Who We Are

The Varick Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church is a part of a larger movement. In fact, Methodists around the world owe their theology, structure, and enthusiasm to the founder of Methodism, John Wesley. John Wesley taught about sanctification, which is Holiness. To love God with all one’s heart, mind, soul and strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself. Holiness of one’s heart had to find fruit in outward works and social/ community involvement. A fundamental principle of Methodism declared that ALL are equal in the sight of God.

Methodism was first introduced into North Carolina in 1790 by Henry Evans, a minister of African descent and moved northward as a movement. In Philadelphia, a new order of worship introduced in 1787, required church members of African descent to assemble for worship in the balconies and not on the main floor, although those members made considerable contributions to the cost of a newly completed building. In New York City, (now the Methodist Episcopal Church) there were whites insisting that persons of African descent take communion only after all “whites” had been served and black children be baptized after the worship service was over. The practice and the denial of church privileges led to the organization of the first African Methodist Episcopal church in 1796.

Leaders of the A.M.E. (later Zion) Church voted to remove themselves entirely from the Methodist-Episcopal Church due to the treatment of those of African descent. James Varick in 1822 became the first Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1848 the word “Zion” was added to the title.

Those who belonged to and relied upon the A.M.E. Zion Church were Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman and others. During this period the A.M.E. Zion Church became known as the “Freedom Church”, a title it retains to this day.