Blog 58 - Wait, Until the Prayer is Over

Blog 58

“Wait, Until the Prayer is Over”:

The Beginning of The African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME)

by

Vernon M. Herron

In his book, RICHARD ALLEN- APOSTLE OF FREEDOM, the late Charles H. Wesley, a noted historian, my mentor and an Alpha brother, gives a prayerful account of the beginnings of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME).

You will recall that history gives a progression of the birth and growth of Methodism. The Church of England or The Anglican Church broke away from the Catholic; the Episcopal Church in U.S. developed from the Church of England; the Methodist Episcopal Church (ME) left the Church of England in 1784 while the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) was born from the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1787 followed by The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (AMEZ) in 1796 and so named to indicate that it was formed by people of African descent; then, The Colored (later) The Christian Methodist Episcopal Church (CME) in 1870.

In this story, Richard Allen is presented as a man, minister, organizer, bishop, citizen, administrator, group leader and exponent of freedom. He was born 14 February 1760, reared in Philadelphia and Delaware, self-educated and directly influenced by the Quaker faith, but in later life he abandoned the Quaker denomination and accepted the faith of the Church of England, then the Methodist Episcopal Church.

At age 17, Richard experienced the religious change, which the Methodist denomination had made popular as “conversion…the dramatic change of life from          the ways of sin to the ways of righteousness.” In Allen’s day, men and women had similar experiences. He went from house to house, describing his experience to his former companions and encouraged them to be more consistent in Christian living.

Shortly afterward, Allen joined the Methodist Society in his neighborhood and began to attend the class meetings. He impressed his master and his enslaved companions that workers who were church members were more reliable than workers who were not.

Richard Allen, his brothers and others received the opportunity to purchase their freedom and they did. Richard became a free man in 1777 and this brought on a dilemma, which was an occupation and security in slavery or freedom’s insecurity.              

Methodism, to which Allen was devoted, was based on itinerancy. He began to travel and to preach, spending much time in Pennsylvania.

Mr. Allen’s career was influenced with the spirit of independence in the American Colonies, known as a period of discontent. In this period, life was motivated by Methodism and the American Revolution. The latter broke with the Church of England and established itself as an independent religious movement.

The spirit of these movements affected the life of Richard Allen. He and his followers became discontented with restraints as the American Colonists were in their relation with Great Britain. His experience in establishing the African Methodist Episcopal Church was to be similar to the rise of this movement for independence. First, a protest, then a desire for peace with the congregation, and then independence, and back of it all was the desire for independence. Methodism was over the religious and social expressions of protest.

Efforts of the Methodists in humanitarian causes continued throughout the 18^th Century. Slavery received attention as other social evils. John Wesley preached against it. He did not hesitate in the evangelization of Negroes.

In February 1786, Richard Allen came to Philadelphia. He began preaching by appointment at St. George’s Methodist Episcopal Church at 5 a.m. There were conversions at these meetings and the results were so encouraging that he remained in Philadelphia for a longer period than he had planned at first. He saw an increase of number in attendance at the church. He began to preach twice a day, sometimes, four and five times.

As the years passed and the number of persons increased, the “Negro Pew” began to manifest itself. Negroes were required to take seats in the rear, or in the galleries of the church of which they were members. They were asked at times to sit next to the walls on the lower floors, in special pews within the body of the church, or in the rear seats, or the gallery.

As early as 1786, Richard Allen saw the necessity for the erection of a place of worship for the Negroes of the city. When he first proposed this idea, he met with opposition. There were only three persons who favored the plan; Absalom Jones, who was destined to be the founder of the first Episcopal Church for Negroes in America, William White and Dorus Ginnings.  The elders in charge at St. George’s opposed the plan and no progress    was made for nearly a year. The number of colored members increased as a result of Allen’s meetings and they began to feel themselves “much cramped.”

To give you, the reader, the flavor of the true birth pains of the AME Church, like Wesley, this writer has endeavored to follow the dictum of David Hume, who said, “the quality of an historian is to be true and impartial; the next, is to be interesting.” In that spirit, I quote Wesley directly for accuracy and drama.

“Another result of the increase in the colored membership was the removal from the seats around the wall to places in the gallery. In November, 1787, on the Sunday following the announcement of this change of seating an incident occurred which has become a classic in the history of the Negro church. Richard Allen… states that when he, Absalom Jones and a small number of colored members arrived at the church, they were told by the sexton that they were expected to sit in the gallery. Assuming that they were to sit toward the front and above the seats which they had previously occupied, they went forward. The services had begun as they neared the seats which they thought were for them. The elder began at the moment to lead the congregation in prayer. They knelt, and Allen says that shortly thereafter he heard considerable scuffling and talking in low tones. Lifting his head he saw one of the trustees seize Absalom Jones and attempt to pull him from his knees, while saying that they could not kneel there. Conscious of the proprieties of the situation, Absalom Jones asked him to wait until the prayer was over. This request was refused and the effort was continued to move him from this particular place. Finally, Absalom Jones said, “Wait until prayer is over and I will get up and trouble  you no more.” Again the trustee declined to desist and beckoned to another of the trustees to come to his assistance. This one started toward William White. By this time the prayer was over. The little group, after a brief consultation, as Allen states, “all went out of the church in a body and they were no more plagued with us in the church.”

It was out of this experience that the African Methodist Episcopal  Church was born.