Absalom Jones was born into slavery in 1746 in Delaware. He taught himself to read from the New Testament and other books. At the age of 16, his mother and sister were sold, while he was brought to Philadelphia. In the evenings, he attended a Quaker school and also worked, and he was able to keep his earnings. In 1770, he married an enslaved woman and purchased her freedom. Then in 1774, he gained his own freedom through manumission.
He became a lay minister at St. George’s Methodist Episcopal Church, and with his friend Richard Allen greatly increased the membership of Black people in the church. They also organized the first society for African Americans, the Free African Society, which worked for emancipation and used monthly dues for the support of members in need.
When the white vestry of St. George’s, alarmed by the increase in Black members, voted to segregate them into the upstairs gallery, Jones and Allen led a walkout of Black members of the church. With the help of the Quakers and the Episcopalians, they built a new church, The First African Church, dedicated in 1794. Allen later left to found a new church and a new denomination, the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. Jones’ church applied for membership in the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, with stipulations that included control over local affairs and the eventual ordination, if qualified, of Jones to the priesthood. He was ordained a deacon in 1795, and then finally became the first Black priest in the Episcopal Church in 1802.
In his sermons, Jones denounced slavery and emphasized that God acted on the side of the “oppressed and distressed.” He called upon Congress in 1800 to abolish slavery and to enforce the gradual emancipation of enslaved people. He also founded social service societies, as well as schools for Black children, since they could not attend public schools.
Jones, who had become known as “the Black Bishop,” died on February 13, 1818, having made an extraordinary impact in his community and the Episcopal Church.
Set us free, heavenly Father, from every bond of prejudice and fear; that, honoring the steadfast courage of your servant Absalom Jones, we may show forth in our lives the reconciling love and true freedom of the children of God, which you have given us in your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
