MURAL EXHIBIT: THE COLORED CONVENTIONS MOVEMENT AND BEYOND IN PHILADELPHIA
MOTHER BETHEL AME
Breton, William L., Circa Artist. Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Philadelphia. Philadelphia: Kennedy & Lucas’s Lithography, -07. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.
Founded by Bishop Richard Allen in 1794, Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal is the oldest Black denomination in the US. At the time, Black Philadelphians often faced hostile treatment from white parishioners at other churches, leading Black clergymen, such as Richard Allen and Absalom Jones, to discuss forming an independent Black congregation. After an incident that caused Black parishioners to vacate St. George’s Methodist Episcopal Church, Black Philadelphians raised funds to establish a separate church. Soon after, leaders purchased a parcel of land on the corner of Sixth and Lombard Streets and Richard Allen oversaw the construction of the new church building. In July 1794, Reverend Dickens of St. George’s prayed during the dedication service for the new house of worship to be “called ‘Bethel’ for the gathering of thousands of souls.”[note] “Our Pastoral History,” Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, accessed September 30, 2022, https://motherbethel.org/our-pastoral-history/ [/note]
Historic American Buildings Survey, Creator. Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, 419 South Sixth Street, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA. Documentation Compiled After. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.
After battles with the Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) for several years, Bethel became an independent church in 1816 when the Pennsylvania Supreme Court declared the church was no longer under the control of the MEC. In April of that year, Allen and other clergy leaders of Black Methodist churches convened at Bethel to form the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), with Allen becoming the first Bishop of the AME. [note] Nash, Gary B. Forging Freedom: The Formation of Philadelphia’s Black Community, 1720-1840. Harvard University Press, 1988. P. 229-232; “Our Pastoral History,” Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, accessed September 30, 2022, https://motherbethel.org/our-pastoral-history/ [/note] As the oldest AME congregation in the United States, Bethel became a fixture in the Black Philadelphian community and the Black community at large. The church became a host of many events, including the 1830 Constitution of the American Society of Free Persons of Colour, the first major Black convention in the country. [note] American Society of Free Persons of Colour (1830 : Philadelphia, PA), “Constitution of the American Society of Free Persons of Colour, for improving their condition in the United States; for purchasing lands; and for the establishment of a settlement in upper Canada, also, The Proceedings of the Convention with their Address to Free Persons of Colour in the United States,” Colored Conventions Project Digital Records, accessed October 1, 2022, https://omeka.coloredconventions.org/items/show/70. [/note] Adopting the name Mother Bethel in 1953, the church continues to serve as a prominent and inspiring fixture in Philadelphia.
Reverend Mark Kelly Tyler, PhD, currently helms Mother Bethel AME. Serving in the ministry of the African Methodist Episcopal Church since 1994, Dr. Tyler is an influential leader in the Philadelphia community with his work as a theologian, documentary filmmaker, and social activist. [note] “Reverend Mark Kelly Tyler, Ph.D.,” Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, accessed October 1, 2022, https://motherbethel.org/reverend-mark-kelly-tyler-ph-d/ [/note]
CREDITS
Written by Morgan Robinson, Pennsylvania State University.