Saint James African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church stands as a testament to the enduring spirit of African American communities across the United States. From its humble beginnings in the 19th century to its present-day role as a center for faith, social justice, and community support, Saint James AME Church has played a vital role in shaping the lives of countless individuals.
Saint James AME Church in Newark, New Jersey
Origins and Early History
During the 1800s, Black individuals faced discrimination and were often discouraged from worshipping alongside whites. In 1849, a small group of devout Christians from Havre de Grace and Stewartsville, Maryland, now known as Gravel Hill, recognized the need for a dedicated religious space to worship God. This group began meeting in the home of Mr. and Mrs. James Peaco and commenced planning for the erection of a church on Zion Hill.
Mount Zion Meeting House
The church was initially named Mt. Zion Meeting House. In 1850, Bishop A. W. Wayman of the AME Conference sent Rev. W.M. Ebenezer AME Church. In 1865 Rev. Daniel Rideout became the pastor of both churches, and during his tenure, the membership decided to move from Mt. Zion to Anderson Institute in Havre de Grace. Rev. Jacob Hatton replaced Rev. Rideout in 1868 and served as pastor until 1869. Preachers succeeding Rev. Rideout were Rev. Hatton, Rev. Josiah Hughes (1870-71) and Rev.
Relocation and Renaming
In 1873, Rev. Joseph Robinson became the pastor. It was under his leadership that the trustees purchased a tract of land on Green Street. In 1874, the men of the church, with the aid of Mr. Tobias Skinner’s horse, moved the building from Zion Hill to its present location on Green Street. After the completion, the congregation decided to rename the church St.
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From its beginning, the oldest African American Church in Havre de Grace, St. James has been served by 43 pastors, each distinguishing himself in many different areas - from Rev. W. M. Waters to our current pastor, Rev. Dr. Baron D. St.
Saint James AME Church in Newark, New Jersey
St. ChurchSaint James AME ChurchSt. Church is a historic church located at High and Court Streets in Newark, New Jersey. It was originally called the High Street Presbyterian Church until 1926, when it was briefly disbanded. Incorporated in 1842, and located on Green Street in Newark, it was formed under Rev. C. Birch, however, it was briefly disbanded in 1926 then re-established as Saint James AME Church. Church services were held in various places before settling at 94 Union Street. In January 1945, the church moved to its present building on High Street (now Martin Luther King Boulevard).
Architectural Significance
The church was built to represent a florid Gothic structure in the pointed style of the 14th century built wholly stone from the Little Falls by renowned architect John Welch. It is said to be one of his first projects upon coming to the United States. The interior presents a spacious and cheerful room, without galleries, relieved of any sepulchral effect by the unobtrusively rich stained glass windows, which temper the atmosphere into a soft mellow tone, without excluding too much light. The pews are invitingly arranged and cushioned with red, the carpets being of the same general tone. The pulpit is of elaborately carved oak, the wood work of the organ loft over the front vestibule and seats being of the same material.
The church is designed in a rectangular shape with the placement of the tower, piers and chancel in a style similar to the English fourteenth century decorative period. The building is constructed entirely of a hand-cut stone in an approximate facsimile of a Flemish bond. A centrally located tower on the facade is Norman in style with some early English elements. The building is on an east-west axis and has its front doors on a level with the sidewalk. The nave and rear addition reach back and down the steep hill so that the building appears to be quite large.
Historical Recognition and Preservation
Saint James was placed on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places in 1972. By gaining landmark status and eligibility for monies designated for historic preservation, the church received a substantial grant of $1.3 million in 2000 awarded by the New Jersey Historic Trust.
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Saint James AME Church in Denton, Texas
St James African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church was organized in 1875, in Freedmen Town, a former African American Community on the perimeter of Denton, Texas. St. James AME is the oldest recorded African American church in the city of Denton. The congregation was formed by freedmen and women from White Rock, located in Dallas county who fled outside the city of Denton. Rev. L.T. Lambert became the first pastor of St. James AME. Before St. James AME constructed its first church building before the early 1890s, the congregation held church services at church members’ homes. By the early 1890s, St. James relocated to Oak Street and built a church there under the leadership of Rev. D. Hill. Then in 1899, the church was rebuilt under the leadership of Rev. J.S. Powe. In 1909, another building was erected on the property of St. James AME. This location on Oak Street severed the church until 1922.
The leaders of the African American community were often preachers, and sometimes doctors, teachers or, lawyers, but the church often served as a platform for the leaders to get their message across to other community members. St. James AME was essentially the backbone of the African American community and prominent African Americans of Denton served in leadership roles of the congregation. For instance, Dr. Moten, an African American doctor served as president of the Christian Endeavor, which was St. James AME’s own unique organization. In addition, Moton was a major representative of St. James AME, which hosted the Dallas District Sunday school convention, in 1920. At the time, Rev. Jones was one of the primary preachers of St. James AME, who also attended the conference with Moten along with delgelates across North Texas.
