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.:: Quick Facts About the AME Church ::.


Our Symbol

The Cross - The cross symbolizes the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the power of Salvation, and God's abounding Grace. The Anvil - The anvil represents the enduring spirit of the founding fathers of the African American Church. A converted blacksmith's shop served as one of the first AME places of worship. It was called Bethel, meaning "house of God". The anvil is known as an indestructible object. They are unwearable and lasts through multiple lifetimes. And so it is with God. He cannot be worn down or broken. He is eternal. The anvil represents the beginning of the AME Church as well as the longevity and lasting strength of our Lord.



Firsts of the AME Church

• The AME Church was the first black church to own a piece of real estate in America. In 1793, the Church purchased the land at Sixth and Lombard in Philadelphia, which is where Bethel Church was later built.
  
  
• The Church was the first to enter the publishing industry. It published the AME Discipline in 1817 and the AME Hymnal in 1818.
  
  
• The Church published the Christian Recorder (1841), the world's oldest black religious weekly.
  
  
• Bishop P.R. Wright, Jr. edited and published the biggest book ever put together by black people.
  
  
• The Church was the first black institution to encourage finance and programs of higher learning. Bishop Daniel A. Payne purchased Wilberforce University in 1863. Ten other schools followed, as well as the nation's oldest black hospital.
  
  
• The AME Church was the first black organization to go to Africa to help other blacks. Our missionary outreach has been functioning for over 150 years.
  
  
• Reverend H.M. Turner was the first black chaplain.

People in AME History

• During the the administration of President Theodore Roosevelt, William T. Vernon served as Registrar of the US Treasury. Mr. Vernon signed paper currency. Later, he became a bishop of the AME Church.
  
  
• Before becoming a bishop of the AME Church, William H. Heard was the Minister to Liberia and a member of the South Carolina legislature (1880-1882).
  
  
• Hiram Revels, the first black United States senator, was an AME minister.
  
  
• Abolitionist, Frederick Douglas, attended Metropolitan AME in Washington D.C.. He gave the church the two candlesticks that now stand in the pulpit of the church.

Related Links:   AME Church History   Major Beliefs of the AME Church   The History of Hopewell