The African Methodist Episcopal Church was born in protest against slavery - against dehumanization of African people, brought to the American continent as labor. It stands as a testament to the resilience, faith, and determination of African Americans in the face of adversity. Throughout the United States, numerous Saint Paul African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Churches have emerged, each with its unique history and contributions to their respective communities. This article explores the stories of several of these churches, highlighting their origins, struggles, and triumphs.
Origins in Protest: The Founding of the AME Church
In November 1787, Richard Allen and a number of other black Methodists arrived at St. George's Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to attend Sunday services. They were directed toward a newly built seating gallery, and mistakenly sat in its "white" section. During a prayer, white ushers pulled the black worshippers to their feet and demanded that they sit in the "proper" section.
Humiliated, Allen, a former slave from Delaware who had joined the evangelical Wesleyan movement because of its work against slavery and who eventually became a licensed Methodist preacher and several others left the church at the prayer's end. "They were no more plagued with us in the church," he later said. The gap between black and white Methodists was also created, according to theologian Will B. Gravely, by "incidents of white pastors refusing to take black infants into their arms to christen them ... of blacks having to wait until all whites were served the Lord's Supper before being admitted to the table ... [and] of conflicts over access to burial grounds."
In response to such discrimination, African American Methodists in Baltimore, Maryland, and Philadelphia began holding separate prayer meetings as early as 1786, two years after the founding of American Methodism. With the support of other black Methodists, Allen tried to buy a separate building for such meetings, but abandoned his plan in the face of white hostility. Recognizing the importance of black self-reliance, Allen, Absalom Jones, and others had formed the Free African Society benevolent organization whose commitment to abolition and the aiding of blacks in times of need became a model for other societies nationwide. By 1794 Philadelphia's black Methodists had raised enough money to build their own church, which a majority of the congregation voted to align with the Episcopalians rather than the Methodists. They named it the Saint Thomas African Episcopal Church.
Allen, however, believing that "no religious sect or denomination would suit the capacity of the colored people as well as the Methodists, for the plain and simple gospel suits best for any people," purchased that year a blacksmith shop with his own money and converted it into a storefront church. Methodist Bishop Frances Asbury named it the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church. By 1816 black Methodists, still facing persistent discrimination, had come to believe that separate churches were not enough.
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In April, 16 representatives from five congregations met at Bethel, Philadelphia, to discuss their legal independence from the main body of the Methodist church. Voting to organize under the name the African Methodist Episcopal Church, or AME Church, they then successfully sued for independence before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Richard Allen became the first AME bishop after the elected bishop Daniel Coker declined the position.
Distinctive Practices and Commitment
The new AME Church was not greatly different from the original Methodist Church. Baptism and communion practices were much the same and hymn singing during worship remained prominent. But cultural practices distinct to African Americans assumed greater importance. AME services were loud and spirited. Spirituals and spontaneous praying and shouting distinguished them from the more tepid white Methodist services.
The AME Church was also distinguished by its commitment to political agitation and social activism in the United States and throughout the African diaspora. It followed the precedent set by the uplift projects of the Free African Society, and was influenced by the emergent philosophies of Black Nationalism and Pan-Africanism. In the 19th century, its political commitment and use of vernacular cultural traditions fueled the church's expansion in both the United States and the rest of the world. In the South, its ranks were bolstered by evangelization among black soldiers during the Civil War (1861-1865). Later, AME clergy ran for and won numerous political offices in the South during the Reconstruction era.
Expansion and Internationalization
The church sent Scipio Bean as a missionary to Haiti in 1827, but it wasn't until later in the century that the evangelical efforts of AME clergy internationalized the church. British Methodist Episcopal (BME) congregations in Canada, Bermuda, and South America, originally part of the AME, rejoined the church in 1884. Bishop Henry McNeal Turner, a supporter of African American repatriation to Africa, established annual conferences in West Africa, oversaw the development of congregations in Cuba and Mexico, and accepted the membership of the Ethiopian Church of South Africa.
Internally, there has been criticism of these internationalization efforts. Some members have argued that the AME should concentrate on improving the conditions of black people within the United States. Nevertheless, the church has congregations today in more than 20 African countries, as well as Jamaica, Guyana, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Suriname, the Virgin Islands, the Windward Islands, Canada, and England.
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Saint Paul AME Churches Across America
Saint Paul AME Church, St. Louis, Missouri
St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church has the second oldest black congregation in St. Louis and is "the oldest African Methodist Episcopal Church west of the Mississippi River." The date on the cornerstone from the Lawton-Leffingwell building places the formal organization of St. Church at 1841. Older documents and records of the church indicate, there were several earlier beginnings.
