EV. MICAJAH DEBRULER began preaching about the year 1779. He was received into the Methodist Conference this year in Kent county, Delaware. The Conference was held the 24th of April. He attended the Conference, which met in Baltimore, April 14, 1780, and was one of the thirteen, who with Francis Asbury enacted the following decree: "We disapprove of the step our brethren have taken in Virginia, and we look upon them no longer as Methodists in connection with Mr. Wesley and us, till they come back. The only condition of our union with them shall be to suspend all their administrations for one year, and all meet in Baltimore, April 24, 1780."

      That the Conference have the appearance of civility towards the preachers affected by the above, the following minute or canon was passed: "If any of the preachers administer the ordinances, they may be borne with one year, but if any of the members receive them from the preachers they shall be expelled immediately." The [46] canon passed against the Virginia preachers has been styled the "Baltimore Methodistical Bull." One writer records the fact that he seemed to lament the part which he took in establishing Methodist despotism and withdrew from the church. He desisted from traveling in 1783. In 1784, it was ordered that "the assistants and those who were to be received into full connection" in the Conference should attend. So the record for the year stands, "Richard Garrettson, Micajah Debruler, and Samuel Watson desisted from traveling." From this time forward he was a local preacher, until in 1792, when Mr. O'Kelly withdrew from the Conference in Baltimore. He then united his efforts with him in establishing the Christian Church and Denomination.

      In 1807, Rev. M. Debruler attended the General Meeting or Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina, which began on the 22nd of October. At this time, he is spoken of as an "old preacher;" he had now been engaged in the ministry twenty-eight years. He gladly received Joseph Thomas who then was on his way to the Conference, and "taught, advised, encouraged, and consoled" him. He was now living in Orange county about fourteen miles eastward from the Hawfields on the road leading to Raleigh. When the first census was taken in 1790, he was recorded as a freeholder, and stands assessed with 130 acres of land. Several families of Debrulers now live in Alamance (formerly a part of Orange) county, North Carolina.

[LCM 46-47]