2026 Founder's Day Message from the Council of Bishops

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the late 1700’s was the epicenter for American Independence from King George III and the tyrannical rule of Great Britain. The leading voices for liberation in the American Colonies were themselves slaveholders or supporters of the heinous practice. The city of Philadelphia was also becoming the epicenter for the abolition of slavery. Free Africans and former slaves roamed the city deliberately, some with more than a modicum of respect and position. 

One such person was Rev. Richard Allen, a noted Methodist preacher and entrepreneur. As a result of Rev. Allen’s understanding of scripture, his keen sense of personhood and dignity, he led a protest movement against racial bigotry in Old St. George’s. His voice and protestations empowered the Africans to establish their own house of worship and develop self-help initiatives, improving their quality of life. 

Ultimately, Bethel Church was established on the corner of 6th and Lombard Streets. This plot of land is the longest real estate continuously owned and operated by African Americans. Rev. Allen was recognized as the church’s pastor by the city government, the state of Pennsylvania, and the Methodist Episcopal Church. 

By 1816, like-minded Black Christians who also established churches across the Mid-Atlantic region gathered in Philadelphia, and the African Methodist Episcopal Church became a reality. Today, the AME Church is a global church spanning across five continents and forty-two countries, with a plethora of congregations, clergy, and lay members. The month of February is when we celebrate the venerable and intrepid leadership of our founder, Bishop Allen, and his family. 

Furthermore, under the Trump administration, the current tenor of the American fabric and the social, economic, and political conditions globally demand that the AME Church unfurl our banner and raise our anthem anew for faith, justice, equity, inclusion, and national and international peace. 

Bishop Silvester S. Beaman
President, Council of Bishops of the African Methodist Episcopal Church