AME Family

They won’t be troubled with us anymore

African Methodist Episcopal Church

                                            

      

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AME Church

Richard Allen founded the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church.

It is the “mother” church for AME.

                              

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Richard Allen Richard Allen started

out as a lay preacher at St. George’s Methodist Episcopal Church in Phil.

He became a member of the “Evangelical Wesleyan movement because of its work against slavery.

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http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/1767/

Allen and Absolam Jones caused a lot of blacks to join the church.

A balcony was constructed to accommodate the growth.

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The “removal”

In November of 1787 Allen, Jones and other black worshipers were directed toward the new balcony.

However, they unknowingly sat in the section reserved for whites.

During a prayer, a white trustee told Allen to move immediately to the back.

Jones asked to finish his prayer--but was refused.

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The “resolution”

Jones, Allen and the other black congregants walked out of the church.

“They were no more plagued with us in church,” said Allen.

Of course this was not the only incident of discrimination.

Blacks in Baltimore, Maryland and Philadelphia began holding separate prayer meetings.

The Free African Society

Founded in 1787 in Philadelphia PA this organization sought to provide Blacks with a place of worship and a place to meet and organize.

It was founded by Richard Allen and Absalom Jones.

It was in “response to a decision by white members of St. George’s Methodist Episcopal Church to enforce racial segregation at services.”

Free African Society (cont.)

Although it was nondenominational it had ties with Methodists and Quakers.

It supported a number of programs– abolitionist movement– opposed black emigration and colonization– worked to reduce the tension between

Blacks and whites.

Free African Society (cont.)

During a fever epidemic in Phil. In 1793 members worked as nurses and other kinds of support people.

After the epidemic members dissolved the organization because they could not decide whether to become a part of the Methodists or the Quakers.

As a result Allen and Jones went on to found their own organizations.

AME

In 1794 the black Methodist of Philadelphia had raised enough money to build their own church.

However, most of the members decided to side with the Episcopalians instead of the Methodists.

They named that church St. Thomas African Episcopal Church.

AME

Allen disagreed with their decision and bought a blacksmith shop and converted it to a storefront church.

Methodist Bishop Frances Asbury named it “Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church.”

AME moves on its own

In April of 1816 the black Methodists of five congregations met at Bethel in Philadelphia and voted to organize under the name African Methodist Episcopal Church or AME Church.

Richard Allen became the first bishop after Daniel Coker declined.

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