Christian Methodist Episcopal Church - Timeline Event
Time Period
1870
Description
After the Civil War ended in 1865, black members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South (MECS) began discussing an independent denomination. However, they did not wish to join other preexisting black denominations (e.g., African Methodist Episcopal and African Methodist Episcopal, Zion groups) because of their connections to the northern-based Methodist Episcopal Church. Instead, they wished to form and independently govern their own southern denomination with the same doctrine as the MECS.
This came to fruition in 1870, as southern black Methodists, with an amicable agreement from the MECS, formed the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church, which later changed its name to the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church (CME) in 1954.
As of 2006, the CME maintains five colleges, a theological seminary, a hospital, 3,500 churches, and 850,000 members.
This came to fruition in 1870, as southern black Methodists, with an amicable agreement from the MECS, formed the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church, which later changed its name to the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church (CME) in 1954.
As of 2006, the CME maintains five colleges, a theological seminary, a hospital, 3,500 churches, and 850,000 members.
Interactive Timeline(s)
Browse Related Timeline Entries
Religious Groups
Methodist/Pietist Family: Other ARDA LinksMethodist/Pietist Family: Religious Family Tree
Related Dictionary Terms
African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), Black Theology, Christianity, Christians, Church, Denomination, Doctrine, ZionPhotographs
CME Mission Church, Hot Springs, Ark- Hathi Trust- from History of the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church in America by C. H. Phillips
H. M. Miles, first bishop of the CME church- Hathi Trust- from Autobiography of Bishop Isaac Lane
Trinity CME Church, Augusta GA- Hathi Trust- from Autobiography of Bishop Isaac Lane
Members of Women's missionary society of the CME church- Hathi Trust- from History of the Woman's Missionary Society in the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church by Sara J. McAfee
Isaac Lane, Bishop of the CME church- Hathi Trust- from History of the Woman's Missionary Society in the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church by Sara J. McAfee
Book/Journal Source(s)
Mead, Frank, Samuel Hill, and Craig Atwood, 2010. Handbook of Denominations in the United States Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press.Reid, Daniel, Robert Linder, Bruce Shelley, and Harry Stout, 1990. Dictionary of Christianity in America Downers Grove, IL.
Web Page Contributor
Benjamin T. GurrentzAffliated with: Pennsylvania State University, Ph.D. in Sociology
