Minutes of the twenty-first session of the Texas Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South

Minutes of the twenty-first session of the Texas Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, November 1421, 1860.

In 1815 Rev. William Stevenson became the first Methodist to preach in Texas. Forty-five years later, in 1860, Texas Methodists claimed 38,837 members in three conferences:

Texas Annual Conference (est.1840) 17,614
East Texas Annual Conference (est.1844) 19,055
Rio Grande Mission Conference (est.1858) 2,168

The 1860 Texas Conference minutes pictured show that the growth of Methodism was an intentional effort. In his annual report, Conference Missionary Secretary and American Bible Society Agent I. G. John noted the presence of eight missions “in destitute portions of the regular work,” six missions to German-speaking communities, eleven missions to African American communities, and ten additional church-planting missions within conference boundaries. In summary, Rev. John declared: “This department of our work is the crowning glory of Southern Methodism.”

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Minutes of the twenty-first session of the Texas Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South