The story of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church begins with the larger movement of Methodism.

Methodism began as a renewal movement within the Church of England in the early 1700s, led by John Wesley and his brother Charles Wesley. While studying at Oxford University, they formed a “Holy Club” focused on prayer, Bible study, and acts of service—earning them the nickname “Methodists” for their methodical spiritual discipline.

John Wesley’s powerful preaching, practical theology, and organizational genius helped spread the movement across Britain and colonial America, particularly through field preaching and the work of itinerant ministers (later called circuit riders). By the late 1700s, Methodism had grown into a global movement, emphasizing personal holiness, social justice, and salvation for all.

Circuit riders were traveling preachers who spread Methodism across the American frontier in the 18th and 19th centuries. Often on horseback and carrying little more than a Bible and a saddlebag, they rode long distances—through mountains, farms, and small towns—to preach, baptize, marry, and plant churches wherever people would gather.

Organized by leaders like John Wesley and Francis Asbury, circuit riders were the backbone of early Methodism, especially in rural areas with no established clergy. They faced harsh weather, isolation, and exhaustion, yet they helped build a movement rooted in accessibility, adaptability, and deep personal faith.

Their legacy lives on in how the church still values connectional ministry, shared leadership, and bringing the gospel to where people are.

One of the most consequential conversions in American religious history happened when a white Methodist circuit rider,  Freeborn Garrettson, visited a plantation in Delaware around 1777 and preached against slavery. Among the enslaved listeners was Richard Allen, who later wrote that Garrettson’s words convicted him of sin and awakened his soul: At the age of 17, Richard was converted: “all of a sudden my dungeon shook, my chains flew off, and glory to God, I cried. My soul was filled. I cried, enough for me--the Saviour died.” Allen would go on to purchase his freedom, become a lay preacher, and later an ordained minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church. 

🤝 A Partnership with Francis Asbury

As Allen’s preaching reputation grew, he drew the attention of Francis Asbury, the pioneering bishop of American Methodism. Asbury recognized Allen’s talent and commitment, and for a time, Allen traveled with Asbury as an itinerant preacher, sometimes walking dozens of miles between stops. Though Allen was not yet ordained, Asbury invited him to preach at services, especially when reaching African American audiences.

This relationship opened doors—but also revealed the limitations of the white-led Methodist Episcopal Church. Even as Allen preached revivals that converted hundreds, he was often denied pulpits in white churches or was relegated to preaching at 5 a.m., when white members would not be inconvenienced.