Wednesday, February 24, 2010

she opened the way


Born a slave in Maryland in 1837, Amanda Berry was the daughter of a slave who was able to buy his freedom and that of his wife and five children. The Berry family moved to Pennsylvania where their home became a station on the Underground Railroad. After her first husband was killed while serving in the African Regiments in the Civil War, Amanda remarried and moved to Philadelphia. There, she was born again, joined the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and received her call to preach. In 1869, she began preaching in churches and at Holiness camp meetings in New York and New Jersey, becoming a popular speaker to both black and white audiences. By the end of the decade, she was known as far north as Maine and as far south as Tennessee. Although she was not ordained or financially supported by the AME Church or any other organization, she became the first black woman to work as an international evangelist in 1878. She served for twelve years in England, Ireland, Scotland, India, and various African countries. She emerged as one of the A.M.E. Church’s most effective missionaries and one of the most remarkable preachers of the age. In the process, she opened the way for more black women to preach in the A.M.E. church.
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from The Color Line Has Been Washed Away in the Blood 
at the blog  The Celebration
(HT PolycarpThe Color Line of Pentecostalism)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's amazing how important people like Amanda Berry get left out of the unfolding story of the Church in America. Thank you for reposting this and helping us spread the good news of the Gospel!!!

The Celebration
http://thecelebration.wordpress.com

J. K. Gayle said...

Yes, it's amazing how history is neglected. Thank you for helping us remember Amanda Berry and many other Amanda Berrys and the good news of the Gospel!!!