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 > E-Mail: [log in to unmask]