2 6 1 , 0 3 2 ▁people . ▁The ▁number ▁of ▁individuals ▁att ending ▁morning ▁services ▁was ▁ 4 , 6 4 7 , 4 8 2 , ▁and ▁the ▁total ▁number ▁of ▁at ten de es ▁( including ▁duplicates ) ▁was ▁ 1 0 , 8 9 6 , 0 6 6 . ▁The ▁total ▁population ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁was ▁ 1 7 . 9 ▁million . ▁ ▁Mission ary ▁activity ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁he yd ay ▁of ▁the ▁First ▁British ▁Empire , ▁Ang lic an ▁and ▁Method ist ▁mission aries ▁were ▁active ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 3 ▁American ▁Col on ies . ▁The ▁Method ists , ▁led ▁by ▁George ▁White field , ▁were ▁the ▁most ▁successful ▁and ▁after ▁the ▁revolution ▁and ▁entirely ▁distinct ▁American ▁Method ist ▁den om ination ▁emer ged ▁that ▁became ▁the ▁largest ▁Protest ant ▁den om ination ▁in ▁the ▁new ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁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 ▁and ▁never ▁happened . ▁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