CHARGEABLE TO NO MAN/ANSWERABLE TO NO MAN

CHARGEABLE TO NO MAN/ANSWERABLE TO NO MAN
By Larry Delano Coleman
Tuesday, December 14, 2010



And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so. 2 Cor. 11:9 (NIV)

In one respect, Bishop Richard Allen, a founding member of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, went beyond the Apostle Paul, whose fiscal support was supplied by the "brothers who came from Macedonia.”

Bishop Allen supported himself fiscally by working outside the church and in time came to be an essential financial resource to the church, itself. His church never paid him anything of substance. His sacrifice, doubtless, helped to assure the church’s vitality and longevity since 1787, when it was the Free African Society, and since 1816 when it was incorporated.

Bishop Allen, being chargeable to no man, was answerable to no man.

FARM WORK

Born a slave, upon his conversion to Christianity, he along with his older brother, also a slave, worked harder than ever to show their master and to prove to their doubters that Christ did not spoil good workers. Christ made them better workers! They put their farm work before their church meetings; their crops before their confessions. Their diligent labors bore fruit. Not only did their example convert their master to Christianity, but he enabled them to purchase their freedom from him for $2000.
WOOD CUTTING

By cutting wood they purchased their freedom, and their lives. This useful skill was employed, whenever and wherever necessary to procure bread.
26 So Joshua saved them from the Israelites, and they did not kill them. 27 That day he made the Gibeonites woodcutters and water carriers for the assembly, to provide for the needs of the altar of the LORD at the place the LORD would choose. And that is what they are to this day.
Joshua 9:26-27.

BRICK-YARD WORK

He also worked in a brick-yard to purchase his freedom and feed himself. “I used often to pray sitting or standing or lying; and while my hands were employed to earn my bread, my heart was devoted to my dear Redeemer. Sometimes I would waken from my sleep preaching and praying.”
That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers and foremen in charge of the people: 7“You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw. 8But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don’t reduce the quota. They are lazy; that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9Make the work harder for the men so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies.”Exodus 5:6-9
SALT-DELIVERIES

After the brick-yard, Bishop Allen began to supply salt from Delaware during the Continental War, making deliveries at regular stops and intervals, all the time preaching, praying and meditating. His salt delivery work pleased him greatly “in many happy seasons.”

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. Matthew 5:13

SELF-RELIANT PREACHER

After the Continental War, he traveled with numerous Methodist preachers of renown, preaching and teaching the gospel of Christ, and, as always, he relied on his own hands to feed and to clothe himself. He was also present at the first Methodist Episcopal general conference ever held in the United States in December 1784. Rev. Bishop Francis Asbury thereafter sent for Bishop Allen to travel with him down into the Carolinas slave states and other places, plainly telling Allen that he would have to sleep “in his carriage, but he would allow him his victuals and clothes.”
While Bishop Allen was a man of God, fully committed to John Wesley’s Methodism, his own background as a slave rebelled against the notion of sleeping in a carriage while being furnished only food and clothing as hire, something he could do for himself, had done for himself, and preferred doing for himself. His position was somewhat analogous to Isaiah 4:1--

And seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, "We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; take away our reproach."

Allen would be a Methodist upon his own terms, as a free man, under his own vine and fig tree, not as a slave, destitute and dependent on another.

JUST SAY “NO” TO THE BISHOP

Bishop Allen told Bishop Francis Asbury “no” to his travel request in the South. Allen told Asbury “I told him if I was taken sick who was to support me? And that I thought my people ought to lay up something while they were able, to support themselves in times of sickness and old age.”

