▁in ▁ 1 7 9 9 , ▁also ▁by ▁the ▁Church ▁of ▁England . ▁ ▁Before ▁the ▁American ▁Revolution , ▁Ang lic an ▁and ▁Method ist ▁mission aries ▁were ▁active ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 3 ▁Col on ies . ▁The ▁Method ists , ▁led ▁by ▁George ▁White field , ▁were ▁the ▁most ▁successful ▁according ▁to ▁Mark ▁N oll . ▁After ▁the ▁revolution ▁an ▁entirely ▁distinct ▁American ▁Method ist ▁den om ination ▁emer ged ▁that ▁became ▁the ▁largest ▁Protest ant ▁den om ination ▁in ▁the ▁new ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁As ▁histor ians ▁such ▁as ▁Carl ▁Br iden b augh ▁have ▁argued , ▁a ▁major ▁problem ▁for ▁colonial ▁officials ▁was ▁the ▁demand ▁of ▁the ▁Church ▁of ▁England ▁to ▁set ▁up ▁an ▁American ▁bishop ; ▁this ▁was ▁strongly ▁opposed ▁by ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁Americans . ▁ ▁In cre asing ly ▁colonial ▁officials ▁took ▁a ▁neutral ▁position ▁on ▁religious ▁matters , ▁even ▁in ▁those ▁colon ies ▁such ▁as ▁Virginia ▁where ▁the ▁Church ▁of ▁England ▁was ▁officially ▁established , ▁but ▁in ▁practice ▁controlled ▁by ▁lay men ▁in ▁the ▁local ▁vest ries . ▁After ▁the ▁Americans ▁broke ▁free , ▁British ▁officials ▁decided ▁to ▁enh ance ▁the ▁power ▁and ▁wealth ▁of ▁the ▁Church ▁of ▁England ▁in ▁all ▁the ▁sett ler ▁colon ies , ▁especially ▁British ▁North ▁America ▁( Can ada ). ▁ ▁Mission ary ▁soci eties ▁fund ed ▁their ▁own ▁operations ▁that ▁were ▁not ▁super vised ▁or ▁directed ▁by ▁the ▁Col onial ▁Office . ▁T ensions ▁emer ged ▁between ▁the ▁mission aries ▁and ▁the ▁colonial ▁officials . ▁The ▁latter