Wayne History : Churches : St. John's A.M.E. Church

St. John's A.M.E. Church

Founded 1888
Wayne, West Wayne and Highland Ave.
Still Active

The idea of forming an African Methodist Episcopal Church in Wayne was formed when a group of people met at Wayne hall in the summer of 1888. Services probably took place in the Hall, as did the first Wayne Presbyterian services more than a decade previously. At its inception the Church had virtually no possessions, though some were donated by neighbors. The Louella Hotel donated a Bible and some hymnals, church members donated necessities, and the First Baptist Church donated pews and pupits from their old church. A parcel of land was purchased on April 19, 1890, very close to the site of First Baptist. The land, on the corner of West Wayne and Highland Avenues, cost $500. This money was raised by a rally and meetings at the Wayne Opera House. They relocated again in January of 1892 to Strafford Hall, and again on May 10th to the Radnor School House, part of First Baptist. Work on the new building halted for some time, standing without a roof for a year. The building was finally completed and held its first service on January 15th, 1893, and dedication took place in June. There were many notable volunteers of St. John's, notably Emma Haskins, one of the church's founders, who held the post of Superintendent of the Sunday School until she retired due to illness. She died at age 100.

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Sources:
Holliday, Lillian. "History of St. John's A.M.E. Church." The Bulletin of Radnor Historical Society, Fall, 1975.