Official Board of Asbury AME Church Image

Asbury AME Church is an

African Methodist Episcopal Church The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the AME Church or AME, is a Black church, predominantly African American Methodist Religious denomination, denomination. It adheres to Wesleyan-Arminian theology and has a connexionalism, c ...

founded in 1845 in

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

, Delaware County,

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. It is the second African Methodist Episcopal church founded in Chester behind the Union African Methodist Church in 1832. Asbury AME Church is located at 1712 Providence Avenue and is an active worship center.

History

Reverend Stephen Smith of Philadelphia was the founder of Asbury African Methodist Episcopal Church which he organized on October 26, 1845. The church was originally a frame building located on the east side of Market Street between Second and Third Streets. In 1846, William Murphy and his wife came to Asbury AME Church with the certificate from Bethel Church in

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

. In 1863, during the ministry of Reverend Jeremiah Young, the church was rebuilt and the congregation chose to rename the church Asbury to honor

Francis Asbury Francis Asbury (August 20 or 21, 1745 – March 31, 1816) was one of the first two bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States. During his 45 years in the colonies and the newly independent United States, he devoted his life to ...

, the English missionary who founded the Independent Methodist Episcopal Church in America. On November 25, 1867, the Asbury Methodist Episcopal Church was incorporated by the court of Delaware County. In 1889, the church building on 2nd and Bevan Street was sold and services were held at James Hall on Fifth and Edgemont Avenue until a new structure was built in 1890. In 1995, the church property at 2nd and Bevan was sold. The United Methodist Church at 1712 Providence Avenue was purchased and became the new home of Asbury AME Church in 1996.

Notable people associated with Asbury AME Church

AverySunshine sang at Asbury AME Church with the award-winning Wilmington/Chester Mass Choir.

References

External links

Asbury A.M.E. Church Website
{{coord, 39, 51, 46.2, N, 75, 21, 38.2, W, region:US-PA_type:landmark, display=title 1845 establishments in Pennsylvania African-American history of Pennsylvania African Methodist Episcopal churches in Pennsylvania Chester, Pennsylvania Churches in Delaware County, Pennsylvania Religious organizations established in 1845