AME Church History

Our Name.....

AFRICAN - means that the church was organized by people of African descent and heritage. It does not mean that the church was founded in Africa or that it is for people of African descent only. It does mean that those Americans who founded it were of African descent and we proudly recognize this fact. We welcome all who worship Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.

METHODIST - refers to the church's membership in the family of Methodist churches. Richard Allen, the founder and first bishop, felt that the format of Methodism would best suit the needs of the African community at that time.

EPISCOPAL - refers to the fomr of government under which the church operates. The Episcopal form of government means that the chief exceutive and administrative officers or our denomination are our bishops. Their authority is given them by the General Conference, elected representatives of the entire denomination. Thier responsibilities are to oversee the spiritual and temporal affairs of the church.

Our Beginning...

In 1787, Reverand Richard Allen, Absalom Jones and a band of followers withdrew from the St. George's Methodist Church in Philadelphia because of the unkind treatment and discrimination with which these worshippers of African descent faced. They felt they no longer could worship in a congregation that would not affirm them fully as children of God with equal potential and worth. Allen and the others began worshipping in a blacksmith shop. The founded the Free African Soceity, which was the beginning of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AMEC).

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