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;
Central Methodist Episcopal Church (Lansing, Michigan) Central Methodist Episcopal Church (Lansing, Michigan) The Central Methodist Episcopal Church (now the Central United Methodist Church) is a historic church located at 215 North Capitol Avenue in Lansing, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The first meeting of Methodists in the Lansing area occurred in 1845. In 1861, Central Methodist Episcopal Church was officially organized, and the congregation purchased a lot on the corner of what is now Ottawa and Washington to construct a church. The building was completed in 1863, but was quickly outgrown by the increasing congregation. In 1882, the