Francis Burns
Encyclopedia
Francis Burns was an American
Methodist minster who served as a missionary in Liberia
. He was the first Missionary Bishop
, and the first African American
Bishop
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
(elected in 1858).
. He was said to be "thoroughly African in his complexion
." New York
was still a slave state
at this time. Francis' parents were so poor
, such that at the age of four they placed their son in service with a farmer
in Greene County, New York
. At the age of eight, Francis was indentured to a Mr. Atwood (a farmer) to learn the farming business.
Francis was kindly permitted to attend school
with the other children of the neighborhood, during the winter season
(which is when most early schools were open, the farm chores being fewer during the winter). Two years later, however, his health becoming poor, Francis was sent to the district school during the entire summer.
preacher. At seventeen Francis felt that God required him to preach. Yet he refrained from doing so because he was bound to his master until the age of twenty-one.
His education
was insufficient from Francis' own perspective. And there appeared no field in which he might labor in answer his calling. When the way finally opened, he felt unwilling to enter it. But possessing an unquenchable thirst for knowledge
, Francis employed all his efforts to obtain it. While attending a high school
he began to hold religious meetings, and to exhort. He also began to teach
school. Indeed, Francis is said to have been "the first colored
student in a white school," the Academy at Lexington Heights, New York. He is also said to have been "the first colored teacher in a white school," in his own community, where he received marked respect. He was subsequently licensed as a local preacher on the Windham circuit.
Bishop Matthew Simpson
said of Francis Burns, in reflection:
and a preacher
. A Dr. Terry of the Mission Rooms was chiefly instrumental in leading him into missionary work. He encouraged Francis to enter upon a course of study, that he might be ready to go to Liberia or elsewhere, should the door open. In 1833 Dr. Terry secured for Francis an interview
with Bishop Hedding. In 1834, when the Rev. John Seys was about to sail for Liberia
, it was arranged that the Rev. Burns should accompany him as a Missionary Teacher. Sailing in September of that year, they arrived in Monrovia
18 October.
The Rev. Burns' first appointment in Liberia was as at Cape Palmas
. For two years he suffered from the dreaded fever
. He joined the Liberia Annual Conference
in 1838, and in 1840-42 was an assistant Preacher
on the Bassa Circuit. During 1843 and the early part of 1844 he was appointed to Monrovia
. In due course he was elected to orders
. Then ten years after arriving in Liberia, returning to New York, Francis Burns was ordained by Bishop Janes.
The Rev. Burns performed hard and difficult work in the missionary field. He also occasionally occupied the post of teacher
in the Monrovia Seminary
. He served as Editor
of the Africa's Luminary, doing so with marked ability.
16 June 1844 in Brooklyn, N.Y.. He was ordained Elder in the Mulberry Street
Church in New York City
the same day, with Bishop Janes officiating at both services. The Rev. Burns returned to Liberia later that year.
When, at the 1849 session of the Mission Conference, the work in Liberia was divided into districts, the Rev. Burns was appointed Presiding Elder of the Cape Palmas
District. For six years of the ten that he was Presiding Elder, he also served as President
of the Conference, reporting clearly and comprehensively the business of the mission to the Missionary Board in New York. In 1851, Burns also was sent to open an academy
in Monrovia and to superintend the Mission there.
. This took place 14 October 1858 at the session of the Genesee Annual Conference, meeting in Perry
, Wyoming County
, New York
. Bishops Janes and Baker presided at the consecration.
Bishop Simpson, quoting Dr. John Robie (who was present at the Conference), described the proceedings:
Bishop Burns returned to Africa
almost immediately following his consecration, where he devoted himself to the work which devolved upon him for the next nearly five years.
, Bishop Burns then returned to the U.S.A. He died 18 April 1863 within three days of his arrival in Baltimore, Maryland, a mere three months after Emancipation
in the United States. Bishop Burns was buried in Monrovia
, Liberia
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Methodist minster who served as a missionary in Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
. He was the first Missionary Bishop
Missionary Bishop (Methodist Church)
A Missionary Bishop is one assigned in the Anglican Communion to an area that is not already organized under a bishop of a church. The term was also used in the Methodist churches at one time, but this was discontinued in 1964.-Anglican churches:...
, and the first African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
(elected in 1858).
Birth, enslavement and early education
Francis was born 5 December 1809 in Albany, New YorkAlbany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
. He was said to be "thoroughly African in his complexion
Complexion
Complexion refers to the natural color, texture, and appearance of the skin, especially that of the face.-History:The word "complexion" is derived from the Late Latin complexi, which initially referred in general terms to a combination of things, and later in physiological terms, to the balance of...
