In 1784 Wesley appointed Cooke superintendent of the Methodist societies in the United States, giving the following reasons for doing so—"that as the Revolution had separated the United States from the mother country and the Episcopal establishment was utterly abolished in the States it became his duty as providently at the head of the Methodist societies to obey their demand and furnish them the means of Grace. Recognized as their founder by the American Methodists; required by them to provide for their new necessities, and unable to induce the English prelates to do so, he ordained Cooke that he might go to America and ordain preachers." Cooke arrived in America and "ordained" Francis Ashbury first, as a presbyter and finally as a superintendent. Says Stevens, the Methodist historian: "The Colonial English Church being dissolved by the Revolution, its fragments were yet floating as had been the Methodist societies amid the stirring tide of events. When Ashbury began his superintendency there was small membership and but a few itinerant preachers. When he died there were seven hundred itinerants, 2,000 local preachers and 240,000 lay members."
The first services held in this country by a Methodist itinerant, Mr. Cooper, was held in the house of Colonel Daniel McCauley at Warwick in 1706. The second at that of Mrs. A. Smith, a sister of the colonel, situated at Middlehope. Mr. Cooper also visited John Woolsey near Milton. Six weeks later, accompanied by a Mr. John McCloskey, John Cooper passed through the same section, going as far north as New Paltz, holding services at the homes of Hendrick Deyo and Andries Du Bois.
In 1787 Ezekiel Cooper visited the town of Newburgh and held religious services at Samuel Fowler's in Middlehope, where he established a preaching station which remained such until 1813.
In 1788 the Methodist Conference established the Flanders circuit, which embraced a portion of this county, and put James O. Cooper in charge, with Jesse Lee, Orin Hutchins and John Lee as assistants.
In 1789 the circuit of Newburgh was created, with James D. Cromwell as presiding elder, and Nathaniel B. Mills and Andrew Humphrey as preachers. The following classes composed the circuit:
Samuel Fowler, Middlehope; Munson Wards, Fostertown; Jacob Daytons, Lattingtown; Mr. Schultz, Dolsentown; Mr. Warwick, Warwick; Luff Smith, Marlborough; Daniel Stephens, in the Clove; Richard Garrison, in the Clove; Elnathan Foster, Newburgh; Daniel Holmes, Middlehope; Samuel Wyatts, Keytown; Winslow Allison, Pochunk; John Ellisons, New Windsor; Daniel Ostrander, Plattekill; Samuel Ketcham, Sugar Loaf.
The first class to be organized (1807) as a church was the one at Vail's Gate under the name of the Union M. E. Church of New Windsor. In 1819 the Newburgh circuit was divided and another circuit created, including the societies at Bethel, Bloomingburgh, Middletown, Montgomery, Walden, Burlingham, Sam's Point and Walker Valley.
In 1837 Sugar Loaf circuit came into existence. This embraced Sugar Loaf, Florida, Ellenville, Bellevale, Chester. Monroe, Oxford, Satterlytown, Washingtonville, Blagg's Corner, Highland Mills, Little Long Pond and Greenwood Lake.
THE BAPTIST CHURCHES.
The Baptist denomination, we are informed by Dr. A. R Fuller of the First Baptist Church, Newburgh, N. Y., has at the present time, March, 1907, eleven churches. One in Cornwall, Unionville, Port Jervis, Warwick, Walden, Maybrook, two in Middletown and three in Newburgh. It has church property valued at $162,500.