Staunton History of African American Churches

Staunton History of African American Churches. Allen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church (est. 1865). The first independent black denomination of churches in America began in 1794 when Richard Allen established a church in Philadelphia that became the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. Allen, a former slave who had purchased his freedom, advocated for social improvement, literacy, and freedom of worship for blacks. Through his early work and influence, blacks across the country united to form their own AME-affiliated churches throughout the 19th century., The spirit of African Methodism was brought to Staunton, Virginia through the effort of Sarah Rodney, sister of Richard Allen. Reverend Jacqueline Strange formally organized the first church here in November 1865 after the conclusion of the Civil War. The first services were held in various white churches including the Lutheran Church, which was on W. Beverley Street where the Clock Tower building stands., Allen Chapel is the oldest black church in the city of Staunton and the first church west of the Blue Ridge established by people of color. Its members organized the first Black choir in 1886 and opened the first Black school for adults in Staunton. , , Twenty members purchased the site at 921 West Beverley Street to construct the first church building. Construction of the building began in 1924 under the leadership of Reverend J. J. Benjamin and was completed under the leadership of Reverend J. H. A. Martin. The church met with financial difficulties. Lincoln Jackson paid off the debt in honor of his mother. The church was unable to weather its next financial crisis so the building was sold to a white Nazarene congregation., The Second Episcopal District of the AME Church, under the authority of Bishop W. J. Gaines, purchased the building on behalf of the AME congregation., Through the subsequent years the members worked to repay the debt during the pastorate of Reverend Melvin Law., Parking limitations and general handicap inaccessibility were disadvantages of the West Beverley site, so in 1997 the 75 member congregation, under the leadership of pastor Dr. Edward A. Scott stepped out on faith to secure a new church building on Sudbury Street. , (Text by Leticia Jackson , 1963 . Updated by Pauline Buddy, 2000), (captions) , The 1924 building: Some of the builders of the first church were Thomas Tunley, the great grandfather of Kenneth L. and Oscar B. Jones; Henry Jones, the great-grandfather of Margaret Poindexter; Beverly Jones, Brisco Washington, Louise Jackson, the Bowles Family, and Spencer Miles., Mr. Richard Allen: Through his work as a minister, educator and writer, Mr Allen was one of America's most active and influential Black leaders. In 1794, he founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, PA, the first independent Black denomination in the United States.