Who was Bishop Francis Asbury? The most powerful Methodist in America:
In 1784 John Wesley named Asbury and Thomas Coke as co-superintendents of the work in America. This marks the beginning of the "Methodist Episcopal Church of the USA". For the next 32 years, Asbury led all the Methodists in America. . . Like Wesley, Asbury preached in all sorts of places: courthouses, public houses, tobacco houses, fields, public squares, wherever a crowd assembled to hear him. For the remainder of his life he rode an average of 6,000 miles each year, preaching virtually every day and conducting meetings and conferences. Under his direction, the church grew from 1,200 to 214,000 members and 700 ordained preachers. Among the men he ordained was Richard Allen in Philadelphia, the first black minister in the United States.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Asbury

FAITHFUL DILIGENCE IN PHILADELPHIA

Eventually, after traveling with others, Allen made his way to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He states, “My labor was much blessed. I soon saw a large field open in seeking and instructing my African brethren, who had been a long forgotten people, and few of them attended public worship.”

He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich. He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.Proverbs 10:4-5
Allen preached as early as 5:00 a.m., and as often as 4 or 5 times per day. He established prayer meetings and raised a society of 42 members in 1786, which included Rev. Absalom Jones, William White and Darius Jinnings. Absalom Jones and William White were pulled from their knees during prayer at St. Georges Episcopal Church by trustees, due to race discrimination. This led to a walk-out by the blacks, who in due course purchased land for construction of a church of their own, which became St. Thomas Episcopal Church, pursuant to majority vote by society members, which Rev. Absalom Jones ultimately headed, as priest.

6TH AND LOMBARD STREET BLACKSMITH SHOP

Meanwhile, Bishop Allen, an inveterate Methodist , had purchased land at 6th and Lombard Street for a church, which the society rejected in favor of the 5th street site occupied by St. Thomas. So, Bishop Allen purchased the property for his own account. He also purchased the frame of an old blacksmith shop, had it ferried to the 6th and Lombard St. site, and paid a team of carpenters to render it habitable and secure as a place of worship.

This converted blacksmith shop became Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, which opened July 1794, with a sermon by Bishop Frances Asbury. This taproot of “African Methodism” was established despite the zealous, organized opposition from St. Georges Episcopal Church, including litigation. Bishop Allen served as pastor of Bethel as well as the first consecrated bishop of the AM.E. Church.

CHIEF AFRICAN METHODIST FINANCIER

More than pastor and bishop, though, Bishop Allen was also chief financier. He specifically refused to accept his $500 per year salary, accepting only $80 total for all his years of service, bequeathing any balance due him to the church. He bequeathed another $1400, when the Bethel was sold and bought back by the members. The bishop also loaned Bethel $4,000. His claims against Bethel once aggregated $11,700, and if that is not enough, “At the time that Robert Green sold it, Mr. Allen bought it in for the congregation at the sum of $10,500.”

SHOE AND BOOT SHOP

In addition to his others intereinterests Bishop Allen owned a boot and shoe store, from which he retired a couple years before he died leaving an estate of $30,000-$40,000 in 1831 dollars.
7Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning the redemption and the exchange of land to confirm any matter: a man removed his sandal and gave it to another; and this was the manner of attestation in Israel. 8So the closest relative said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.” And he removed his sandal.
Ruth 4:7-8Yesterday’s sandals are today’s shoes. Bishop Allen was a man acquainted with redemption and exchange, so the scriptural reference applies. The shoe and boot shop joins farming, wood cutting, brick labor, and salt delivery as means by which he acquired his freedom and gained immortality as a religious founder, crusader and reformer among Africans and Methodists, world-wide.

THE GREAT ALLEN COMMISSION

Bishop Allen was chargeable to no man, and answerable to no man.
Would that certain born-again members of our great church, whether laity or episcopacy, or any in between, would not only celebrate Allen, but imitate Allen; would not just adulate Allen on Founder’s Day, but emulate Allen every day, in Jesus’ holy name! Amen.
Returning now to the Apostle Paul, for summation, we conclude:
7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk? 8 Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”[b] Is it about oxen that God is concerned? 10 Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. 11 If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? 12 If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more?
But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.
13 Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? 14 In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.
15 But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me, for I would rather die than allow anyone to deprive me of this boast. 16 For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. 18 What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights as a preacher of the gospel.
1 Corinthians 9:7-18

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