In South Ca&olixa. 141 



as a superintendent, or bishop, and Eichard Whatcoat 

 and Thomas Yasey as presbyters, or elders, to serve 

 these societies; it being understood that on his arri- 

 val Dr. Coke should ordain Francis Asbury as joint 

 .superintendent, to have coordinate authority with 

 himself; and that the two should, from among the 

 preachers, ordain a sufficient number to administer 

 the sacraments to the whole of the societies in America. 

 Furnished with letters of ordination under the hand 

 and seal of Mr. Wesley, Dr. Coke and his companions 

 sailed for New York, and arrived in that city Novem- 

 ber 3, 1784. Information of what had been done by 

 Mr. Wesley, and of what was further proposed to be 

 done, having been communicated to the preachers and 

 members of the American societies, a Conference was 

 summoned and convened in Baltimore on the 25th of 

 December, over which Dr. Coke presided, assisted by 

 Mr. Asbury, and at which sixty out of eighty-three— 

 the whole number of preachers in America— were 

 present. The first act of this Conference was to elect, 

 by a unanimous vote, Dr. Coke and Mr. Francis As- 

 bury general superintendents. This being done, Mr. 

 Asbury was by Dr. Coke, assisted by the Eev. Mr. 

 Otterbine — a clergyman of the German Church — suc- 

 cessively ordained deacon, presbyter, and superin- 

 tendent. The following American preachers were at 

 the same time elected, and as many of them as were 

 present at the Conference ordained elders, viz. : Free- 

 born Garrettson, William Gill, Le Koy Cole, John 

 Hagerty, James O. Cromwell, John Tunnell, Nelson 

 Eeed, Jeremiah Lambert, Eeuben Ellis, James O'- 

 Kelly, Eichard Ivey, Beverly Allen, and Henry Willis. 

 Freeborn Garrettson and James O. Cromwell were set 

 apart especially for Nova Scotia, and Mr. Lambert 



