First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles
Encyclopedia
The First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles (First A.M.E. or FAME) is a megachurch
in Los Angeles, California
, USA, part of the African Methodist Episcopal
(AME) Church. It is the oldest church founded by African Americans in Los Angeles, dating to 1872. The church now has a membership of more than 19,000 individuals.
, an African American
nurse and a California real estate entrepreneur and philanthropist, and her son-in-law Charles Owens. The organizing meetings were held in Mason's home on Spring Street and she donated the land on which the first church was built.
The parent AME Church is a Methodist denomination founded by the Rev. Richard Allen in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
in 1816. The AME Church now has over 2,000,000 members in North and South America, Africa and Europe, and includes other major churches such as the Greater Allen A. M. E. Cathedral of New York
with over 23,000 members and the Reid Temple A.M.E. Church
in Glenn Dale, Maryland
with over 7,500 members.
In 1977 Dr. Cecil L. "Chip" Murray was assigned to the church as pastor. At that time it had 300 members. Under Murray's leadership the church grew during the next 27 years to a membership of 18,000 people. Going beyond worship services, the church created 40 task forces concerned with health, substance abuse, homelessness, emergency food and clothing, housing, training, employment and so on. President George W. Bush
named the Church the 177th Point of Light for its courageous outreach in community services.
In 1993 Federal authorities unearthed an alleged plot by young men associated with the "Fourth Reich Skinheads" to attack the First AME Church.
The accused, said to be planning to blow up the church to ignite a race war, negotiated plea bargains with prosecutors.
In 2004 the Reverend Dr. John Joseph Hunter moved from Seattle to succeed Cecil Murray as senior minister.
He had earned a reputation for free-spending, and in 2008 was reported to be negotiating with authorities to resolve tax obligations, including repayment of more than $100,000 spent for family vacations, clothes and jewelry.
Several church leaders accused him of "gross financial maladministration" and asked the responsible Bishop T. Larry Kirkland to remove the pastor and his wife, Denise.
In November 2009 a former employee accused Hunter in a civil lawsuit of forcing her into sexual service for four years and firing her when she finally refused to comply. Hunter denied the charge and counter-sued.
In December 1989 city officials including Mayor Tom Bradley
and First AME leaders broke ground for FAME Arms, a 40-unit apartment complex for physically disabled, low-income people in Southwest Los Angeles.
After an earthquake in January 1994 FAME Renaissance, the nonprofit economic development arm of First AME Church, helped provide loans of up to $25,000 for affected small and new businesses who could not get help otherwise.
In September 2009 the church launched an open-air fresh produce market to bring healthful foods to residents of South Los Angeles.
Megachurch
A megachurch is a church having 2,000 or more in average weekend attendance. The Hartford Institute's database lists more than 1,300 such Protestant churches in the United States. According to that data, approximately 50 churches on the list have attendance ranging from 10,000 to 47,000...
in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, USA, part of the African Methodist Episcopal
African Methodist Episcopal Church
The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the A.M.E. Church, is a predominantly African American Methodist denomination based in the United States. It was founded by the Rev. Richard Allen in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1816 from several black Methodist congregations in the...
(AME) Church. It is the oldest church founded by African Americans in Los Angeles, dating to 1872. The church now has a membership of more than 19,000 individuals.
History and leadership
The church was established in 1872 under the sponsorship of Biddy MasonBiddy Mason
Bridget "Biddy" Mason was an African American nurse and a Californian real estate entrepreneur and philanthropist.-Early life:...
, an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
nurse and a California real estate entrepreneur and philanthropist, and her son-in-law Charles Owens. The organizing meetings were held in Mason's home on Spring Street and she donated the land on which the first church was built.
The parent AME Church is a Methodist denomination founded by the Rev. Richard Allen in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
in 1816. The AME Church now has over 2,000,000 members in North and South America, Africa and Europe, and includes other major churches such as the Greater Allen A. M. E. Cathedral of New York
Greater Allen A. M. E. Cathedral of New York
The Greater Allen Cathedral of New York is an African Methodist Episcopal cathedral located in Jamaica, Queens, New York. The congregation is over 23,000 members, and Prospect Magazine named the cathedral the 57th largest church in the United States of America....
with over 23,000 members and the Reid Temple A.M.E. Church
Reid Temple A.M.E. Church
The Reid Temple A.M.E. Church is an African Methodist Episcopal megachurch located in Glenn Dale, Maryland, USA to the northeast of Washington, DC.In 2008, Outreach Magazine reported that attendance was 7,500, making it the 88th largest church in the USA....
in Glenn Dale, Maryland
Glenn Dale, Maryland
Glenn Dale is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 12,609 at the 2000 census...
with over 7,500 members.
In 1977 Dr. Cecil L. "Chip" Murray was assigned to the church as pastor. At that time it had 300 members. Under Murray's leadership the church grew during the next 27 years to a membership of 18,000 people. Going beyond worship services, the church created 40 task forces concerned with health, substance abuse, homelessness, emergency food and clothing, housing, training, employment and so on. President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
named the Church the 177th Point of Light for its courageous outreach in community services.
In 1993 Federal authorities unearthed an alleged plot by young men associated with the "Fourth Reich Skinheads" to attack the First AME Church.
The accused, said to be planning to blow up the church to ignite a race war, negotiated plea bargains with prosecutors.
In 2004 the Reverend Dr. John Joseph Hunter moved from Seattle to succeed Cecil Murray as senior minister.
He had earned a reputation for free-spending, and in 2008 was reported to be negotiating with authorities to resolve tax obligations, including repayment of more than $100,000 spent for family vacations, clothes and jewelry.
Several church leaders accused him of "gross financial maladministration" and asked the responsible Bishop T. Larry Kirkland to remove the pastor and his wife, Denise.
In November 2009 a former employee accused Hunter in a civil lawsuit of forcing her into sexual service for four years and firing her when she finally refused to comply. Hunter denied the charge and counter-sued.
Social involvement
The church is a center of political and social action in the city, which state and national political candidates often find important to visit during election campaigns.In December 1989 city officials including Mayor Tom Bradley
Tom Bradley (politician)
Thomas J. "Tom" Bradley was the 38th Mayor of Los Angeles, California, serving in that office from 1973 to 1993. He was the first and to date only African American mayor of Los Angeles...
and First AME leaders broke ground for FAME Arms, a 40-unit apartment complex for physically disabled, low-income people in Southwest Los Angeles.
After an earthquake in January 1994 FAME Renaissance, the nonprofit economic development arm of First AME Church, helped provide loans of up to $25,000 for affected small and new businesses who could not get help otherwise.
In September 2009 the church launched an open-air fresh produce market to bring healthful foods to residents of South Los Angeles.