Varick, James
1750-1827 · Contribution: 1796-1827
Minister; founder and first bishop of the AME Zion Church
Founded the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church and, in 1822, became its first bishop after leading a two-decade struggle to free the denomination from white Methodist Episcopal control, building what became one of the largest historically Black denominations in the United States
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Quick facts
- Born
- 1750, near Newburgh, New York
- Active since
- 1796
- Category
- Religious & Spiritual Leadership
- Best known for
- Founding the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
Impact on the world
Varick built one of the largest historically Black denominations in America, freeing it from white Methodist control, while linking his ministry to Black education, mutual aid, the Black press, and the fight for voting rights.
An alternative history
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Sources
- Source lookupFind
BlackPast.org
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Hosier, Harry “Black Harry”
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Payne, Daniel Alexander
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First African American president of a college in the United States; transformed the AME Church's ministry into a formally educated clergy and helped found Wilberforce University