For several years previous to 1824, the
question of what was called the election of "Presiding
Elders" was much agitated in many part of the Methodist
Episcopal Church. These Elders had always been, as they
still are in the United States [1864], appointed by the
Bishops. The so-called reform sought for was to take away
this power from the Bishops, and place it in the Annual
Conferences—making the office elective. As none but the
General Conference could effect this change in the
Discipline of the Church, great exertions were used at the
Annual Conferences to elect delegates to the General
Conference who sympathized with, and would vote for, the
"reform."
This was the case in the Genesee
Conference, of which Canada then formed a part. Messrs. Ryan
and Case, the two Presiding Elders in Canada, were strongly
opposed to the electing of Presiding Elders by each
Conference, and were consequently left out of the
delegation, and the Rev. Isaac B. Smith [son-in-law of Henry
Ryan] and the Rev. Wyat Chamberlayne were elected to
represent the Canada section of the Conference. At that time
there was a large majority of the members of the Genesee
Conference in favour of the contemplated reform. Mr. Case
bore his defeat with apparent composure; not so Mr. Ryan,
who was annoyed at the defeat itself, and more so at the
prospective changes in the mode of appointing Presiding
Elders.