African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church: A Case Study

Since the arrival of African Americans in this country blacks have always had differing experiences. Consequently, African-Americans have had to forge a self-identity out of what has been passed on to them as fact about their true selves. History has wrought oppression and subjugation to this particular race of people and as a result, certain institutions were formed in order aid African-Americans, culturally, spiritually and economically. The African-American Church has served of one such institution. From the time of slavery, though outlawed, many slaves found ways to congregate and form their own "churches", away from the one-sided and bias lessons about the bible that they were being taught in the white church. The white ministers and

Black religion was no longer regarded as exemplary or special. During a time of growing segregation and violence, some black leaders attempted to counter this perspective seen by whites by embracing the romantic racialist notions that “blacks possessed peculiar gifts.” These gifts being directly connected to the importance of black churches in a time of direct exclusion of blacks from other pieces of society.

What ministry types are present within the Black Urban Church that may not take place in the Black Rural Church setting? (Chapter 6) The present picture of black urban churches is a complicated, mixed picture of some effects of privatization among unchurched sectors of the black population, and the withdrawal of some black churches into a sphere of personal piety and religiosity; but there are also numerous signs of a continuing tradition of activism and involvement in the political, economic, educational, and cultural aspects of black life among the majority of black clergy and churches (Lincoln, C. Eric, and Lawrence H. Mamiya

"The Black church functioned as revolutionary unity during slavery." The African Methodist Episcopal Church, not formally organized until 1816 but dates back to 1787 refused to abide by the Jim Crow laws. In protest, they all left the church and established their own genre of worship. The founders of the African Methodist church were uneducated, illiterate ex-slaves. Despite that, they had a clear sense of their dignity and worth. They rejected the irrational treatment of their White counterparts, who considered them as a nuisance in the Church. Whites wanted to keep Africans within the church separate. They even created legal obstacles for separation. As a result, the African Methodist formed independent churches in Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, etc. The African Methodist Episcopal Church was able to provide for its self, in its early stages, within twelve years (1841 to 1853) the Church built and remodeled two churches, which cost about $16,000. The A.M.E. Church has given African people an independent hierarchy that recognizes our individuality, it has empowered African-Americans. In celebration, Methodists sought to render services to their people, schools were built and charitable programs were developed, aiming to lift the spirits of the new freed men. Educating their people, young and old, were

Culturally speaking observing the worship service demonstrated just how important of a role religion is for African Americans. There seemed to be a lot of focus on social

The General Conference of the United Methodist Church voted in 1968 to abolish the African-American Central Jurisdiction and to merge all churches regardless of race under the new United Methodist Church. It set a goal for each Annual Conference area to merge together by 1972. South Carolina began discussions on merger as early as 1966, but it took until 1972 to accomplish the goal. The two conferences, the all-white 1785 Conference, and the African-American 1866 Conference merged at the 1972 Annual Conference meetings in Spartanburg. This paper will focus on the issues that faced the merger starting with the first Plan for Merger in 1970 until the completion of the merger in 1972.

In 1880, Turner rode a wave of populist popularity to become the first southern bishop elected in the AME Church at the General Conference in St. Louis, Missouri. As Bishop, Turner dedicated himself to building a denomination. The AME Church had begun to lose ground to the fast-growing Baptist denomination, which allowed greater freedom of expression during service. Turner wrote a hymnal which included adaptations of many "slave ditties," as Bishop Payne called them. He worked to give southern congregations a greater voice among the AME hierarchy, which, dominated as it was by Northerners, tended to look down on their southern brethren. And he gave women a greater role in the denomination. He even ordained a woman as deacon, but that move was condemned so loudly that he rescinded it and never spoke about it again - the one subject on which he was silenced. He would also prove to be the most controversial. He provoked white racists in print, and advocated a wholesale move of blacks back to Africa "to achieve our dignity and manhood." He ordained a woman, Sarah Ann Hughes, as a deacon in the church. During his tenure, he presided over the 8th, 5th, 1st, 12th, 6th and 7th Districts.

