Do You Know?

1. Why the date 1784 is important?

It was at the “Christmas Conference” of 1784 that the Methodist preachers in the American colonies – having been called to conference by Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke – met and agreed that the Methodist “societies” (which had existed within the Anglican Church) should and would become a “church.” The conference was held at Lovely Lane in Baltimore MD and began on December 24, 1784.

2. Where we get the names

Aldersgate?

From the name of the street where Charles and John Wesley (in that order) worshiped with the Moravians and experienced what John described as finding his heart “strangely warmed.”

Cokesbury?

From the names of the first two bishops of the church, Thomas Coke and Francis Asbury.

3. The name

Of our conference?

The North Central New York Conference, which was formed from a merger of the former Central New York Conference and the former Northern New York Conference. [There are presently, however, talks concerning another merger (with the Western NY, Wyoming, and Troy conferences).

Of our bishop?

Bishop Violet C. Fisher. Bishop Fisher’s term as our Bishop is expiring. This July we will receive a new bishop.

Of our district?

The Northern Flow District, which takes its name from the fact that the rivers in it flow north.

4. Where in the US did John Wesley live?

John Wesley lived in England almost all his life. However, both he and Charles came to what is now the State of Georgia along with James Oglethorpe. John’s mission to the American colonies was not a very successful time in his life.

5. The effect of the American Revolution on Methodism?

The American Revolution resulted in the separation of the American colonies from England. In essence, the colonists overthrew the King of England. That king was also the head of the Church of England.

John Wesley, an opponent of the colonists’ separation, recognized, however, that the attitude of the colonists was such that for Methodism to continue in the colonies, that the societies had to, in term, be separated from the Church of England. Therefore, citing “necessity” he ordained Thomas Coke as a “superintendent,” ordained a couple of others as elders, and sent them to the colonies where Coke was to ordain Francis Asbury who had been keeping Methodism alive during the revolution.

It was the act of ordination that resulted in the Christmas Conference.

Asbury and Coke adopted the title “Bishop” in the place of Superintendent.

Because the church had bishops who could appoint, the name of the church became the Methodist Episcopal Church. [Episcopal means that a church has bishops and not that the Methodists and the Episcopal churches had ever been linked as one church.]

6. Why the word “United” is in “United Methodist?”

In 1968, The Methodist Church merged with The Evangelical United Brethren Church to form the United Methodist Church.

7. What was the old “Central Conference?”

The old Central Conference was a conference created for African Americans in 1939 when the Methodist Episcopal Church, the Methodist Episcopal Church – South, and the Methodist Protestant Church merged to form The Methodist Church. The ME-South would not have supported the merger otherwise. It was terminated in 1968 as a result of the merger with the EUB.

While the creation of the Central Conference remains an embarrassment to the church, its existence did result in African American clergy and laity getting an opportunity to develop as church leaders.

8. Who was Jesse Peck?

Jesse Peck, pastor of the Potsdam ME Church from 1835-1837, was elected a bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1872. He was also one of the founders of Syracuse University.

9. How often the General Conference of the UMC meets?

Every four years. It is meeting in April 2008 in Ft. Worth, TX.

10. Our congregation’s name in 1903?

In 1903, when the cornerstone of our church building was laid, our congregation was known as the Potsdam Methodist Episcopal Church.

In 1939 (because of the merger with ME-South and MP) our congregation’s name became the Potsdam Methodist Church.

In 1968 (because of the merger with the EUB) our congregation’s name became the Potsdam United Methodist Church.