Profile Text
Richard Allen, from the frontispiece of “History of the African Methodist Episcopal Church,” 1891, by Daniel A. Payne
Date of Birth: February 14, 1760
Place of Birth: Delaware Colony, British America
Date of Death: March 26, 1831
Place of Death: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Ethnicity: African-American
The Right Reverend Richard Allen was an American minister, educator, and writer. He founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), the first independent black church denomination; opening the first AME church in Philadelphia in 1794. He was one of the U.S.’ most influential black leaders.
Richard was born into slavery, on the property of lawyer and judge Benjamin Chew, who was chief justice of the Supreme Court of the Province of Pennsylvania, and of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He and his family were sold to Delaware farmer Stockley Sturgis. At the age of seventeen, Richard converted to the Methodist faith. His owner Stockley decided to give his slaves the opportunity to buy their freedom, which Richard did in 1780. He was qualified as a preacher and admitted in 1784. He was ordained a Methodist minister/elder by Bishop Francis Asbury of the M.E. Church in 1799; the first black man to have been so ordained.
Richard was married to Flora, until her death; and then to abolitionist and missionary Sarah Bass, known as “The Founding Mother,” until his death. He had six children with Sarah.