Methodist Episcopal Church was organized. While itinerating in Liberia, Bishop Levi Scott ordained the first African deacons and elders in 1853. In 1856, the General Conference created a new position, the missionary bishop, to oversee the foreign mission fields. The Liberian Conference elected Francis Burns to be its missionary bishop, and he was consecrated in 1858, becoming the Methodist Episcopal Church's first African American bishop. As a missionary bishop, Burns was not considered a general superintendent of the church, and his episcopal authority was limited to his assigned field. Domestically, there were efforts among Native American tribes, such as the Wyandotte of Ohio;
Grace Episcopal Church (Galena, Illinois) Grace Episcopal Church (Galena, Illinois) Grace Episcopal Church is a parish church of the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Chicago, located in Galena, Illinois. The church is the oldest continually operating Episcopal parish church in Illinois. Located at 300 Hill Street, the church sits on a hill overlooking downtown Galena. The parish traces its history back to 1826, when Episcopal services were first held on the banks of what was then called the Fevre River (now the Galena River). Following the initial services a group of people began meeting and holding services in various houses when clergy visited the