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;
Episcopal Cathedral of Saint Philip (Atlanta) Episcopal Cathedral of Saint Philip (Atlanta) The Cathedral of Saint Philip, also known as St. Philip's Cathedral or St. Philip's is an Episcopal cathedral in the U.S. State of Georgia, in the City of Atlanta. Located on Peachtree Road in Buckhead (Atlanta) at what is popularly called "Jesus Junction". St. Philip's has become one of the largest Episcopal congregations in the United States, with a membership of approximately 7,000. St. Philip's is named in honor of St. Philip the Evangelist, a deacon in the early Christian Church. The Cathedral of St. Philip is the seat of The Episcopal Diocese of