Expansion of AME Church into Africa

In 1820 Daniel Coker, a prominent AME preacher, together with several African Americans went to Liberia under the auspices of the American Colonization Society to identify emigration opportunities in Africa . It must be stated that the AME Church did not participate in this programme. Despite the opposition of the AME Church, Coker nevertheless established a congregation in Liberia. Coker never received any kind of support for this effort and this resulted in a brief lifespan of the AME Church presence in Monrovia, Liberia.

 Although Coker made the first attempt to start the AME Church in Liberia in 1820, it was the AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, which raised funds to send a missionary to Liberia. Thirty-one members of this congregation were sent, and the group arrived in Monrovia in 1878. After consultation with the Liberian Government, the group organised a congregation in Monrovia. This attempt to start missionary work seemed to be a failure, because several the Americans went home soon after the establishment of the church. Even Rev. Samuel Flegler, who was appointed as minister of the church in Monrovia left after two years and SJ Campbell took over his work. Campbell notes that the main problem with the stabilisation of the AME Church’s West African missions was the lack of funds. In some way church members in Freetown, Sierra Leone heard about the AME Church. It can be assumed that those members en-route back to the USA, spent some time in Freetown and the story of the AME Church was told. It is not known to which church the people in Freetown belonged, but it is evident that they were eager to rid themselves from white dominance. In 1885 they wrote to the leadership of the AME Church in the USA and requested affiliation with the AME Church, which was granted.

 The West African church experienced an extremely slow growth in membership. From 1878 to 1891 the membership was 225. In 1891 Bishop Henry McNeil Turner was sent to West Africa to organise the Liberian Annual Conference, which comprised of Sierra Leone and Liberia. Although the church expanded its boundaries to West Africa and the Liberian Conference was organised in 1891, this Conference remained a part of the 3rd Episcopal District. In 1908 the General Conference elected William Heard as bishop for West Africa. Even during Heard’s four years term as bishop of West Africa, the General Conference did not formally organise an Episcopal District for this area.

 When the AME Church was established in West Africa in 1878, it formed part of the the 3rd Episcopal District. The 3rd Episcopal District is located in the United States. Between 1900 and 1932 West Africa was removed from the 3rd Episcopal District to form part of the 13th Episcopal District, also in the United States. It was only in 1956 that the boundaries for West Africa were fixed when it became an Episcopal District on its own, namely the 14th Episcopal District.

 Since 1900 all other congregations established in Africa were placed under the jurisdiction of the South African Conference, which then formed the 14th Episcopal District. Therefore, all congregations in countries such as Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Swaziland and Basutoland (now Lesotho) formed part of this district. It was only in 1956 that the boundaries of the Episcopal Districts in Africa were once again fixed. The General Conference of 1956 divided the Southern African work into three Episcopal Districts, i.e. the 15th Episcopal District (which was composed of the Cape Province, Natal, Orangia, Northwest Transvaal, South East Transvaal and South West Africa Annual Conferences); the 17th Episcopal District (which was composed of the Northern Rhodesia, Southern Rhodesia and Central Africa Annual Conference); and the 18th Episcopal District (which was comprised of the Basutoland, Swaziland, Bechuanaland and Portuguese East Africa Annual Conferences).

 In 1920 Bishop Brooks was assigned to West Africa. Upon his arrival in Monrovia, Liberia, he negotiated the purchase of twenty acres of land for the erection of a College. Under his administration Monrovia College was erected. This college became the first institution of higher learning in the AME Church in Africa. In recent years the name was changed to the AME University.

 The 14th Episcopal District was only formally organised in 1956 with the Liberian- and Sierra Leone Annual Conferences. Currently the 14th Episcopal District consists of the Sierra Leone-, Liberia-, Ghana-, Nigeria-, Cote D’Ivoire- and Togo-Benin Annual Conferences

 The full picture of Episcopal Districts that were established in Africa reads as follows:

• The boundaries of the 14th Episcopal District were fixed in 1956 with the Liberia-, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Ghana, Cote D’Ivoire and Togo-Benin Annual Conferences.

• The 15th Episcopal District’s boundaries were fixed in 1956 with the Cape-, Kalahari-, Eastern Cape-, Queenstown-, Orangia-, Natal-, Northwest Transvaal-, South East Transvaal- and South West Africa Annual Conferences. However, these boundaries changed in 1984 when the 19th

Episcopal Conference was introduced. Currently the 15th Episcopal District comprises of the Cape-, SWA (Namibia)-, Kalahari-, Eastern Cape- , Queenstown- and the Angola Annual Conferences.

• The 16th Episcopal District was established in 1940 with the Suriname- Guyana-, Windward Islands-, Virgin Islands-, Dominican Republic-, Haiti-, Jamaica- and London Annual Conferences. Although the 16th Episcopal District does not form part of the Episcopal Districts in Africa, it is united

with Africa through the Global Development Council.

• The 17th Episcopal District was finally organised in 2004 with the South East Zambia-, South West Zambia-, North East Zambia-, North West Zambia-, Zambezi-, Congo Brazzaville-, Katanga-, Kasai-, Kinshasa-, Mbuji-mayi-, Rwanda- and Burundi Annual Conferences.

• The 18th Episcopal District’s boundaries were also determined at the General Conference of 2004 with the Lesotho-, Swaziland-, Mozambique and North East Lesotho Annual Conferences.

• The 19th Episcopal District was formed in 1984 with the Orangia-, West-, MM Mokone- and Natal Annual Conferences.

• The 20th Episcopal District was organised at the General Conference of 2004 with the Malawi North-, Malawi South-, North East Zimbabwe-, South West Zimbabwe- and Central Zimbabwe Annual Conference

 In 1944 John Clayborn was elected bishop and assigned to West Africa. Although World War 2 was still in progress, Clayborn did not use that as an excuse to attend to his overseas duties. He went to West Africa by plane and was the only bishop who assumed duty in Africa during the war. Immediately upon his arrival, he revived the Shaffer Boys’ School, which was on the verge of closing down. Clayborn redesigned the curriculum of the school, opened it to both boys and girls and renamed it the Shaffer Smith Elementary School. He organised Clayborn College in Sekondi, Ghana and the Clayborn Industrial School in Monrovia. Clayborn also revived the Monrovia College.

 In 1956 Bishop Frances Gow was elected the first Bishop of the AME Church born in Africa.He served in Africa until his death in 1968.

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