Three years later, protesting racial segregation in the worship services, Allen led most of the black members out of St. George's.

Joseph Pilmore and Richard Boardman volunteered to preach to the fledgling Methodist movement in the new world colonies.

The society grew rapidly under the guidance of the popular Pilmore and they were soon ready for a new meeting place to accommodate their growing numbers.

At length we came to an agreement to purchase a very large Shell of a Church, that was built by the Dutch Presbyterians, and left unfinished for want of money.

The Church was built to support a Party-they spent their fortunes, and were thrown into gaol for debt-the Church was appoint to be sold be an Act of the Assembly-a Gentleman’s son, who was non compos mentis happened to step into the Auction room, and bought it-his Father, wanted to be off of the bargain, but could not, without proving the insanity of his son-rather than attempt this, he was willing to lose fifty pounds by the job.

Surely the very hairs of our heads are all numbered.The building was purchased for 650 pounds by Miles Pennington, a member of the Philadelphia Methodist Society.

On Friday, November 24, 1769, the day after the purchase, Pilmore dedicated the unfinished building with a sermon to 100 worshipers upon the text, "Who are thou, O great mountain?

The construction of the interior developed slowly over the next several years, in 1784 the walls were plastered, and in 1790 the church was floored with more comfortable seats installed.

In 1836 the shallow cellar was excavated to allow a vestibule and a room below for a Sunday School, the portico was removed and the center window above the front door was inserted.

Francis Asbury, later one of the first two bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church, arrived in America on October 27, 1771 after a fifty-three-day ocean voyage from England and received at St. George's.

The people looked on us with pleasure, hardly knowing how to show their love sufficiently, bidding us welcome with fervent affection, and receiving us as the angels of God."

During a 20-month period during the revolution, Asbury retired at the home of Methodist Judge Thomas White near Dover, Delaware.

With the colonies in disarray due to the impacts of war and the accompanying social upheaval, Asbury convened a conference of the northern preachers and virtually assumed control of the American Methodist societies.

John Wesley had written "A Calm Address to the American Colonists", which created antipathy towards the Methodists by supporters of the revolution.

During the revolution a controversy had erupted over the issue of the American Methodists being required to receive ordinances and communion from Church of England clergy.

Early Methodists advocated on behalf of the marginalized black members of their society, both slaves and freed people.

John Wesley, just six days before his death and after reading the testimony of former slave Gustavus Vassa wrote a letter to William Wilberforce in an unsuccessful attempt to pass abolition legislation that stated: "I see not how you can go through your glorious enterprise in opposing that execrable villainy, which is the scandal of religion, of England, and of human nature."

However, racial tensions flared, most notably in a seating policy segregating black members into a newly constructed upstairs gallery, without notification.

The next Sunday in 1787, white ushers attempted to forcibly drag a black member of the church, Absolem Jones, to a different pew.

[4][5] They were unsuccessful in removing him, but Allen, Jones, and the other black worshipers walked out of St. George's in a body at the end of the service and refused to return.

At first the Methodists referred to it as “our new meeting house”, but most likely at Pilmore's suggestion the name was changed to St. George's after the patron Saint of England, who was martyred in the Diocletian Persecution in the year 303.

1769 October 7 - First Methodist Hymnal published in America; printed at St. George's November 24 - Joseph Pilmore conducts and preaches The Dedication Service and first sermon in this building.

John Adams wrote home to his wife, Abigail, that he enjoyed attending St. George's because he was able "to worship with the ladies."

1776 Robert Morris, banker & merchant, attended St. George's New Year's Eve Watch Night Service and goes forth the next morning to successfully raise funds for Washington's army.

1784 November 7 - At St. George's, Dr. Thomas Coke presents Wesley's plan for the government of the Methodist Episcopal Church in America to the public for the first time.

1785 St. George's licensed Richard Allen and Absalom Jones, the first African American Lay Preachers of Methodism.

1976 July 4 - Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, renowned author and pastor of Marble Collegiate Church, leads St. George's Bicentennial Services.

March 10 - Cardinal John Krol becomes the first Roman Catholic prelate to speak from the Asbury Pulpit in a memorial service for Bishop Fred Pierce Corson.

Afterward, PA State Rep. Mary Isaacson and Philadelphia City Councilman Mark Squilla recognized St. George's two longest-serving members, Dr. Frank Renshaw (1974) and Hon.