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The result was the
official christening of the Methodist
Church of America. Almost immediately upon
its formation, the ordained
superintendents of Methodism began an
intensive campaign to spread their new
theology across the landscape. Immediately
a controversy erupted as the anti-slavery
views of some of the church's first
preachers did not sit well with many of
the South's citizens.
Just a few decades into
its existence, the issue of slavery
ignited a feud within the congregation
itself. The results were drastic to say
the least. D.M. Conway published an essay
titled: “Fredericksburg First and Last” in
the June 1887 issue of the Magazine of American
History that
explained the results of the conflict. It
stated:
While Young Virginia was
hastening to the new standard, Old
Virginia never tired of its conservatism.
But events conspired to make
Fredericksburg an especial battle-field of
the contending principles. The division of
the Methodist Episcopal Church (1844),
caused by the suspension of a
slave-holding bishop (Andrews), brought
conflict into the large congregation at
Fredericksburg.
The town was on the border
between the Virginia and Baltimore
Conferences, while belonging to the
latter. The antislavery traditions of
Methodism had been once strong enough to
suspend from his local ministry the
founder of the society, Rev. John Kobler,
because he had married a wife (the widow
Early) who refused to part with her
slaves.
The old Wesleyan testimony
now held at Fredericksburg its southmost
stronghold, which was defended by powerful
preachers (notably the Rev. Norval Wilson)
against eloquent champions of the
pro-slavery principle, of whom was Rev.
Dr. William Smith, sometime President of
Randolph Macon College. The pro-slavery
elements at length seceded and built a
church of their own; and, indeed, it was
not until 1865 that the two societies were
finally consolidated under the Methodist
Church South.
Still, the arguments over
slavery in the Old Dominion had been a
long-standing debate for almost one
hundred years before the Methodists split
over it. According to an article printed
in an 1887 issue of American History
Magazine, “In 1790,
Virginia claimed 293,427 registered
slaves, which was more than seven times
the number in the Northern states
combined.” Ironically, it also stated that
the Reverend Morgan Godwin of the early
English Church was reported to be one of
the first clergymen “who ever lifted up
his voice against the African slave
trade.”
This sentiment most likely
came as a great surprise, due to the fact
that the proslavery sentiment of many
transplanted Englishmen prevented the
freeing of Negroes upon the victory of
independence. Emancipation continued to be
a hotly contested topic among Christians
for decades and Virginia remained in the
center of the controversy. Many
antislavery proponents in Fredericksburg
were drawn into a moral dilemma following
secession over protecting their land or
defending slavery.
Prior to the Civil War,
the building housing the Methodist
Episcopal church stood as a charming,
two-story brick structure located on the
south side of Hanover Street, between
Prince Edward and Princess Anne Streets.
The congregation consisted of
approximately 115 white members and 53
black members. In 1848, a large portion of
the membership began an exodus, due to the
acrimonious debate over slavery. In 1852
they constructed their own meetinghouse
(Methodist Episcopal Church South), which
was located one block from the parent
church. In 1861, the original church rolls
listed 164 members, while the new branch
boasted 290 followers. Both sites would
see significant action during the War
Between the States and provide a gruesome
service as field hospitals for the occupying Federal
forces.
Like all of the
neighboring congregations, Fredericksburg
Methodist Episcopal Church and its sister
parish at Fredericksburg Methodist
Episcopal Church South emerged from the
Civil War battered, scarred and
traumatized. Both the buildings and
believers were damaged, physically,
mentally and spiritually.
Eventually the George
Street branch was absorbed into the
Hanover Street Church and the Methodist
family of Fredericksburg was finally
together again. The reunited church of
over two hundred members became part of
the Washington District and the Baltimore
Conference. Members returned to worship
together at the George Street sanctuary
and leased the Hanover site to a branch of
Episcopalians who had left St. George’s in
order to form the Trinity Episcopal
Church.
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