Black History Month: 8 historically significant African American churches

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church — Charleston, South Carolina

Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church of Charleston, South Carolina, was founded in 1818, and is reportedly the oldest AME church in the South and one of the largest black churches in the city.

Also known as “Mother Emanuel,” it struggled under the oppression of Antebellum racism, with the building being burned down by a racist mob in the 1820s due to the congregation’s ties to antislavery work.

The church gained tragic notoriety in 2015 when white supremacist Dylann Roof entered a Bible study and murdered nine people, including one of the ministers, the Rev. Sharonda Coleman-Singleton.

In response to the mass shooting, family members of the victims opted to publicly forgive Roof, in actions that garnered widespread respect and admiration across the United States.