." New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
was still a slave state
Slave state
In the United States of America prior to the American Civil War, a slave state was a U.S. state in which slavery was legal, whereas a free state was one in which slavery was either prohibited from its entry into the Union or eliminated over time...
at this time. Francis' parents were so poor
Poor
Poor is an adjective related to a state of poverty, low quality or pity.People with the surname Poor:* Charles Henry Poor, a US Navy officer* Charles Lane Poor, an astronomer* Edward Erie Poor, a vice president of the National Park Bank...
, such that at the age of four they placed their son in service with a farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
in Greene County, New York
Greene County, New York
Greene County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Its name is in honor of the American Revolutionary War general Nathanael Greene. Its county seat is Catskill...
. At the age of eight, Francis was indentured to a Mr. Atwood (a farmer) to learn the farming business.
Francis was kindly permitted to attend school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
with the other children of the neighborhood, during the winter season
Season
A season is a division of the year, marked by changes in weather, ecology, and hours of daylight.Seasons result from the yearly revolution of the Earth around the Sun and the tilt of the Earth's axis relative to the plane of revolution...
(which is when most early schools were open, the farm chores being fewer during the winter). Two years later, however, his health becoming poor, Francis was sent to the district school during the entire summer.
Early religious life and ministry
The Atwood family was respectable and eminently pious.The Atwood family lived in Ashland, New York in a house now owned By Samuel Creech. Francis attended the North Settlement Methodist Church, County Route 10 Ashland. Mrs. Atwood was a Methodist class-leader. One who knew her said she was "a holy and zealous woman." At fifteen years of age Francis was converted to the Christian faith under the influence of Miss Stewart, a white teacher, the daughter of a BaptistBaptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
preacher. At seventeen Francis felt that God required him to preach. Yet he refrained from doing so because he was bound to his master until the age of twenty-one.
His education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
was insufficient from Francis' own perspective. And there appeared no field in which he might labor in answer his calling. When the way finally opened, he felt unwilling to enter it. But possessing an unquenchable thirst for knowledge
Knowledge
Knowledge is a familiarity with someone or something unknown, which can include information, facts, descriptions, or skills acquired through experience or education. It can refer to the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject...
, Francis employed all his efforts to obtain it. While attending a high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
he began to hold religious meetings, and to exhort. He also began to teach
Teach
Teaching is the imparting of knowledge by a teacher or other knowledgeable person.Teach may also refer to:* A teacher * Téach , an Irish language term referring to a home or residence* Blackbeard , a notorious pirate...
school. Indeed, Francis is said to have been "the first colored
Colored
Colored is a term once widely used in the United States to describe black people and Native Americans...
student in a white school," the Academy at Lexington Heights, New York. He is also said to have been "the first colored teacher in a white school," in his own community, where he received marked respect. He was subsequently licensed as a local preacher on the Windham circuit.
Bishop Matthew Simpson
Matthew Simpson
Matthew Simpson , was an American bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, elected in 1852.-Early life and family:...
said of Francis Burns, in reflection:
- By his intelligence, his consistent piety, and by the force of his character, he rose above the disabilities of his color, and commanded the respect of all that knew him.
Missionary service
The Rev. Francis Burns became noticed as a pastorPastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
and a preacher
Preacher
Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
. A Dr. Terry of the Mission Rooms was chiefly instrumental in leading him into missionary work. He encouraged Francis to enter upon a course of study, that he might be ready to go to Liberia or elsewhere, should the door open. In 1833 Dr. Terry secured for Francis an interview
Interview
An interview is a conversation between two people where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information from the interviewee.- Interview as a Method for Qualitative Research:"Definition" -...
with Bishop Hedding. In 1834, when the Rev. John Seys was about to sail for Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
, it was arranged that the Rev. Burns should accompany him as a Missionary Teacher. Sailing in September of that year, they arrived in Monrovia
Monrovia
Monrovia is the capital city of the West African nation of Liberia. Located on the Atlantic Coast at Cape Mesurado, it lies geographically within Montserrado County, but is administered separately...
18 October.
The Rev. Burns' first appointment in Liberia was as at Cape Palmas
Cape Palmas
Cape Palmas is a headland on the extreme southeast end of the coast of Liberia, West Africa, at the extreme southwest corner of the northern half of the continent. The Cape itself consists of a small, rocky peninsula connected to the mainland by a sandy isthmus. Immediately to the west of the...
. For two years he suffered from the dreaded fever
Fever
Fever is a common medical sign characterized by an elevation of temperature above the normal range of due to an increase in the body temperature regulatory set-point. This increase in set-point triggers increased muscle tone and shivering.As a person's temperature increases, there is, in...
. He joined the Liberia Annual Conference
Annual Conference
An Annual Conference in the United Methodist Church is a regional body that governs much of the life of the "Connectional Church." Annual conferences are composed primarily of the clergy members and a lay member or members from each charge . Each conference is a geographical division...
in 1838, and in 1840-42 was an assistant Preacher
Preacher
Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
on the Bassa Circuit. During 1843 and the early part of 1844 he was appointed to Monrovia
Monrovia
Monrovia is the capital city of the West African nation of Liberia. Located on the Atlantic Coast at Cape Mesurado, it lies geographically within Montserrado County, but is administered separately...
