A Plea For Ministry to All

“No Caste in the Church of God”

Gilbert Haven, The Methodist Episcopal Church

Adopted by the New England Conference. March 30th, 1867.

"Three years ago we admitted to our membership a well known and able minister of our church, whose services in the local ranks made him popular and believed in many of our churches. But solely on account of his complexion, he could not be received by the charge he was sent, which even complained that its character had been damaged by having his name, only, thus officially connected with its own. No complaint was made of his abilities, which were unquestioned, and which, under other circumstances, they would have been proud and glad to have enjoyed as their own. They revolted from him solely because of the color of his skin. We do not say this to condemn them, but as a necessary ground for our appeal. They will yet be proud of having this first official connection of any white church in America with a colored minister. May it soon be renewed…

…We ask for his return, pledging ourselves to go upon circuits with him, if in no other way the churches could be induced to accept him as a pastor.

But the time has come, in our judgement, when a yet more broad and just course should be pursued. We do not plead for this or any other brother in particular, but for all those whom God has called to his ministry; whom you would gladly recommend, and we would gladly admit to our Conference. We plead for risen and rising men of power, that are now shut out from the full exercise of divinely given endowments by the prevalence of this most unchristian prejudice. We entreat you to open your hearts and consent to the opening of your pulpits to their official ministrations.

Our reasons for this entreaty are manifold. Be pleased to listen to a few of them:
First, The Spirit of the age demands it of us. Everywhere the chains of caste are falling. In India and England, in the South and the North man is beginning to see “brother” written in the face of him whom he lately loathed, and his heart is yearning towards him…Shall not our churches in their sphere be equally faithful and progressive? Shall we keep up barriers that are everywhere else disappearing?

Second. But we should do this because of its relations to our political duties. Our State has long since abolished all distinctions among its citizens of color…The United States is becoming equally true to principle, and in her late acts has completely abolished the whole iniquity of caste from national legislation. Shall the church wear these chains after the State has dropped them from her limbs? Shall she presume to look a minister of Christ in the face and reject him as her pastor, when the world around her will readily make him, its representative? If we would have any direct and ecclesiastical share in this divine work, we must hasten to avow our victory over this sin; our readiness to treat all of God’s ministers and people as one with us and one in the Lord.

Third. This is especially needed in view of our consistency as well as our relation to the work elsewhere. As a Conference, upheld, we rejoice to say, by our churches, for more than a generation we have plead with the church and the nation to abolish this iniquity of slavery. We have been in a minority often, and long, but have suffered and served till the church and the nation obeyed the voice of God and proclaimed his law. To-day we have been equally earnest in imploring the church to disregard all distinctions among her members and ministers based on color; to abolish separate Conferences, schools and churches; to fully and faithfully recognize and act up to the most evident will of God written in his word, in the hearts of his disciples, in the history of his church…

Fourth. But, lastly, the Spirit of God demands that we do this duty because of the brethren whom he has called to his ministry, and the souls he has filled with his salvation. They are trammeled and oppressed by our unbrotherliness…Put yourself in the place of these brethren. Bear their burdens in your feelings, thankful that you may thus fulfill the law of love. How would you feel if having been called of God to preach, knowing that it was not from men nor by men, but from the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father, if when you begin to fulfill your ministry, multitudes of your brethren, church upon churches should look with loathing upon you because of certain characteristics give you by God?…Such has been, such is their condition. So have they been hated and cast out by their brethren. So have their hearts been riven with anguish unutterable. The times of our ignorance God hardly winked at. Our dread chastisement was its legitimate punishment; and now every ear hears him call us everywhere to repent. Will you enable us to show our repentance by hastening to do the most just and brotherly work of welcoming all these ministers as our own believed kindred, like Christ himself, of our own body, of our flesh, of our bones? Will you assure our Presiding Elders that you are willing to accept brethren of this hue as your pastors? Ministers of talent, attainments and piety are waiting the opening of this door.

Will you respond to this request of God, spoken in your conscience, spoken by his angel in the ear of all his churches, and invite them to come in? So doing, the Master who is with them will enter as never before into our temples and hearts…"

A different time.  Different situation. Yet strikenly similar and resonates today. UMC, end your prejudice and bigotry. Change the Discipline.