Before and after the removal from Quakertown, St. James AME was very active in the Denton African American community. According to numerous reports from the Dallas Express, St. James AME was presumably one of the most active African American churches in Denton County during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. St. James AME often interacted with several African American congregations in Denton, including, Pleasant Grove Baptist, St. Emmanuel Missionary Baptist, and Mt. Pilgrim CME. Furthermore, they hosted graduation ceremonies for the African American schools in the area and hosted church-related rallies to benefit the community. For instance, in 1919, St. James AME was scheduled to host a graduation ceremony. Again, in 1922, St. James AME hosted a graduation, but specifically for Fred Moore School. County Line Baptist Church in Pilot Point also hosted graduations for the local African American youth, since churches often served as a community centers, not just for church worship services.
Upon the 110th anniversary since the founding of St. James AME, the church received its historical marker in 1985. As of 2018, St. James is reaching it’s 143rd anniversary, remains the third-oldest African American church in Texas.
In the earliest years of the organization’s existence the congregation met in each others’ private homes. For the first year, Rev. L.T. Lambert lead the congregation as the St. Church’s only minister at the time. In the following year, 1876, Rev. J.V.B. Goins became the new church’s pastor. By 1880, most black residents now resided in a community called Quakertown. With the community becoming more established, the need for a church building was clear.
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In 1882, documents were submitted to reserve land to build a church building. Henry and Charlotte Maddox helped organize a group to plan and build the church. They collected the wood for church building themselves. The St. Church became the first church in Quakertown. In the early 1890s, the church was moved to Oakland Ave and the congregation’s leadership was transferred to Rev. D. Hill. In addition to the church being moved, a second smaller building was also erected. In 1899, Rev. J.S. Powe took leadership of the St. Church. In this same year the church was rebuilt. A decade later in 1909, another building was built under Rev. A.J.
In 1913, The only all-black school in Denton, the Frederick Douglass School, burned down. With no where else to go, classes were held in the basement of the St. Church until the new school was built in the southeast side of Denton. In addition to temporarily housing the school, the church was involved in hosting various events and conferences. They hosted concerts and workshops and talks from prominent academic figures.
In 1921, the church hosted the 15th Annual Session of the Texas Negro Business League. Black business men from all over the state attended the event to learn how to succeed in business, how to obtain their civil rights on a federal level, the importance of solidarity, the importance of fire insurance, and other important talks.
In 1921, the City of Denton began purchasing lots from Quakertown residents with the intention of removing the community and building a park. The church’s plot of land was purchased by the city in 1922. Many Quakertown residents, like the Hill family, were able to move their houses to Solomon Hill. However, this wasn’t possible for the St. Church. The building was wrecked and a new building was constructed on the corner of Oak and Crawford Streets. This location continues to serve as the church’s home.
Through the 20th century, the church went through continued changes in leadership and updates to the church. Due to the age of the building, in 1962 the lot was cleared to construct a newer brick building. The church continued to modernize and was occasionally the Denton Christian Women’s Interracial Fellowship used the building for their meetings. The St. Church welcomed its first female pastor, Rev. Robbie L. Slaughter in 1980.
In 1985, during Rev. Slaughter’s time leading the church, they received a state historical marker on their 110th anniversary. In 2021, it was discovered that the roof was sagging. Upon closer inspection they found out that the rafters were broken as well as the trusses, resulting in the roof needing to be replaced. The church was able to obtain a loan for $50,000 to help with repairs.
Saint James AME Church in Live Oak, Florida
For nearly 160 years, the Saint James AME Church in Live Oak, Florida, has been a fundamental haven in the community. Before African Americans were allowed to go to school or worship freely, they gathered in this sacred space.
The sense of community fostered by Saint James AME Church has become a lifeline in times of need. This was especially true when Hurricane Helene hit Live Oak, Florida, this past September. The distribution extended beyond Saint James AME Church. The church reached out to seven other churches in the area, ultimately supporting about 500 people.
Saint James AME Church in Mid-City
Historic St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church in Mid-City has received a Preserving Black Churches grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund.
In 1848, free people of color established St. James AME. The church charter did not allow enslaved people to become members, but that didn’t stop St. James AME from allowing them to attend service or from fighting for their freedom. During the Civil War, the church at 222 N. Roman St. was used as the headquarters for a company of Black Union soldiers under the command of Col. James Lewis.
During Reconstruction, Gov. P.B.S. Pinchback and Lt. Governor Oscar J. Dunn (the country’s first Black lieutenant governor) were members of St. The Black Masons of Louisiana and the YMCA for Black men (later named the Dryades Street YMCA) were founded at St. James. The church also established the Bienville School for Black children, renamed the Albert Wicker School in honor of a St. Civil rights protests also were staged at the church.
