Richard Allen (Bishop) 1760-1833)

Richard Allen was a minister, writer and one of USA’s most active and influential black leaders. He taught himself to read and write. He founded the African Methodist Episcopal church (AME) - the first Black denomination in the USA. He opened the first AME church in Philadelphia in 1794 and in 1816 he was elected their first bishop.

He was born into slavery. His family were sold to Stokley Sturgis who had a plantation. Having financial problems Sturgis later sold his mother and two younger siblings,keeping him and his older brother and sister. The three attended the local Methodist Society.

The Revd. Freeborn Garrettson came to preach in Delaware in 1775.He preached at Sturgis’s plantation and convinced him that slavery was wrong, This resulted in him giving Richard the chance to buy his freedom.

Aged 17 he joined the Methodists Society and began to evangelize which angered the slave owners

. In 1780 he bought his freedom having done extra work for Sturgis. He changed his name from Negro Allen to Richard Allen.

With his future Flora they establish a church (1787-1799). They married in 1790.

In 1800 he met Sarah Bass who became his second wife after Flora, died in 1801 after a long illness.

They moved to Philadelphia, married and had 6 children. Sarah was highly active and became in the AME Church the* Founding Mother.*

December 1784 he went to the Christmas Conference of the Episcopal Church in North America. Along with harry Hosier they were the only 2 black attendees.

In 1786 he became a preacher at St. George’s Methodist Episcopal church but was restricted to the early morning services. Along with Absalom Jones he resented the white leaders segregation of blacks for worship and prayer. They decided to leave St. George’s to create an independent, self-reliant worship for African Americans.

1787 Allen and Jones led the Black members out. They formed the Free African Society (F.A.S.). ( White ministers had to consecrate the bread and wine.)

In 1793, during the yellow fever epidemic, Allen and Jones, helped to organize free blacks as essential workers. Allen caught yellow fever and nearly died.

1794 he founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) and opened his first church.
1799 ordained as first Black Methodist minister in recognition of.his leadership and preaching (The Blacks still had to negotiate with the white leadership).

1816 he proposed the uniting of the 5 African-American Congregations. The first fully independent Black denomination was created -the African Methodist Episcopal Church (A.M.E,). Richard was elected as their first bishop.

From 1797 until his death in 1831 Richard and Sarah operated a station in the City of Brotherly Love on the Underground Railroad for fugitive slaves.

Richard died in 1831 having firmly established a separate Black Methodist denomination.

The A.M.E. is the oldest and largest formal institution in Black America.

Source
Wikipedia