The Christmas Conference of 1784: The Birth of American Methodism

On Christmas Eve, 1784, approximately 60 Methodist preachers gathered at Lovely Lane Chapel in Baltimore, Maryland. Over the next ten days, they made decisions that would reshape American Christianity. They organized the Methodist Episcopal Church, ordained their first bishops, adopted doctrinal standards, and sent a movement into the new republic that would make Methodism, by 1850, the largest Protestant denomination in the United States.

The Problem: No Ordained Ministers

The American Revolution created a crisis for the Methodist movement. American Methodists were part of the Church of England, but after independence the Church of England had no presence in America and no bishops to ordain new clergy. Wesley's preachers in America were unordained lay preachers who could not administer the sacraments. Thousands of Methodist converts were unable to receive baptism or the Lord's Supper from a Methodist minister. Wesley petitioned the Bishop of London to ordain American Methodists; the bishop refused.

Wesley's Bold Step

Wesley concluded that in the emergency situation of the American church, he had the authority as a presbyter to ordain. Drawing on research suggesting that in the early church bishops and presbyters held equivalent ordaining authority, he ordained Thomas Coke as 'superintendent' (effectively bishop) for America in September 1784. He also ordained Richard Whatcoat and Thomas Vasey as elders. He sent them to America with his abridged Articles of Religion, an order of worship, and a letter authorizing the organization of an independent American Methodist church.

What Happened at the Conference

Coke arrived in America and with Francis Asbury called the Christmas Conference. The gathered preachers voted to form the Methodist Episcopal Church. They adopted Wesley's abridged Articles of Religion as their doctrinal standard. They ordained Asbury as a deacon, elder, and superintendent on three consecutive days — with Asbury insisting that the American preachers themselves participate in the laying on of hands, establishing that his authority came from the church, not only from Wesley. The conference also discussed antislavery positions, reflecting Wesley's strong abolitionist convictions.

Bishops vs. Superintendents

Wesley had instructed the Americans to call their leaders 'superintendents' — a more functional and less hierarchical title than 'bishop.' The Americans promptly began calling themselves bishops. Wesley protested vigorously: 'How can you, how dare you suffer yourself to be called a bishop? I shudder, I start at the very thought!' Asbury and Coke ignored him. The episcopal structure became permanent and the title 'bishop' stuck. It was one of the first of many ways American Methodism would develop independently from Wesley's original vision.

The Growth That Followed

The Methodist Episcopal Church grew with extraordinary speed through the circuit rider system. Ordained Methodist preachers on horseback traveled circuits covering hundreds of miles, planting churches and preaching in homes, barns, and fields across the frontier. By 1800, Methodism had over 64,000 members. By 1850, it was the largest Protestant denomination in America, with over a million members. The Christmas Conference of 1784 had set in motion one of the most remarkable expansions in the history of American religion.

The Articles of Religion adopted at Baltimore remain constitutionally protected in the United Methodist Church today. They are the direct legacy of Wesley's pastoral concern for American Methodists who needed ordained ministers and clear doctrine. The Christmas Conference was not just an organizational meeting — it was the founding moment of a tradition that has shaped American and global Christianity for nearly 250 years.