Rev. Frost Pollitt and the Delaware Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church: Presiding Elder

The Rev. Frost Pollitt was not only a Founding member of the Delaware Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church but he was present at two of the preceding conferences to form the Delaware Conference.

From the Minutes of the First Session of the Delaware Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, held in the John Wesley Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Rev. Frost Pollitt was appointed an Elder on July 31, 1864.

During this first session and in other succeeding sessions, Rev. Frost Pollitt was elected to serve as the President, Conference Missionary Society. Additionally, he is listed in the minutes as leading the session in prayer.

Reference: Official Journal and Year Book of the Delaware Annual Conference The Methodist Church, One Hundred Third Session, Tindley Temple Methodist Church, Broad and Fitzwater Streets, Philadelphia, Pa., April 27 and 28, 1965, The Methodist Publishing House, Nashville, Tenn., 1965, pp. 197-211.

p. 197
“Presiding Elder: Frost Pollett (1864-1872).
Admitted on trial were John W. Saunders, Simon Taylor, Abraham Brown, Stephen Johns, Wesley J. Parker, Charles Pollett, Stephen Whittington, Samuel G. Waters, Anthony Driver, and Robert Robinson.
The following were elected as officers: President, Frost Pollett; vice-president, Jehu H. Pierce; secretary, Wilmore S. Elsey; treasurer, Isaac Hinson; managers, James Davis, Joshua Brinkley, and Harrison Smith; treasurer of the conference collections, David Tilghman.”

p. 201
Now it is 1864 and these ten men stand in front of Bishop James consciously or unconsciously the composite of all these factors. In their initial legislation there are three items that show the maturity of the ten men who have now achieved the itinerancy. First they honored, by electing and placing in the number three spot on the roll, Frost Pullett. He was seventy-six years of age, all black, had been born in 1787, knew his parents (both of them), and had a son sitting in the church who was born in 1817 and about to become a conference member. He had in 1840 purchased his freedom and as an independent evangelist, traveled the Peninsula, Delaware, and to Philadelphia preaching to all who would hear with such skill that aside from one arrest and numerous flights from ruffians, had made it to his seventy-sixth year.”

Reference: Slavery and Freedom in Delaware, 1639-1865, by William Henry Williams, p. 225

p. 225
“Finally, in 1864 the all-black Delaware Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church was formed with the power to appoint and ordain ministers. This development guaranteed that all-black congregations in Delaware as well as the Eastern Shore of Maryland, in southeastern Pennsylvania, and in New Jersey now would be served by ordained black appointed by a black conference. 22”

1864 Rev. Frost Pollitt elected President, Conference Missionary Society
Reference: Minutes of the First Session of the Delaware Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, John Wesley Church, Philadelphia, Pa, July 28 to 29, 1864, pub. by the Conference, Philadelphia, Pa., 1864, p. 2.

1864 Rev. Frost Pollitt elected as an Elder of the Delaware Conference
Reference: Minutes of the First Session of the Delaware Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, John Wesley Church, Philadelphia, Pa, July 28 to 29, 1864, pub. by the Conference, Philadelphia, Pa., 1864, p. 3.

1864 Rev. Frost Pollitt the Delaware Conference in opening prayer
Reference: Minutes of the First Session of the Delaware Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, John Wesley Church, Philadelphia, Pa, July 28 to 31, 1864, pub. by the Conference, Philadelphia, Pa., 1864, p. 4.

“He [Bishop Janes] called the meeting to order at 9 o’clock and conducted the opening religious exercises, which consisted in reading of the Scriptures, singing, and prayer. He then announced a second hymn which was sung, after which Rev. Frost Pollett led in prayer.”

1864 Rev. Frost Pollitt elected as a member and Elder of the Delaware Conference
Reference: Minutes of the First Session of the Delaware Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, John Wesley Church, Philadelphia, Pa, July 28 to 31, 1864, pub. by the Conference, Philadelphia, Pa., 1864, pp. 6-7.

Friday Morning, July 29, 1864, First Session
p. 6
“The Bishop then called for the recommendations of Local Deacons for Elders orders.
The following were presented and read, after each applicant was carefully represented, and they were elected, viz.
Solomon Jackson, recommended by the Quarterly

p. 7
Conference of the Waugh Circuit, Cambridge, Md., Frost Pollitt, recommended by the Quarterly Conference of the Manoken Circuit, Somerset Co., Md., and Samuel Elsey, recommended by the Quarterly Conference of the Wycomico Circuit, Somerset Co., Md.”
“Frost Pollitt having been recommended was received as a member of the Delaware Conference and his name to be entered as the third on the roll.”

1864 Rev. Frost Pollitt was ordained as an Elder of the Delaware Conference and Charles Pollett was ordained as a Deacon
Reference: Minutes of the First Session of the Delaware Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, John Wesley Church, Philadelphia, Pa, July 28 to 31, 1864, pub. by the Conference, Philadelphia, Pa., 1864, p. 10.

Sunday, July 31, 1864
“The following certificates are presented by Bishop Janes to be place upon the Record.

The following persons were by me ordained Deacons in the Methodist Episcopal Church, viz.

Simon Taylor	Henry Morris
Daniel R. Oney	Robert Robinson
Charles Pollett	Richard Moore
and Peter Hill

July 31st, 1864, John Wesley, Philadelphia, Pa.

Joshua Brinkley was ordained Elder by me on the 28th July 1864; and Frost Pollitt and Solomon Jackson on July 31st, 1864, Philadelphia, Pa.”

1864 Rev. Frost Pollitt was appointed to serve in Manoken Charge, Choptank District for 1864
Reference: Minutes of the First Session of the Delaware Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, John Wesley Church, Philadelphia, Pa, July 28 to 31, 1864, pub. by the Conference, Philadelphia, Pa., 1864, p. 11.

“Appointments for 1864
Choptank District, Wilmore S. Elsey, P.E.

Wycomico	Charles Pollett
Manoken	Frost Pollett, S. G. Waters

1868 Rev. Frost Pollitt was listed as a Superannuated Preacher with a Post Office address at Forktown, Md.
Reference: Minutes of the Fifth Session of the Delaware Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Zoar M. E.Church, Philadelphia, Pa, July 23, 1868, pub. by the Conference, Philadelphia, Pa., 1868, p. 4.

NOTE: The Rev. Frost Pollett, although officially retired, or superannuated and receiving somewhat of a pension from the Conference, continued to hold leadership positions in the church such as President, Conference Missionary Society, and is noted as leading the conference in the first session opening prayer on most occasions.

“Superannuated Preachers Post Office addrefs

Isaac Hinson	Haddonfield, N.J.
Frost Pollet	Forktown, Md.
Samuel Dale	Odessa, Del.

Frost’s address in 1868 as a retired or Superannuated Preacher was listed as Forktown, Md. or which is now, Fruitland, Maryland. Most likely, he lived near Forktown, in Wicomico County, in Nutters District, as he appears in the 1870 Census. At that point he owned land in that area which he later devised to his children and deeded to them after his death.