Our Story

The AME Church was born as an instrument of protest but remains an institution dedicated to reconciling and liberating the world's people.  When Bishop Richard Allen and Absalom Jones refused to take their praying to the galleys of St. George Methodist Episcopal Church in 1787, they were affirming their worth and dignity as full members of the human family and their right to worship their God even at God's very altar.  The result was the establishment in 1826 of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.  Mother Bethel Church in Philadelphia became the cornerstone of the new denomination that now spans the globe. 

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St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church was born of that legacy.  It began as a joint effort with the local Baptist Church and that association lasted approximately one year as "The African Union Church" before it was dissolved.  Later in 1867, St. Paul like Mother Bethel, had its humble beginnings in a blacksmith shop as "First AME Church".  The congregation included about 30 members and the Rev. E.E. Dean served as pastor.

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The fourth AME Bishop, Paul Quinn, led the westward expansion of the denomination. Because of his efforts, churches were built west of the Mississippi River. On June 10, 1868, a church was erected under the guidance of  Rev. H.N. McIntyre and dedicated in 1871 by Rev. I.N. Triplett. The building stood on the corner of Fourth and Ash Streets in Columbia, Missouri at a cost of about two thousand five hundred dollars.

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In 1890, under the leadership of Rev. J.P. Watson, the church was sold and the present lot of Fifth and Park Street was purchased. During the same year the church was renamed, St. Paul AME Church and growth continued.  In 1962, a new parsonage was purchased at 301 Bryant Street in Columbia, and in 1967, new pews and pulpit furniture were dedicated.  In 1969, the sanctuary was completely repainted and in 1972, new stained glass windows were installed.  In total, more than $50,000 worth of improvements have been made to the church.  In the year 1980, St. Paul was added to the National Registry of Historic Places.

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St. Paul AME has been nestled in the heart of the community of Columbia for over 154 years and strives to draw those closer to God!  To date, St. Paul has had a total of fifty-seven pastors including its present pastor, Rev. Anthony McPherson.