Our Story

St. John’s, the Mother Church of African Methodism in Virginia, was conceived as a mission for slaves within the body of the Old Cumberland Street Methodist Episcopal Church about the year 1840.

On October 13, 1863, the congregation petitioned the Baltimore Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church for acceptance into the A.M.E. connection. Elder Alexander Washington Wayman, who later became bishop, was sent by the conference to negotiate the change of denominational affiliation. On January 1, 1864, Bishop Daniel Alexander Payne made a personal visit to Norfolk and officially received St. John’s into the African Methodist Episcopal Connection. The first quarterly conference under the A.M.E. Discipline was held on January 5, 1864. Bishop Payne assigned Elder John Mifflin Brown, who later became bishop, as the first regular A.M.E. pastor of St. John’s.

In 1864, St. John’s served as the birthplace of the Black “freedom ballot” in Virginia when over one thousand African Americans gathered to cast their first ballots. [Click here to read more.]

The period beginning with 1888 and ending with 1913 marks the era in which St. John’s came of age as one of the great connectional churches of the A.M.E. Connection. It was in 1888 that the present church edifice was built under the Rev. W.D. Cook. The cornerstone was laid April 18, 1888.

During the ten-year period between 1888 and 1898, the city, and perhaps the state, witnessed the installation of the first pipe organ among a congregation of color. It was a rare attraction and inducement for many who later became staunch members of the church. The building of such as church was an outstanding achievement for an African American congregation and attracted the attention of the ecclesiastical world at the time. The parsonage which adjoins the church was built in 1907 under the leadership of Rev. Charles W. Mossell.

[St. John’s is on the National Register of Historic Places, click here to read more.]

The Twenty-Third Quadrennial Session of the General Conference of the A.M.E. Church was held at St. John’s in May of 1908. Bishops E. W. Lampton, H. B. Parks, J. S. Flipper, J. A. Johnson, and W. H. Heard were elected and consecrated.

The period from 1913 to 1938 was a time of the quickening of the spiritual life of the church as well as a time of the testing of the congregation’s ability, under God, to hold together and keep moving forward. The burning of the mortgage which had been a burden on the church for 46 years took place on December 12, 1915. During this period the church membership grew to 1,447.

St. John’s gave birth to two other churches in this era, St. Mark’s and John M. Brown. St. John’s also redeemed and restored St. James Church in Lamberts Point.

There was an extensive renovation during the pastorate of the Rev. J. A. Young in which the choir loft and organ were rebuilt and moved directly behind the pulpit.

Also, during this period, two of St. John’s ministers were elected to serve as General Officers in the A.M.E. Church. Dr. S. S. Morris was elected General Secretary of the Allen Christian Endeavor League and Dr. L. L. Berry was elected General Secretary of Missions.

In April of 1978, Bishop Henry Wendell Murphy appointed the Rev. Walter C. Davis to serve as pastor of St. John’s. Under his leadership, the Brotherhood for Christ was reactivated, and new members added to other organizations. In 12 months, extensive renovations were completed, including: a complete rebuilding of the church office, modernization of the Chapel and kitchen, and installation of carpet on the lower level, the organ fund drive was completed, and the church organ was rebuilt.

The Educational Building Fund, which begun under the Rev. A. R. Powell’s administration, was increased to approximately $140,000 under Pastor Davis’ leadership; and it was his desire that the proposed facility be constructed.

The Rev. Irvin W. Knight, Sr. was appointed pastor of St. John’s by Bishop John Hurst Adams on June 25, 1985. Under his leadership, the Educational Building was completed.