African Methodist Episcopal Church (A.M.E.) is a Protestant denomination in the United States. It is one of the largest religious denominations in the country. The A.M.E. was founded by a group of Black Methodists who withdrew in 1787 from the St. George Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, protesting segregation. Black people at that time made up a large percentage of the Methodists in the United States. Two free Black men, Richard Allen and Absalom Jones, led the withdrawal. Black people at that time were known as Africans. The church name was chosen to indicate it was formed by people of African descent. However, the church has never had a policy of discrimination and has members of all races.
