In its earliest years, the Michigan Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church apparently did not publish its proceedings. Instead the Conference Secretary wrote the minutes by hand into a large leather‐bound book, which is now housed in the West Michigan Conference Archives at Albion College. Many years later, someone created typewritten transcripts from the handwritten journal for the years before the Conference began formally printing the record of its meetings. The Archives of the Detroit Conference of the United Methodist Church has digitized this typed transcript to make it more accessible to researchers. •- •• MINUTES o.f the ~riCH IliAN A~NU.\IJ CO~F.b.HE~CE or the ~·ETH0DIST BPISCOPAL CHURCH THIHD ShSSIIIN TIFFIN, OHIO , SEPTEA.BER 5, 1838. BISHOP WAUGH, PHESIDENT • E. THOMSON, SECHtfT.ARY • • 1837) JOURNAL 3 The ~tichigan .Annual Conferen~e com­ wended its third session in Tiffin, Seneca County, Ohio, WednesdaY., 5th of September .A.D.1838, at 9 o'clock A.~·. Bishop \iau~h in the Chair • .Arter reading: the Holy Scriptures, singin~ and prayer by the President. was appointed ~ecre­ tary. The roll was called. The .following is a ltsL or ne~b~rs. Those marked th­ us(8) were not present. Adanr Poe l!enry Colclazer George Elliott James F.Dav:f,dson Alvin Billings Eli jal1 1! .Pilcber John Janes Rich'd. Lawrence Elmore Yocum \lilliam Herr Janes.Drewster Luther U.Whitney 'rilliat>r Hunnells William Spra~e Edward Thomson Elijah Crane Samuel M.Allen Arthur D.Elliott George Smith E lia~ Pattee Samuel Lyncb . Willinm. U.BrQckway Jolm II. Power Charles heed # Leonard Hill Peter Sabin :/1: Jolm M. Goshorn · Jon'a E.Chaplin James Wheeler James A. Iiellanr Hiram M.Shaffer Dan' 1 ~ ~. Cpnant Jane& Willson Orin Mitchell Thor1as Thompson , Wes).ey Lroc~ Phillip Warehant Wesley C. Clark Zephaniah Eell Thomas Barkdull Samuel P. Shaw Lar~on Chatfield Leonard D.Gurley# John H. Pitezell John Kinnear John Quigley David Burns . M.G. Perchi~er # U:lam Day John lP. Kellam Peter Sharp Thpnras Dunn Henry Whiteman Elnathan C.Gavit 18:38) JOUilNAL 5 A Tl e follo•dn.,. brethren were exam­ ~ ni t~ ·1 and approved and they were con­ t inued on trial, viz:-Hu ~h L.Parish, a G .\1 . i owe , Je&se Warner, Cyrus Sawyer, W ! ~ 1na than Hay1 •ond, Leonard Parker, . Ira '.clntyre, r• • L.Harris, Adar• ~~armis, j ohn Scotfor ct , Ransom R. Richard, Ze­ bulon C . Brown, Flavel Britton, Albert ~ . Bissell , RufuN L.Dlowers, Osborn \fonett . The Conference proceed to take up the third question, Who are adn•i tted into full connection? On motion of Dro.Chaplin the fol­ lowing resolution was adopted, viz:­ hesolved that the examination of character be conducted with closed doDrs. Tl•e candidates for admis sion were examined bef'ore the Conference. Bro. Lane the book a~ent made a co~munication to the Conference. And the Conf"erence adjourned. Cl­ osed by pra \'er 'hy Bro. Lane. Thur c:;_day morning, So' clock After reading the Scriptures, sinp:­ ing_ and prayer by b~oth e r Poe, the list was called and the minutes were .-.read and approved • .., Hrother Swormstedt made a cornoun­ ication to .the Conference and pre­ sented an exhibit wh:l,ch \fas .filed. The char~cter of Robt.T.Sheldon Alfas exaMined and approved and he was 111continued on trial. The consideration of the third question was resumed • . T~e characters of the following bret~ren were exam- 10 MICIIGAN ANNUAL CONFEHbNCE (1838 Armstrong from Waynesburg Ct., Samuel B. Giberson from Wyandott ~ iss., Wellington H.Collio~ from Farmington Ct., . Een1. w. Elanchard from Mexico Ct., Jehiel Porter, ~rom Copley Ct., Wm.C.Huestis, Paris Ct., Rolla H.Chubb from De arbornvi lle Ct., Levi Warrener from Dundee ~dss., l}. le~am­ der Blakeley from Dalton Ct., John McNabb from Waynesburg Ct. The followin ~ brethren though recom­ ~ended were not a~itted, viz:-Olion Earls frol!l Lapier ~~iss., J.W.Starr from LiMa Ct., Geo.C.Owenhozcr frot1 Te cumseh Ct., Jos. s antley, St.11!ary's Miss., Hiram Al­ .len from Mt. Gilead Ct,, Evan Makinson from Vermillion Ct., Seth F,Knapp ·from Yp.st ~ tion, Benj.Sabin, Rpring Arbor Ct., Gara C.Norton from Vermillion Ct.,John J. You11 g from Farmington Ct., Thos .Jak- way from Tecumseh Circuit. · on motion tte Presiding E ld ~ rs were r c rr.,itt ed to employ them. The followin ~ brethren were recomme­ nded for re-admission, but were not re­ ac"b.Ji t ted., viz: -Josiah Brakeman and JoJ:n Sayre. Er.John c.Corart. was reconunended f'or readmission, and was , readmitted. The conference the n al)journed.Closed by Prayer. ' . I I Tuesday Sep.ll, ~838 • .. Conference met tbis .morning. Bishop Waugh in tbe Chair • . After reading. the scriptures, singing and prayer the list w~s called and the mi nutes were rea~. The consideration of the first qu~s­ t.ion. was . resumed. Th~ following br~t-hren 1838) JOURNAL 11. ~e recorrreended,viz:-nczin SP)p, rrom •n~iJle Circuit, Cco.Bradley,Copley Circuit, and were <) dmi tted on tria_l in- to the travelling connexion. - Tbe :following brethren though recom­ mended were not ad.JT>i tted, viz: -William Janes rrom ~artinsburg Ct., McK~ndrcc Thrap and Bennet S.Thrap rrom Waynes­ burg Circuit, GalJriel Sr .i th fr o!:" Cold ·water ct. on moti ons , tl~ c Prcs idi n ;.; LJ (1 Cr~ ~ere authorized to e~ploy in c ose their labor should be r e quired . The following brethren ~ e re recom­ mended f o r r e admissio n , b u t "!fore n ot rc­ aclmi tted, viz: -Rosevel t Parke r from Bean Cree ~ Miss, Cyrus S.Carpenter from Davis Ct., Osio Good ale from Tecumseh CiJ:>cuit. The Caie of b ro.Geo.C. Oushizer was r econsider ed, and he was not admitted. A coDUilunication uas received frn:n the Trustees of Alleghan~ Co llege th­ ro' their Agent, whereupon, on motion, or A.Poe, the a:foresaid communication was referred _t o the committee on the Nor,7al·k Seminary. On motion, the followi ng resolution was adopted, Resolved, tha t t his Con­ f'erence l1ighly approves o:r the contem­ jlnate d publication o:r a religious pap­ ~r in the Gerr1an langual!e by the Book Agents in Cincinnati, and t hat we•·will give it our united patronage and sup- rt. On motion, the secretary was inst­ ructed to rorward the name or John H. • Powe r as the vice President of the parent missionary society. On motlon, Dro.A.Poe and J.Il.Po\ve r 16 HICI!IGAN ANNUAL CONFERENCE (1838 Af'ter rleductinp: the Bishops claims the balance was divided amon~ the cla­ imants at the rate or about 3~ percent. All which is respectf'ully submitted. Elijah H.Pilcher) · ~ Thomas Dunn ) c+ II. Whi ternan ) ~ A. Dillings ) ; James Wheeler ) ID- (JJ The conference proceeded to take up the 4th question. The character of' Tho­ mas Barkdull, a deacon, was examined and passed and he was placed in a su­ perannuated relation. The characters of the f'ollowing bre­ thren deacons were examined and passed. viz: -Lamon Chatf':i:eld, Jolm 11 .Pi tezell, John Quigley, John T.Kellam; John 0. Conoway, Washington Jackson, Wesley J. Wells, Alanson Flemin~. On moti~n the ~ase . gf, ft,~~Sheldbn was reconsidered and he was discontin­ ued at his own request. 1838) JOURNAL 17 ~ On motion the followin~ resolution w was adopted, viz: -\o\11ereas by the r~cOt:' ­ mendation of the General Conference· . tile ti ble Society of the ~·ethociist E. Church was dissolved and conse~uently the ~e~bcrs of the Churc~ at liberty and in Quty bound to co-oprrate with Cl'lristiaDs of ather churches in the .dissemination of the scrirturc~, Thf'ro:for;-. Hesolved~-That a committee of th­ ree be appointed to confer with com­ ulittees of other churches in the , St­ ate of ~ichi~an upon . thc expediency of calling a.general meetin~ of the friends of the Bible in o1·dcr to con­ sult upon the propriety of forcing a ~tate tible society auxiliary to the AJllN'ican Bi hle Society. Wm. Herr c. Thowson. "hereupon the followinn brrthrcn were appointed said co~~ittee, viz:­ W:l!lliam I! err, Henry Colclazer, and Jonathan· E. Chaplin. The chanacter of Charles Thomas,a d-eacon \Vas exarnined and pa:-:.scd. Br. Chaplin 11resen ted p-roposals for a colle~e from Judge Ely of Ely­ ria, which on motion were referred e to the committee on the Nonfalk Sem­ inary • The char~1.ctcr of Brother Poe an -e ldcr \Vas exa111inerl and passed. On n;otlon the conference ad iourn­ . dto .meet at 2o'clock this after­ noon. Clo serl hy prayer. sep . llth,1838. ConfePenr e n•et LJ·is afternoon. Bishop \'iau.rrh in the Chair. 18 l..ICIIIGAN ANNUAL CON I<-EJ LNCE ( 1836 'Tl'e c!' a J· ac ter s of' tJ"le f'ollowine; br­ e tt·rcn, elders, were cxarrined and pass­ ed;~iz:-David Gray, Geo.Smith, Thos. • Dunn, Henry Wlli tman Elmore Yoctlllt '· C • , ' .a:.: . • Gavi t ,' D.A1.Conant, J. H.Power, James Brewster, J.:\l .Goshorn, I.uther D.Whit­ ney, £lam Day, Jol n ~ · orey, Geo . Elliott, James Wheeler, Zepheniah £ell, S.M.Al­ l en, l' m.Hcrr, E. l'hornason, W.ll.Erockway. The ch:'.J ·:,c tcr of' IIirnr• ~i . Sha.ff'er was examined and passed and he was placed in a superannuated pelation.