Saint James AME Church in Columbus, Georgia
Three quarters of a century had passed since Richard Allen and Absalom Jones led their brothers and sisters of African descent out of Saint George Methodist Episcopal Church in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1787. In 1864, the Reverend William Gaines, an ordained Deacon and brother of Bishop J. Gaines of Charleston, SC, became the first pastor of Saint James.
In those days, all of the churches in Georgia belonged to the South Carolina Conference. The property on which Saint James AME Church stands was given to the African Methodist Episcopal Church by an act of the Georgia Legislature in 1873. The present edifice, a cathedral in structure and design, was erected during the pastorate of the Reverend Wesley J. Gaines at a cost of $20,000.00. It was completed in 1876.
The front doors, which came from the Asbury Methodist Episcopal Church, are probably the oldest parts of the church. The heavy, ornately carved front doors were built by slaves at the Dudley Sash and Door Company located at Sixth Avenue and 13th Street. The most interesting features of the building are the center spire and twin turrets on each side of the tower built in 1886. The twin turrets are stone trimmed and have brick details on the exterior. The interior spiral stairs lead from the narthex to the balcony. A semicircular apse containing an altar and choir loft was added at a later date. The choir loft was formerly in the rear of the church. The current pipe organ was installed during the pastorate of the Reverend Harold I. Bearden (1940-1948) who was later elected the 83rd Bishop of the AME Church.
Saint James is the second oldest church of its denomination in Georgia. This congregation has held memberships in five annual conferences: the South Georgia, the Georgia, the North Georgia, the Macon Georgia and the Southwest Georgia Annual Conferences.
Saint James AME Church in St. Paul, Minnesota
St. Church was organized in 1876 in a one-room house occupied by Hamilton Giles (The Minnesota Historical Society records state that St. Church started in 1870). The founders were Daniel Harding, J.A. Henry, Addie Belesene, Elizabeth Bannister, Charles Lazenberry, Charles Williams, Virginia Howard, Belle Calton, Electra Liggins, Hamilton Giles, Thomas A. Lyles, Amanda Lyles, Belle Lazenberry, Columbus Waldon, Mary Mclain, J. Armstrong, Anna Moffit, William Quinn, Sarra Hilyard, J.H. Jacobs, Samuel Bean, J.L.
The first location was at Seventh and Robert Streets. The church did not make much progress until Mr. Henry Marly took charge in 1877; the memberships had increased to twenty during his two administration. Mr. Simonds was appointed and stayed two years, the membership increased to twenty-seven. In 1879, Mr. Burton was appointed and stayed a short time; the church did not prosper very well under his charge, the membership having decreased to seventeen. In 1880, W.H. Brown was appointed by the Illinois Conference, he was a hard worker and through his efforts the church gained eleven members, making the membership twenty-eight. At the turn of the century they moved to the new location at Jay and Fuller.
This church was partially destroyed by fire in 1908. Rev. R.S. Seymore was the Pastor. While waiting for the structure to be rebuilt, services were held in the old Court Hall, then called Freyer Hall, at 505 ½ Washington Ave. The jail at the time was in the building. Under the leadership of Rev. William Griffin, the basement unit of the new St.
In October of 1940, Rev. B.N. Moore was appointed to St. James by Bishop J.A. Gregg. The Bishop urged Rev. Moore to build the super structure to the basement unit and indicated his confidence that “with God’s help” it could be done. The building was begun in August 1948 and September 1949. World War II halted building operations, however $50,000 was raised to apply to building costs. The completed church has a seating capacity of 700. The building and furnishings are valued in excess of $200,000 and is “one of America’s most beautiful churches”.
Rev. Mordeau Williams was appointed to St. James in September 1960. Bishop H.T. Primm and Rev. Williams burned the mortgage on the church, August 28, 1970; this same day was the dedication of the newly purchased parsonage, 623 Aurora, and also the ground breaking of the “Jamestown” apartment project, 586 Central Ave.
During the past hundred years, the following persons have served in the capacities as recorded:
- BISHOPS: Archibald Carey, L.J. Coppin, A.F. Gaines, H. Blanton Parks, J.A. Gregg, Joseph Gomez, George W. Baber, Howard T. Primm, Hubert N. Robinson, Samuel E. Morris, Robert Thomas, Jr., James Haskell Mayo, Philip R. Cousin, John R. Bryant, and at present John Franklin White.
- PRESIDING ELDERS: Thomas Stovall, W.E. Guy, Nelson Prior, C.W. Ellison, William D. Davis, Alphonse Reff, and at present Stacey L.
Richard Allen, founder of the AME Church
Pastoral Leadership
A roster lists the names of all the prior pastors to lead Saint James. However, only one name on that list had the honor of being elected and consecrated the 105th Bishop of the AME Church.
The Enduring Legacy
From its beginnings as a sanctuary for marginalized communities to its current role as a beacon of hope and activism, the Saint James AME Church continues to embody the values of faith, resilience, and social justice. Its rich history serves as an inspiration to future generations, reminding them of the power of community and the importance of standing up for what is right.