One of the several meeting homes was that of Priscilla Baltimore, a slave and nurse who purchased her own freedom and that of her husband. The society came to be known as "Little Bethel Chapel." By 1840, Rev. William Paul Quinn conceived the idea of standing on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River and preaching across the river to the men and women, many of them slaves; on the Missouri side in (St. Louis). Thus was born the seed of African Methodism (in the west). In 1841 under his leadership, St. Church Chapel was born and was formally organized.
St. Church was the initial birthplace of the St. Louis Chapter of the NAACP in 1913. It was also the church home of Annie Malone, Madame C.J. Church is one of the leading Congregations among 7000+ congregations established throughout America, Africa, and the Caribbean's. The St. Paul parishioners are successful citizens throughout Metro St. Louis and the United States.
St Paul is noted for being a Church that serves the community: The "Our Redeemer Lives Ministry" feeds hundreds of families every month under the leadership of Evangelist Aileen Wynne. St. Paul Saturdays, a profound male mentoring program, was founded by former pastor Bishop C. Garnett Henning and Dr. William Harrison, and formed in St. Paul. Their motto is: "Building men is better than mending boys."
On October 27, 2013, Bishop T. Larry Kirkland appointed Rev. Spencer Lamar Booker to the charge of St. Paul. Since the historic rededication of St. Paul's sanctuary, Bishop Clement W. Fugh has reassigned Pastor Booker to continue the vision he established upon his initial appointment.
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Saint Paul AME Church, Jacksonville, Florida
Saint Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in 1869, in the home of Samuel and Violet Williams, parents of Ada Braddock Bracy. The Williams’ residence was located on the southeast corner of Forsyth and Stuart Streets. Their home served as the worship center for one year. Included among the founding members were: Samuel and Violet Williams, Ada Braddock Bracy, Milus and Lydia Franklin, Alvin Franklin, and Julia Macon.
In 1870, land was purchased in the center of Jacksonville (near the St. Johns River) at Johnson and Ward (later renamed Houston) Streets. Here, the first church building was erected. This structure was built of natural materials, consisting of grass, palmetto leaves and bushes. The pews were made of wooden planks with no backs and kerosene lamps illuminated the many night services held during the early years. This edifice was called the “Bush Arbor.” “On March 15, 1870, under the leadership of Saint Paul’s first pastor, Reverend John R. Scott, Sr., construction of the first frame structure began.”
In 1883, Reverend P. B. Braddock built the first masonry structure. This sanctuary was the first masonry church owned by the African Methodist Episcopal Church in the State of Florida. Saint Paul was remodeled in 1906, under the pastorate of Reverend James Bennett.
During the Civil Rights Movement of the early 1960’s, Saint Paul AME Church was a center for planning and aiding in the struggle to improve race relations in Jacksonville. From January 1, 1982, to November 18, 2000, The Reverend Dr. James M. Proctor served as pastor of Saint Paul. Reverend Proctor believed and taught that all members are gifted and called to be involved in God’s ministry. Reverend Dr. James M. Proctor led the congregation in the construction of a $2.5 million dollar worship complex.
Poised to carry on the legacy of this great church and guide it to greater heights, Reverend Dr. Marvin C. Zanders, II, was appointed to the pastoral leadership of Saint Paul, November 18, 2000.
Saint Paul AME Church, Tampa, Florida
In 1870 the Rev. Thomas Warren Long hiked 50 miles from Brooksville through treacherous swamps and thick woods. His mission: Organize an AME church in Tampa, as he had in other locations throughout the state. He called it Brush Harbor Mission.
Two years later the mission built a small church on Marion Street and called it Mount Moriah AME. The church eventually got a new name - St. Paul - and a new location at the corner of Harrison and Marion. The congregation broke ground in 1906 and finished the red brick Gothic Revival-style building in 1913. With its prominent location, a 1,500-seat sanctuary and a spacious meeting area, St. Paul was a gathering place for Tampa’s black residents. During the years of segregation, it was a safe haven where members and guests felt acceptance and unity, bonded by their color and their faith.
The church is steeped in Tampa history and has been the corner stone of black politics and civil rights. The restored St. Church now serves as the 15,000 square foot “life center” for 120 affordable workforce apartment homes. The sanctuary’s cultural and community significance is the heart of Metro 510 where ‘Knowledge’ is the theme of the computer lab, ‘Energy’ heralds the fitness area, and ‘Fun’ defines the sanctuary, now dedicated to children’s play.
Saint Paul AME Church, Raleigh, North Carolina
The St. Church is a historic American Gothic Revival style African Methodist Episcopal Church located in Raleigh, North Carolina. A red brick and frame structure built in 1884 by black masons, St. Paul's was the first independent congregation of African Americans in Raleigh and is the oldest African-American church in Wake County, North Carolina.
