I have written a short history of the Methodist-Episcopal Church in America. There were plenty of these churches in Albany County and the surrounding region. The name of this church has been confusing to me since it combines the names of two major religions in the US. However, I learned that the word Episcopal simply means that bishops are part of the hierarchy of the church. Methodist-Episcopal was the first official name of the Methodist Church in this country. The church began as a lay movement of Methodist migrants, but John Wesley wouldn't send any ordained ministers from England until after the American Revolution. The church gained recognition in 1785. Two African branches separated due to racial mistreatment, and a large branch left because the church "would not grant representation to the laity or permit the election of presiding elders". Then, disagreement over the slavery issue broke the remaining church into northern and southern branches. In 1939, the three non-African branches re-united to form the Methodist Church. This summarizes some major events of the Methodist-Episcopal Church. To read a bit more, go to my brief article. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~clifflamere/Ch/CH-MethEpisc-History.htm There, you will find links to much more extensive histories. Cliff