22 Facts About Morris Brown

Morris Brown was one of the founders of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and its second presiding bishop.

Morris Brown founded Emanuel AME Church in his native Charleston, South Carolina.

Morris Brown planted new congregations and established conferences of AME churches in the American Midwest and Ontario, Canada.

Morris Brown mentored rising AME leaders such as the Rev Daniel Payne, and encouraged formal education for new preachers and pastors.

In 1817, Morris Brown traveled north to Philadelphia, as he had learned that Rev Richard Allen and 15 delegates from four northern states had founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church there the previous year.

Morris Brown was joined by many African Americans from Bethel and two other Methodist congregations, who formed a separate congregation, first known as Hampstead Church.

Morris Brown was credited with planning a large-scale slave insurrection in June 1822.

Rev Morris Brown was imprisoned as a suspected collaborator for nearly a year, but never convicted.

In Philadelphia, Rev Morris Brown resumed his shoemaking craft, according to census records.

Morris Brown became Rev Allen's valued assistant, and was formally named Mother Bethel's assistant pastor in 1825, and assistant bishop the following year.

Morris Brown was consecrated bishop on May 25,1828, at the denomination's General Conference.

Morris Brown traveled extensively to establish new congregations and conferences.

At Hillsboro, Ohio in August 1830, Morris Brown organized the denomination's western churches into the Western Conference.

Morris Brown resigned that position in 1844 and resumed status as an elder.

Bishop Morris Brown organized the Canada Conference in Toronto, Ontario, in July 1840.

Morris Brown was assisted by 20 traveling and 27 local preachers.

Aware that his own limited literacy affected his preaching, Morris Brown mentored Daniel Payne, who had moved to Pennsylvania from Charleston in 1835 after authorities closed his school.

At the General Conference of 1844, Morris Brown helped Payne secure the adoption of a resolution requiring a regular course of study for ministers, which contributed to building the institution of the church.

Morris Brown continued as active in church affairs as his health permitted.

Morris Brown helped expand his denomination to include six conferences, 62 elders, nearly 300 churches and more than 17,000 members.

Morris Brown was first buried in the former Mother Bethel Burying Ground on Queen Street.

Morris Brown was later reinterred, next to founding Bishop Allen, within the Mother Bethel church.