Before the end of the Civil War, the future founders of St. Paul's had been slave members of the Edenton Street Methodist Episcopal Church, now known as Edenton Street United Methodist Church. The members of the church began calling their congregation "St. Paul's" in 1848. From 1846 to 1853, Edenton Street's black membership worshipped at Old Christ Church in Raleigh.
In 1865 after emancipation, the black congregation left the Edenton Street Church to affiliate with the African Methodist Episcopal Church, a denomination organized in 1816 by Reverend Richard Allen, a free black in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. St. Paul's became the first African Methodist congregation in Raleigh and Wake County. It both attracted existing leaders in the black community and was a training ground for new leaders.
After slavery was abolished, St. Paul's ministers became leaders and activists in black politics during the Reconstruction period. In 1884 the cornerstone of the new church was laid. Due to financial strains of its members, construction of the new St. Paul's Church took 25 years to complete.
In May 1901, the building was completed. The congregation marked the sanctuary's completion with a joyous two-week revival. Governor Charles B. Aycock delivered a speech when the church finally opened and The News & Observer described St. Paul's new building as "one of the handsomest colored churches in the South."
During the Civil Rights Movement, the black community held meetings and rallies at St. Paul's, as it continued as a center of community organizing. A variety of national speakers were guests at the church. St. Paul currently has Rev. Dr. Larry McDonald as their pastor and the church has a population of around 900 members.
Saint Paul AME Church, Cleveland, Ohio
ST. PAUL AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL (AME) CHURCH is the oldest AFRICAN-AMERICAN congregation on Cleveland's West Side. St. Paul originated from informal meetings held by adherents of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) denomination at the home of the Williams family on Peerlor Avenue in 1919 under the leadership of Rev. T. J.
The small congregation of some ten members worshipped in homes and storefronts on the West Side until ST. JOHN'S AME CHURCH provided it with a building on Bellaire Road in 1922. St. Paul AME was officially chartered the same year and Rev. Evans served as its first pastor. The church erected its first parsonage in 1955 during the tenure of Rev. Paul Ross.
The state of Ohio acquired the church building on Bellaire Road in 1964 to make way for the construction of the I-71 interstate highway. Under the leadership of Rev. H. E. Rev. J. P. Henning held the pastorate at St. Paul from 1967 to 1969. He was succeeded by Rev. Charles P. Lucas, Jr. who enlarged and improved the church structure. Rev. Charles S. Scott added 60 new members and paid off the mortgage on the church building during his tenure from 1977 to 1981. Rev. Frederick A. Wright led the congregation of St. Paul AME from 1981 until 1988. He recruited approximately one hundred new members to the congregation and revived the church's Sunday School, Wednesday night prayer, and Bible Study.
In 1996, Rev. Georgina Thornton assumed the pastorate at St. Paul AME, becoming the church's first female minister and one of the leading female AME pastors in the nation. Thornton increased the church's involvement with the African-American community on the West Side and launched the annual Ecumenical/Interfaith Worship Service that has brought together leaders of different religions. She also extended the outreach work of St. Paul AME beyond the borders of the United States, sponsoring mission ministries in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and Johannesburg, South Africa.
The AME Church in the 20th and 21st Centuries
During the 20th century, the AME Church was active in the Civil Rights Movement and in attending to the needs of African Americans displaced by the northern exodus of the Great Migration. Through a pragmatic, activist gospel, the church addressed housing, welfare, and unionization issues for new emigrants to northern cities.
At mid-century, AME pastors filed suits against public school segregation, which culminated in the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas (1954) decision, a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States that began the process of school desegregation. This interest in education dated back to 1863, when Bishop Daniel Alexander Payne encouraged the founding of the Wilberforce University, the first of numerous colleges founded by the AME Church, and the first black college to be founded by blacks.
In the 1960s, AME-trained theologians James H. Cone and Cecil W. Cone pioneered the development of black theology. AME member Jacqueline Grant made significant contributions to feminist theology. Grant was one of many women to be involved in the church throughout its history.
Today, the Saint Paul African Methodist Episcopal Churches continue to serve as vital centers of faith, community, and activism, carrying forward a legacy of resilience and a commitment to justice and equality.
| Name | Role | Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Richard Allen | Founder and First Bishop | Led the establishment of the AME Church in 1816 |
| Henry McNeal Turner | Bishop | Expanded AME Church internationally, especially in Africa |
| Daniel Alexander Payne | Bishop | Encouraged the founding of Wilberforce University |
| James H. Cone | Theologian | Pioneered the development of black theology |
| Jacqueline Grant | Theologian | Made significant contributions to feminist theology |