. In due course he was elected to orders
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
. Then ten years after arriving in Liberia, returning to New York, Francis Burns was ordained by Bishop Janes.
The Rev. Burns performed hard and difficult work in the missionary field. He also occasionally occupied the post of teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
in the Monrovia Seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
. He served as Editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
of the Africa's Luminary, doing so with marked ability.
Ordained ministry
The Rev. Francis Burns returned to the U.S. in 1844. He was ordained DeaconDeacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
16 June 1844 in Brooklyn, N.Y.. He was ordained Elder in the Mulberry Street
Mulberry Street (Manhattan)
Mulberry Street is a principal thoroughfare in Manhattan, New York. The street was listed on maps of the area since at least 1755. The "Bend" in Mulberry in which the street changes direction from southwest to northeast to a northerly direction was to avoid the wetlands surrounding the Collect Pond...
Church in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
the same day, with Bishop Janes officiating at both services. The Rev. Burns returned to Liberia later that year.
When, at the 1849 session of the Mission Conference, the work in Liberia was divided into districts, the Rev. Burns was appointed Presiding Elder of the Cape Palmas
Cape Palmas
Cape Palmas is a headland on the extreme southeast end of the coast of Liberia, West Africa, at the extreme southwest corner of the northern half of the continent. The Cape itself consists of a small, rocky peninsula connected to the mainland by a sandy isthmus. Immediately to the west of the...
District. For six years of the ten that he was Presiding Elder, he also served as President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of the Conference, reporting clearly and comprehensively the business of the mission to the Missionary Board in New York. In 1851, Burns also was sent to open an academy
Academy
An academy is an institution of higher learning, research, or honorary membership.The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 385 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and skill, north of Athens, Greece. In the western world academia is the...
in Monrovia and to superintend the Mission there.
Episcopal ministry
The 1856 General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church made provision for the first time for the election and consecration of a Missionary Bishop (for the African work). Accordingly, in January 1858 the Liberia Annual Conference elected the Rev. Francis Burns as their first Bishop. He returned to the U.S.A. for consecrationConsecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
. This took place 14 October 1858 at the session of the Genesee Annual Conference, meeting in Perry
Perry, New York
Perry, New York is the name of two locations in Wyoming County, New York.*Perry , New York*Perry , New York...
, Wyoming County
Wyoming County, New York
Wyoming County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. At the 2010 census, the population was 42,155. The county seat is Warsaw. The name is from a modified Delaware Indian word meaning "broad bottom lands"...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Bishops Janes and Baker presided at the consecration.
Bishop Simpson, quoting Dr. John Robie (who was present at the Conference), described the proceedings:
- Though of ebony complexion, he had gained wonderfully on the affection and respect of all who had made his acquaintance, and especially of those privileged to an intimate association with him. His manner is exceedingly pleasant, and his spirit is as kind, sweet, and good as ever beamed from human heart or disposition. He seems to be lacking in none of the qualifications of the gentlemanGentlemanThe term gentleman , in its original and strict signification, denoted a well-educated man of good family and distinction, analogous to the Latin generosus...
and Christian minister. He possesses also an intelligent and cultivated mind, speaks readily and fluently, and even eloquently, and is in all respects a model African. Such is the man whom the Liberian Conference has selected for a bishop, and such the one the highest authorities of one American church have set apart for the sacred and responsible position.
Bishop Burns returned to Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
almost immediately following his consecration, where he devoted himself to the work which devolved upon him for the next nearly five years.
Failing health and death
Bishop Burns' health began to fail. He was therefore directed to take a sea voyage. On the advice of his physicianPhysician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
, Bishop Burns then returned to the U.S.A. He died 18 April 1863 within three days of his arrival in Baltimore, Maryland, a mere three months after Emancipation
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation is an executive order issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, during the American Civil War using his war powers. It proclaimed the freedom of 3.1 million of the nation's 4 million slaves, and immediately freed 50,000 of them, with nearly...
in the United States. Bishop Burns was buried in Monrovia
Monrovia
Monrovia is the capital city of the West African nation of Liberia. Located on the Atlantic Coast at Cape Mesurado, it lies geographically within Montserrado County, but is administered separately...
, Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
.
Biographies
- Trafton, Mark, Lives of Missionary Bishops, Flood and Hamilton, 1882.
- "Francis Burns" in Cyclopaedia of Methodism, Matthew Simpson, D.D., LL.D., Ed., (Revised Edition.) Philadelphia, Louis H. Everts, 1880.http://wesley.nnu.edu/wesleyctr/books/0701-0800/HDM0720.PDF