Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church | |
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| Location | 419 S. 6th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
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| Coordinates | 39°56′36″N75°09′07″W / 39.94332°N 75.15186°W /39.94332; -75.15186 |
| Built | 1890 |
| Architectural style | Romanesque |
| NRHP reference No. | 72001166[1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | March 16, 1972 |
| Designated PHMC | March 19, 1991[2] |
TheMother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church is a historic church and congregation which is located at 419 South 6th Street inCenter CityPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania, USA. The congregation, founded in 1794, is the oldest African Methodist Episcopal congregation in the nation.
Its present church, completed in 1890, is the oldest church property in the United States to be continuously owned by African Americans.[3] It was designated aNational Historic Landmark in 1972.[1]
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 Mother Bethel AME Church - Philadelphia, PA, Wanda Kaluza, 2:54 |
The church was proposed in 1791 by members of theFree African Society of Philadelphia, includingAbsalom Jones, out of a desire to create a space for autonomousAfrican-American worship and community in the city.[4] The desire to create the church was strengthened in 1792, after African-American members ofSt. George's Methodist Church walked out due to racial segregation in the worship services.[5] Leading roles in the founding were played byRichard Allen, who arranged the purchase of the church's site and its construction, and Absalom Jones, who raised funds among both black and white Philadelphia residents (including then-PresidentGeorge Washington).[6] Mother Bethel was one of thefirst African-American churches in theUnited States, dedicated July 29, 1794, byBishopFrancis Asbury.
On October 12, 1794, ReverendRobert Blackwell announced that the congregation was received in full fellowship in theMethodist Episcopal Church.
In 1816, Rev.Richard Allen brought together other black Methodist congregations from the region to organize the newAfrican Methodist Episcopal Church denomination. He was elected bishop of this denomination. After theAmerican Civil War, its missionaries went to the South to helpfreedmen and planted many new churches in the region.
In 1838, the building was damaged during the riots that followed the destruction ofPennsylvania Hall.
Allen and his wife,Sarah Allen are both buried in the present church's crypt.[7] The current church building was constructed in 1888–1890, and it has been designated aNational Historic Landmark.
On October 25, 2009, "The Great Gathering" took place at St. George's Church in which the community of Mother Bethel AME and St. George's congregations gathered for Sunday worship at St. George's for the first time since the historic walkout. The Rev. Dr. Mark Kelly Tyler preached for this service.[8][9]
The property was acquired for the new congregation in 1794. Its first building was a frame structure originally used as a blacksmith's shop, which was hauled to the site.
This building was later replaced by frame structures in 1805 and 1841. The 1841 church was reported to have a tunnel connecting it with a nearbyQuaker meetinghouse to facilitate the movements of fugitive slaves.
The present building, which was completed in 1890, is a three-story masonry structure with Romanesque styling. Its large round-arch windows are adorned with stained glass fromGermany.[10]
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