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Methodist Churches of Brooklyn collection

Call Number

1986.027

Date

1856-1978, inclusive

Creator

Bridge Street African Wesleyan Methodist Episcopal Church (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
First A.M.E. Zion Church (New York, N.Y.)
First Place Methodist Episcopal Church (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
Fourth Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
Hatfield Methodist Episcopal Mission Church (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
Janes Methodist Episcopal Church (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
Newman Memorial United Methodist Church (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
New York Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
North Fifth Street Methodist Episcopal Church (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
Nostrand Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
St. John's Methodist Episcopal Church (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
St. Mark's Methodist Episcopal Church (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
Summerfield M.E. Church (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
Washington Street Methodist Episcopal Church (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)

Extent

1.5 Linear Feet in two manuscript boxes and one oversize folder

Language of Materials

English .

Abstract

The Methodist Episcopal Church (later, the Methodist Church) was the one of the first organized expressions of Methodism in America. In 1668, Methodism was introduced into what is today the borough of Brooklyn. One of the original itinerant preachers sent to the colonies, Thomas Webb, performed the first Methodist sermon in Brooklyn. It wasn't until the late 18th century that Methodist churches were established in what is today Queens (1785), Staten Island (1787), and Brooklyn (1794). The Methodist Churches of Brooklyn collection contains materials relating to seventeen Methodist churches located in Brooklyn and includes church histories, yearbooks, bulletins, invitations, directories, programs, and one scrapbook. The collection spans the years 1856 to 1978.

Historical note

The Methodist Episcopal Church (later, the Methodist Church) was the one of the first organized expressions of Methodism in America. Based on the religious doctrine of English Anglican preacher and theologian, John Wesley (1703-1791), Wesley's form Methodism was introduced into the colonies through itinerant preachers who were sent to America by Wesley as early as 1766. The preachers travelled throughout the colonies in pre-revolutionary America, following a circuit, where they stopped to preach and teach Methodist doctrine. New York became base for many of the preachers, thus making New York a center of Methodist activity.

In Manhattan, the first congregational meeting took place in the home of Philip Embury in 1766. He and his cousin, Barbara Ruckle Heck, both Irish immigrants, established the congregation. By 1667, the first Methodist church was completed in what is today lower Manhattan. The Wesley Chapel, as it was named, was dedicated the following year, in 1668. Also in 1668, Methodism was introduced into what is today the borough of Brooklyn. One of the original itinerant preachers sent to the colonies, Thomas Webb, performed the first Methodist sermon in Brooklyn. It wasn't until the late 18th century that Methodist churches were established in what is today Queens (1785), Staten Island (1787), and Brooklyn (1794).

The Sands Street Methodist Episcopal Church (originally incorporated as the First Methodist Episcopal Church in Brooklyn) was established in 1794 in the current day Brooklyn neighborhood/Historic District of DUMBO. The church, led by Pastor Joseph Totten, was the first Methodist church established in Brooklyn. By 1795, the church had 35 members--23 of whom where white and 12 black. As church membership grew during the early-to-mid 19th century, members left to form new Methodist churches including the African Wesleyan Methodist Episcopal Church (incorporated in 1818), the Yellow Hook Church (later the Bay Ridge Church), and the York Street Church (also in DUMBO). The African Wesleyan M.E.C. was the first black Methodist congregation established in Brooklyn.

There were several dates in the history of the Methodist Episcopal Church (M.E.C.) that are crucial to understanding the both the divisions and name changes within the church. In 1793, due to racial discrimination within the M.E.C., the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church was established in Philadelphia under Pastor Richard Allen. Allen then challenged in court the church's right to become an independent Wesleyan Methodist denomination and was legally granted the right by Pennsylvania courts in 1815. In 1816, under the guidance of Allen, the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME Church) was established in the U.S. In 1845, the M.E.C divided again over the issue of slavery. States holding enslaved people split from the M.E.C and formed the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. It wasn't until 1939 that the two denominations united again to form the Methodist Church. In 1968, the Methodist Church united with the Evangelical United Brethren Church (another of the original expressions of Methodism in America), forming the United Methodist Church, as it remains as of 2010.

Sources:

  1. The United Methodist Church. "History: Our Story." Accessed January 5, 2011. http://www.umc.org/site/c.lwL4KnN1LtH/b.1720691/k.B5CB/History_Our_Story.htm
  2. Yrigoyen, Charles Jr. "Methodists." In The Encyclopedia of New York City, edited by Kenneth T. Jackson, 753-754. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press; New York: New-York Historical Society, 1995.