The African Meeting House was used for many purposes during the 1800's that was essential to blacks in Boston and helped the mission of antislavery reformers. The meeting house first served as a church founded by Thomas Paul, an African American preacher, in 1805. The church was named the First African Baptist Church. Although, black Bostonians were able to attend white churches, they faced discrimination and were put in assigned seats in the balconies. The creation of the church gave blacks the opportunity to worship freely away from anti black sentiment. The meeting house was constructed entirely on black labor, but funds were raised in white and black communities. The church was meant to be only attended by the black population , but a

When churches were built the former slaves were eager to go to them and build them. This was the most important institution. Churches played a very important role in the African Americans. They had always gone to white churches or had to hide their own secret services. Black churches grew quickly. Many

There were certain events that had occurred in Philadelphia and Baltimore prior to 1816 supporting the association of what was called colored Methodists into a self-governing society that had obviously extended to Charleston, S. C. Despite the fact that Richard Allen and Daniel Coker regulated the movements in Philadelphia and Baltimore, Morris Brown carried out one in Charleston. In the previous dwelling it assumed form in 1817-18. At this stage the organizations add up to about one thousand. In 1822 the amount had enlarged to nearly three thousand. Connected with Morris Brown in the work of the party were Henry Drayton, Charles Carr, Amos Cruickshank, Marcus Brown, Stewart Simpson, Harry Bull, John B. Matthews, James Eden, London Turpin, and Aleck Houlston. They secured a lot which they constructed a spacious but modest house of worship. They also possessed their own "field of graves," which is referred to as a burial-ground. They were really overjoyed over their achievement to worship God under their own vine and fig-tree. Their jubilation, however, was brief.

Richard Allen founded the first African Methodist Episcopal Church, the AME Church, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1816. Richard Allen was born into slavery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1760. At the age of 17, he bought his freedom. Allen made significant contributions to both the religious culture and African American culture in Pennsylvania. Allen founded the AME church when African Americans were discriminated against in Methodist churches. Allen served as the first bishop. Today, the AME church has more than 2.5 million members.

The first ever church for African Americans was Trinity United Methodist Church. The Trinity United Methodist Church was found in 1866 as a missionary church. After the emancipation, many churches were established and they played a “vital” role that let thousands of African Americans to rely their lives on. They helped African Americans to know about God along with teaching them about music, prayers, survival lessons, skills that are needed in daily life, and the most important thing: hope. If someone wanted to understand about finances, jobs, and land purchases, the churches would counsel and give them many advices. They also provided burials and service for thousands of sick and poor African American people in the Houston area. Churches were the first and most important schools of the Fourth Ward people. There were total 23 churches in this area. Most of them are still existed until today and the oldest one among of them is Antioch Missionary Baptist church which was founded in 1866 by Rev. Jack

In 1816, Richard Allen founded the first African-American led church in the country, the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The African Methodist Episcopal Church was the first major religious denomination in the western world that originated because of sociological and not theological differences. It was the first African-American denomination organized and incorporated in the US. The church was established in what was known as the Blacksmith Shop Meeting House. “By 1786 blacks made up about 10 percent of the Methodist church in the United States, and though whites and blacks often worshiped together, blacks enjoyed no real freedom or equality. Segregated seating was typical; the area reserved for blacks was usually called the “Negro Pew” or the “African Corner.”

African-American religion dealt with life as blacks lived it. It was about pain and sorrow, sin and shortcoming, pardon and joy, praise and thanksgiving, grace and hope. This version of Evangelicalism provided a wonderful benefit; it was able to accomplish great things in their lives that were frequently shouted about. Whether it be through a simple shout during church, or a song sung in the fields Evangelicalism took root among African-Americans. Large numbers underwent conversion, baptism, instruction, worship, and lived the life of a Christian even in face of oppression. Although, the development of their own religious institutions would await Emancipation and the war 's end, there were many thousands of Negro Baptists and Methodists by 1850, which represented what African-American religious culture had grown into.

I jumped at the opportunity to complete the extra credit assignment because of the topic. I have always wanted to attend an African American Baptist Church. I was raised Catholic in a predominantly white community and for the chance to experience something different was appealing. I’ve seen the stereotypes in movies and on TV about what an African American Baptist church looks like but I wanted to experience it myself. I wasn’t sure on what to expect but kept an open mind about the situation.