What echoes within the walls of Jordan Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church? This church stands as a testament to the enduring spirit of faith and community in Denver. It is a part of the rich history of African American churches in Colorado. These churches have served as vital centers of religious, social, and political life.
During slavery, churches offered solace and hope. They were a means of deliverance from the misery of enslavement. The black church became the greatest source of African American development. It fostered religious and secular growth. These churches addressed specific issues. They affected their congregations. Black churches represented religion, community, and home. They were institutional centers for mobilization. They became social and political power bases. These churches contributed to racial equality. They fostered economic and educational development.
Since the mid-1860s, black churches in Colorado have created a legacy. This legacy involves religious thought and practice. Prolific and complex histories have evolved. Zion Baptist Church was the oldest black church in Colorado. It was established in 1865. Shorter African Methodist Episcopal Church opened in 1868. It became the second oldest black church in Denver.
In the early 1890s, Denver’s Five Points neighborhood was home to five black churches. These churches included Zion Baptist Church and Shorter AME Church. Also included were The Colored Methodist Episcopal Church and others. These churches served a black population of 3,045. This was according to the 1890 Census.
The African Methodist Episcopal Church has a rich history. It began in 1787 in Philadelphia. Richard Allen led a group of disinherited Americans. Their forefathers came from Africa. At that time, the word African designated African Americans. The AME Church is part of the Methodist family of churches. Allen believed Methodism suited his people. It emphasized a plain and simple gospel. The unlearned could understand it. It also provided an orderly system of rules. This system helped the underdeveloped. Allen felt Methodism encouraged progress. It allowed free worship. It enabled people to fill every office for which they had the capability.
The movement to organize a church separated from the white church. It responded to the needs of Africans. They needed self-expression and fuller involvement. They wanted to serve God and society. It was an answer to a cry for social recognition. It gave people a growing sense of dignity and self-respect. Allen considered night school classes important. These classes helped people learn to help themselves. This led to the church’s philosophy of education. It emphasized self-help. The AME Church operates eleven institutions of higher education.
Most religious groups originate from theological disputes. The AME Church began as a protest. It was against the inhumane treatment of African descendants. They faced this treatment from white members of St. George Methodist Episcopal Church. The AME Church resulted from racial discrimination. It was not a theological concern.
The Africans who started the AME Church were poor. Most could not read or write. Richard Allen led them to buy an old blacksmith shop. They moved it to a lot in Philadelphia. There, they organized Bethel AME Church. It stands today as a historic shrine. In time, other African American churches started in other places. In 1816, these churches formed the AME Church. Richard Allen was elected as the first bishop. Today, the AME Church has many bishops. It has millions of members worldwide.
Jordan Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church. It stands as a beacon of faith. It shows resilience in the face of adversity. It embodies the enduring legacy of the African American church. It continues to uplift its community.