Thank you Densmore for the information.  As a collector of old maps I see M.E.
churches all over western NY and always wondered what became of them.  Thanks
again.
Douglas J Morgan
Livingston County Historical Society

Densmore wrote:

> On Mon, 22 Mar 1999, Emily Leonard wrote:
>
> > >>Does anyone know the differences among Methodist, Methodist Episcopal,
> > >>Episcopal, and Protestant Episcopal Churches?
>
> A bit out of my usual area, but as I understand it, Methodist is the
> generic term that covers everything.
>
> The United Methodist Church (formed 1968) incorporates the old Methodist
> Episcopal Church and other formerly separate groups of Methodists and
> Brethren.  There are sizeable groups of Methodists outside of the United
> Methodist Church including black churches (African Methodist Episcopal and
> others). Several of the splits in the Methodist Church were occasioned by
> slavery (notably the Wesleyan Methodists in NYS in the 1840s-- now the
> Wesleyan Church).
>
> Episcopal refers to a church government system with bishops-- something
> share by the United Methodists and the Episcopalian churches (Methodism
> did begin as a reform movement within the Anglican church). Some of the
> splits in American Methodist churches came over whether or not bishops
> were a  good thing.
>
> The Protestant Episcopal Church is the largest of the Episcopalian
> (derived from the Anglican church) denominations in the US.  The other
> Anglican/Episcopalian churches in the US are pretty small.
>
> Christopher Densmore
> University Archives
> University at Buffalo
> 420 Capen Hall
> Box 602200
> Buffalo, New York  14260-2200
>
> Voice: 716-645-2916
> Fax: 716-645-3714
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