His liberal Gospel, did quietly withdraw from the connection of said Church, and erecting a house of worship, where we could worship God according to the enlightened dictates of our consciences, and for the exercises of our spiritual gifts; and in the prosecution of our undertaking we experienced from the hands of the Lord a peculiar manifestation of Divine favor, and through our own exertions, and the liberality of all the religious denominations, we were able to build a house for religious worship the same year. Then we thought we could have the rule of our Church so as to make our own rules and laws for ourselves, only we knew that we must help to support the preachers that were stationed in Wilmington to preach at both Churches, which we were willing to do. We then thought we had power to refuse any that were not thought proper persons to preach to us, but the stationed preacher that was in Wilmington to preach, told us plainly that we had no say, and he must be the entire judge of all. Then that body of us who built the meeting house could not see our way clear to give up all say, and for that reason our Minister said that we had broke the Discipline, and turned out all the Trustees and Class Leaders, and never allowed us a hearing.