The A. M. E.  Zion Church is a different religious body than the A. M. E.
Church. Both grew out of racial segregation in early Methodist Episcopal
churches, especially in two of the oldest: John Street in Manhattan and St.
George's, Philadelphia.
The African Methodist Episcopal [A. M. E.] is the older and larger of the
two. It was founded by Rev. Richard Allen in Philadelphia, following a
racial incident at St. George's. Allen & his fellow blacks left St. George's
and founded their own congregation - now Mother Bethel A. M. E. Church in
Philadelphia. In 1816, Allen was ordained the first Bishop of the African
Methodist Episcopal Church by Bishop Francis Asbury of the Methodist
Episcopal Church.

Racial incidents at John Street M. E. Church in Lower Manhattan, led to the
formation of the A. M. E. Zion Church a few years afterwards.  Zion
Methodism was stronger in New York; A. M. E. Methodism grew more from its
base in Philadelphia.

Both churches are part of American Methodism - but are separate
denominations from one another - and from the larger United Methodist Church
[heir to the M. E. Church, the M. E. Church, South; the M. P. Church; and
the E. U. B. churches]. Both the A. M. E. and the A. M. E. Zion have their
own Bishops, their own government, etc.

There is also the C. M. E. Church [now Christian Methodist Episcopal,
formerly Colored Methodist Episcopal] mainly in the South. It grew after the
Civil War from the M. E. Church, South.

A smaller group is the U. A. M. E. - the Union American Methodist Episcopal
Church, which broke off from the A. M. E. in the 1880s/1890s. Again, that
has its own heirarchy.

For researching, be sure you know which group your church belonged to.

At the most recent Conference meetings of the Baltimore-Washington Annual
Conference, United Methodist Church, we heard bishops of both the A. M. E.
and A. M. E. Zion churches preach and bring "Episcopal Greetings" from their
respective denominations.

I hope this helps.

David

David Roberts
Hollywood, MD
Historian: Hollywood UMC, Hollywood, MD


----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Sullivan" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, December 29, 2005 10:19 AM
Subject: Re: [NYHIST-L] AME Zion Church


> > I am researching the African Methodist Episcopal Church that was
incorporated in the Village of Canajoharie in 1857.  Apparently the
congregation did not last long as there are virtually no records to be
found.  Is there a centralized location for AME Zion church records to go
when the congregations dissolve?  I don't have much information to go on,
only the date of incorporation and a few names of some early members
involved in the incorporation.  Any ideas?
>
> According to the AME site:
>
> <http://www.ame-church.com/directory/presiding-bishops.php>
>
> Richard Franklin Norris of Philadelphia is the presiding bishop of the
> First Episcopal District, which includes New York.  That link gives
> phone, e-mail and snail mail contact information.
>
> There is also a directory of the New York churches:
>
>
<http://www.ame-church.com/directory/search.php?city=&zip=&state=NY&country=
US>
>
> so perhaps one of the larger ones might have some ideas.
>
> --
> Bob Sullivan
> Schenectady Digital History Archive
> <http://www.schenectadyhistory.org/>
> Schenectady County (NY) Public Library
>