About
AME Zion

The AME Zion Church

AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL ZION (AMEZ) CHURCH (1821- )

In 1796, frequent acts of racial discrimination in white Methodist churches, led to many black parishioners making the decision to form their own separate ministries. Peter Williams, Christopher Rush, James Varick, and other African Americans broke from the John Street Methodist Church in New York City to form the African Methodist Episcopal Zion church.  Five years later, the group was chartered as the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and later added “Zion” in 1848. In 1821, after unsuccessful attempts to maintain good relations with the white Methodist Church, six of the newly founded black churches gathered for their annual conference to determine the future of the AME Zion church where James Varrick was ordained as the church’s first bishop.

The AME Zion Church grew to nearly 200,000 members by 1860 but was unable to expand into the South because of slavery. That did not hinder the Church’s efforts to help liberate and educate slaves. The AME Zion Church became known as the “freedom church” because of its efforts to help slaves escape from their masters. It’s most notable members included Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, and Frederick Douglass.

The AME Zion Church made the salvation of the whole person–mind, body and spirit–its top priority as well as the ministry’s emphasis on education.
Devoted to religious, educational and social causes, the AME Zion Church and its members have been instrumental in many of the freedom struggles of this nation.

By the beginning of the 20th Century, the AMEZ church had become a leading African American church denomination. AMEZ, however challenged the standard protocols of both white and black denominations at the time.  

Today, the AMEZ Church’s mission continues to promote both the spiritual and socioeconomic uplifting of all people of African descent. The AMEZ Church claims over 1.4 million members in churches throughout the United States and has missionaries all over the world. It also has churches in west and southern Africa. 

For more information, visit www.amez.org