African American Ministries

Northeastern Jurisdiction Call to Action Resolution & Response Call to Action Resolution 2016 NEJ Conference [PDF] Eastern PA 2017 Annual Conference Call to Action Response [PDF] Northeastern Jurisdiction College of Bishops The United Methodist Church A statement presented to the Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference July 13, 2016, Lancaster PA View the full statement [PDF] View the statement as printed in the Philadelphia Tribune [PDF]

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After the Dust Settles: A BMCR conversation on what’s next

Noting the pain, frustration, anger, and yet hope for the future that many feel “in the wake of the senseless murder of George Floyd by a former Minneapolis police officer,”  the Rev. Eric Carr, Coordinator of Philadelphia BMCR (Black Methodists for Church Renewal), invites caucus members and guests to a Zoom video-conference meeting on Monday, June 15, at 6 PM.

Participants will discuss “where we are and what we should be doing when the dust settles.”  Additionally, Carr says, “we will discuss challenges that we as Black Methodists within our denomination should address, and how we can support the Mother Zoar/New Vision UMC project.”

“BMCR Philadelphia stands in solidarity with the families of all of the unarmed black brothers and sisters who have been targeted unjustly and even killed at the hands of police,” Carr’s letter states. “Many of us have been out in the streets letting our voices be heard, protesting and joining in with various community prayers and marches against racism, injustice, and demanding change and reform with law enforcement agencies and their tactics and policies. Many have been partnering with various social justice advocates, ministries, and committees working towards change that is long overdue.” Contact: bmcrphila@gmail.com.

African American caucus issues call to action on racism

Also, see the solidarity and call to action statement published by National BMCR this week.

The board of directors calls on church leaders to “hold clergy and laity to a gospel that centers the voices of people of color and all those who are truly at risk for simply being present in this world.” They have also asked the Council of Bishops and General Conference Commission to determine whether it will still be safe to hold General Conference in Minneapolis in 2021. Read statement

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Black leaders meet to discuss future of United Methodist Church

CHICAGO – Dozens of key African-American laity, clergy and episcopal leaders met in Chicago on Thursday and Friday to discern and map out the future of the Black Church in… Read more

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Delaware Annual Conference Anniversary Celebration

Nearly 200 people gathered at historic Tindley Temple UMC in Philadelphia on Saturday, May 30, to celebrate “A Century of Commitment, A Legacy of Love.”

With that theme, they fondly remembered the old Delaware Annual Conference, which from 1864 to 1965 nurtured the faith, fellowship and fortitude of African Americans in the former Methodist and Methodist Episcopal churches. This was a special occasion–both joyful and poignant–that recalled struggles to overcome racism, heroic leaders, faithful disciples and the relentless arc of social transformation that by God’s grace, “bends toward justice.” Read more

View the full Delaware Annual Conference Celebration Photo Gallery.

A Brief History of the Former Delaware Annual Conference

Organized officially in 1784, the Methodist Episcopal Church flourished in the early 1800s, as small societies and full churches emerged, even among black U.S. populations. Black local preachers were recruited to serve their congregations, supervised by white elders and annual conferences. Eventually, an ongoing Conference of Colored Local Preachers was organized at Zoar M.E. Church in Philadelphia in 1857 under Bishop Levi Scott. They met annually until 1863, drawing growing numbers of African American clergy members from New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland’s Eastern Shore and the northern tip of Virginia. Read more

Delaware Conference history chronicled in ‘A Methodist Trail’

A Methodist Trail is a just-published, long-awaited history of the former Delaware Annual Conference, the historic African American Methodist conference that was the first to form in 1864 and the first to merge in 1965. The extraordinarily detailed, two-volume book was researched and written by William C. Jason Jr., a pastor’s son born in 1898 and a venerable leader, historian and secretary of the conference. Learn more

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Black Methodists for Church Renewal (BMCR)

• Chair: Rev. Shayla Johnson

Philadelphia BMCR represents important interests and concerns of Black United Methodist members and churches of the Eastern PA Conference (located primarily in the Philadelphia region). We are an official, affiliated body of the Eastern PA Annual Conference and a conference affiliate of the National BMCR caucus. Learn more…

Black United Methodist Pastors (BUMP)

• Chair: The Rev. Herbert W. Coe

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List of African American UM churches in the Eastern PA Conference:

Some of these congregations may be predominantly African American or people of African descent.

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African-American Ministries News & Information