Wayman AME History

 

In 1787, Exhausted by the oppressive white supremacist culture of their home church, St. Georges Methodist Episcopal Church, Our Founder, The Reverend Richard Allen, along with the Reverend Absalom Jones, led the worshipers of color to seek a worshipping environment which would afford them liberty in following God’s Word and Spirit.  Allen creatively secured a blacksmith shop as their first house of worship and used an anvil for the pulpit within their new church home, Bethel AME Church.  The Spirit-filled church held firmly to the twenty-five Methodist articles of faith as well as Wesleyan polity. God added to the Church.  Other black congregations were established and in 1816, Bethel and they incorporated the African Methodist Episcopal Church.  It is believed that this became the first Christian denomination organized in the USA.  In the next several decades as slavery continued despite the godly work of abolitionists, the denomination spread across the nation and into the continent of Africa.

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Wayman A.M.E. Church, our local home, was organized in 1919 by Presiding Elder Thomas Stoval, who saw the need for an A.M.E. Church for residents of Minneapolis’ north side. It was organized in the home of Mrs. Lucinda Jackson at 6th and Emerson Avenue North with 23 persons present. Several members of St. Peter’s and St. James-St. Paul were in attendance. The Church congregation was incorporated July 23, 1928. The Trustee Board consisted of J.C. Batsell, J.C. Battles, Savallah Keith and William Whitaker. J.C. Batsell was the Secretary.

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Wayman A.M.E. Church was named after Bishop Alexander W. Wayman who was consecrated Bishop in 1864 and served for 31 years.  After worshiping in various homes, the congregation moved into its first Church building at 537 James Avenue North. This building was destroyed by fire on November 22, 1938, and once again the congregation was without a House of Worship. The building was not insured, and the Church was without resources to rebuild. The congregation met in the Phyllis Wheatley House.

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In 1939, under the leadership of Reverend Henderson Reddick, a duplex dwelling was purchased at 819 Fremont Avenue North. It was renovated and the upstairs served as a parsonage; the sanctuary was on the first floor. In 1944, the 819 Fremont property was sold and another similar, but larger building was purchased at 619 Fremont Avenue North. The congregation this time consisted of 54 adults and 26 children. These dedicated members pledged to remain in this building and build a new Church.

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On September 12, 1954, Bishop George W. Baber assigned the Reverend Dr. Marlon J. Hendrieth of Detroit, Michigan to Wayman A.M.E. Church.  Bishop Baber’s charge to Dr. Hendrieth was “build these people a Church.” Dr. Hendrieth did not realize how great the challenge would be or how long it would take to make the Bishop’s charge a reality.

 

It is said, “When God gives a vision, He also gives provision.”  Dr. Hendrieth’s success in organizing the church and community to build the structure in which we now worship is a beautiful witness to the truth of that saying.  One of the central community partners God gave Dr. Hendrieth was Twin Cities Federal.  Working together, across racial lines, the people built the unique edifice we occupy and dedicated it to God’s service on November 26, 1966.   28 years had passed since the James Avenue fire, but the dream became a reality. The new Wayman A.M.E. Church was dedicated to the honor and glory of God. Led by Bishop Joseph Gomez, Presiding Elder Dr. C. Wesley Ellison, Reverend Dr. Hendrieth, a procession of officers, members, TCF leaders and others went from 619 Fremont Avenue North to the present site at 1221 7th Avenue North.

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Wayman has been blessed with godly pastoral and lay leadership over the years.  The Church’s unique legacy in building meaningful community partnerships continued under the leadership of Reverend Dr. Alphonse Reff, Sr. whose service of more than 33 years included a partnership to construct an educational facility on Wayman’s property.  The school and day care center have served thousands of children.

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The legacy continues under the leadership of our current pastor, the Reverend Richard H. Coleman. All things are possible if you trust in God and believe in the power of “The Church in Prayer”. Wayman is committed to growing as a Spirit-filled, authentic, and transformational community whose witness is seen among the members, our families, institutions, the Twin Cities, and the World.

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