Scope and Contents

The Methodist Churches of Brooklyn collection contains materials relating to seventeen Methodist churches located in Brooklyn and includes church histories, yearbooks, bulletins, invitations, directories, programs, and one scrapbook. The collection spans the years 1856 to 1978.

Churches represented in the collection include Bridge Street African Wesleyan Methodist Church; Central Methodist Episcopal Church; First African Methodist Episcopal Church; First Place Methodist Episcopal Church; Fourth Avenue Methodist Church; Hatfield Methodist Episcopal Church; Janes Methodist Episcopal Church; Newman Memorial United Methodist Church; New York Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church; North Fifth Street Methodist Episcopal Church; Nostrand Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church; St. John's Methodist Episcopal Church; St. Mark's Methodist Episcopal Church; St. Paul's Methodist Church; Summerfield M.E. Church; and Washington Street Methodist Church. There is also one item relating to the New York East Annual Conference of the Methodist Church.

Box 1 contains:

The Bridge Street African Wesleyan Methodist Church materials span the years 1951 to 1972 and consist of church programs (mostly for weekly Sunday services), bulletins, and printed ephemera.

The First Place Methodist Episcopal Church materials consist of one volume of the church's historical and annual statements. Included in each statement is a brief history of the church, financial information for the year, lists of church officers and committee members, obituary notices, short biographies of the church's pastorate, lists of Sunday school teachers and class members, and list of church members and probationers. The years represented are 1884, 1887, 1888, 1889, and 1896.

The First African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church materials consist of a 10th anniversary program, dated October 5th to October 9th 1952, celebrating 10 years of occupancy of the church building located at Tompkins Avenue and McDonough Street in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn.

Box 2 contains:

The Central Methodist Episcopal Church is represented with one item: an invitation to a meeting sponsored by the Brooklyn Church Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church, dated October 5, 1899. Also pertaining to the Brooklyn Church Society is an event program for the annual social reunion, held at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on November 3, 1880. The 100th New York East Annual Conference of the Methodist Church is represented with the published speech given by Alson J. Smith during the conference held in 1948.

The Hatfield Methodist Episcopal Church materials consist of an undated church prospective that includes a handwritten note from the pastor of the church, H. Hatfield. The Janes Methodist Episcopal Church materials consist of three church programs, 1929 to 1948. The Newman Memorial United Methodist Church material consists of a 75th anniversary publication from 1975. There is one item for the North Fifth Methodist Episcopal Church, a scrapbook, dated 1856, while the materials pertaining to the Nostrand Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church and New York Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church consist only of a directory and several programs.

Finally, the materials for the remaining churches represented in this box--St. John's Methodist Episcopal Church, St. Mark's Methodist Episcopal Church, St. Paul's Methodist Church, and Washington Street Methodist Church--consist only of a few items. There are several items for St. John's, including a church record and programs. The church record, dated May 1873-1874, lists names, addresses, mode and date of reception to the church (certificate or probation), number of classes attended, and the pew numbers of church members. Lastly, the collection contains a few programs for St. Mark's, a directory for St. Paul's (1952), and an 1862 church manual for the Washington Street Methodist Church.

OS-20 contains: A Summerfield M.E. Church publication titled The Epworth Visitor Monthly (May 1892).

Subjects

Conditions Governing Access

Open to researchers without restriction.

Preferred Citation

Identification of item, date (if known); Methodist Churches of Brooklyn collection, 1986.027, Box and Folder number; Brooklyn Historical Society.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

This collection was formally accessioned in 1986, donor unknown.

Related Archival Materials

Brooklyn Historical Society also holds several related collections. Interested researchers should see: Sands Street Methodist Episcopal Church class register and programs (1985.086); Brooklyn Church Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church collection (1985.096); Hanson Place Central Methodist Church publications (ARC.171); and Brooklyn Methodist Episcopal Church Home collection (1985.102). Please consult library staff for more information.

Collection processed by

Patricia Glowinski

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-21 11:19:52 +0000.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: Finding aid written in English

Processing Information note

Minimally processed to the collection level. Additional content contributed by Emily Reynolds on January 13, 2011. Summerfield M.E. Church publication added to the collection by John Zarrillo in March 2017.

Oppressive descriptive language was remediated from the biographical/historical note in this finding aid as part of an anti-racist descriptive language audit performed in January 2021.

Revisions to this Guide

January 2021: Revised by Amy Lau, Archivist, to remediate oppressive language from biographical/historical note.

Repository

Brooklyn Historical Society

Container

Box: 1986.027 1 of 2 (Material Type: Text)
Box: 1986.027 2 of 2 (Material Type: Text)
Box: OS-20 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Center for Brooklyn History
128 Pierrepont Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201