Thursday, February 14, 2013

Happy Birthday Bishop Richard Allen!

Richard Allen was born into slavery on February 14, 1760 in Philadelphia, PA. He converted to Methodism at the age of 17, and bought his freedom in 1783. In 1816, he founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the first black denomination in the United States. He became an activist whose writings inspired Frederick Douglas and Martin Luther King, Jr. He died in 1831.

 February is more than Black History Month for the AME Church. It's an opportunity to praise the achievements and the vision of our founder Bishop Richard Allen. The African Methodist Episcopal Church has made marvelous contributions to our society including, promotion of social justice, education, self-help, and training dynamic leaders.

 We honor our founder today--253 years after his birth. We are proud to be AME! We are grateful for the life and legacy of our beloved Bishop Richard Allen!


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1 comment:

  1. FreeborngApril 1, 2016 at 6:51 PM

    Thank you for the mention of Richard Allen. If you interest, there was another key preacher of African descent during Allen's time. His name was Harry Hosier. I would consider Harry a mentor of Richard through the co-efforts of Francis Asbury and Harry Hosier. For more on these men, please visit the website https://www.francisasburytriptych.com/book-series/characters/harry-hosier/. Both Richard and Harry are key individuals in early American Methodism.

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