.:: The History of the AME Church ::.
What is an AME Church
An AME Church is an African Methodist Episcopal Church.
African - Founded by and with the interest of Black people in mind - but not made for people of African descent only. All people are welcome into the House of the Lord.
Methodist - Founded using the Methodist Doctrine and Discipline
Episcopal - "to be governed by bishops"
The Origin of the AME Church
Methodism began in 1739 when an Anglican named John Wesley began a movement to improve the spiritual aspects of his church. As the Methodist movement gained momentum, it spread from England to the American colonies. As it moved to the New World, Wesley ordained Dr. Thomas Coke and gave him the assignment of organizing the Methodist Church in America. When Dr. Coke arrived in America, he organized a conference in Baltimore, Maryland (1784). Richard Allen, the founder of the AME Church, attended the winter conference as an observer only. He was niether a delegate or a voter. After the conference, Methodism continued to grow along with the expanding American territory. Eventually, the AME Church budded from the parent American Methodist Church.
The Formation of the AME Church
The AME Church was formed because African American Christians were not able to worship freely. Members of the St. George's Methodist Episcopal Church (Philadelphia, PA) segregated its' black members from its' white members. It had become an accepted practice to not let blacks receive communion until after white members had finished. These religious restrictions were taken a step further when Richard Allen and some of his peers were taken to an upstairs section of the church. This was did to prevent the black members from sitting with the white members. Some blacks continued sitting in the front rows, not having been told of the rule that Blacks couldn't sit in the front seats (even in their own upstairs area).
During one particular Sunday, Blacks praying outside of their "assigned" area were pulled from their knees and told to go their designated places. Insulted and frustrated, they formed the Free African Society. This society formed two groups: The Methodists and the Episcopalians. The Methodist leader, Richard Allen, dreamed of free worship that was void of segregation and humiliation. Allen, realizing that other Blacks were going through the same thing, called five churches to meet in a General Convention. The convention took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during April of 1816. The five churches that came together during the Convention formed the African American Episcopal Church. The new Church closely followed the teachings of John Wesley and the Methodist Church - almost in entirety, it accepted the Methodist Doctrine and Discipline. Some basic Methodist principles that the new church retained were as follows: 1. A plain and simple gospel that everyone could comprehend. 2. A system of organized rules that could be easily applied.
Most of Allen's peers were illiterate and financially disadvantaged. Despite this, the group was able to organize Bethel AME Church by purchasing an old blacksmith shop and moving it to the intersection of Sixth and Lombard Street in Philly. As time went on, more churches were organized throughout several east coast states - Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, and many others.
In 1816, the AME Church was officially formed as an denomination. Allen was ordained in 1799 and served as the first bishop.
AME Facts
Revered Text:
The Holy Bible
Organization: 19 Episcopal Districts: 13 in the US, Canada, and Bermuda. 5 throughout Africa, Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, the Windward Islands, the Virgin Islands, Guyana, and Surinam. Bishops (the highest-level directors) oversee these divisions.
The laws and procedures of the episopallian government are based on the teaching contained in the Book of Discipline. The church holds a General Conference every four years. It is attended by clergy and lay members. There are smaller conferences held annually plus more frequent meeting held for subdivisions of each district. These conferences are presided over by the bishop of the district. Overall, there are around 2.5 million members of the AME Church (Washington Post, 9-22-1998)
Related Links: More AME Facts Major Beliefs of the AME Church The History of Hopewell
