Allen Temple AME Church (Cincinnati, Ohio) facts for kids

The Allen Temple AME Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, is a very important church. It is known as the "mother church" for the Third Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME). Founded in 1824, it is the oldest Black church still operating in Cincinnati. It is also the largest AME church in its district.

1874 engraving of Allen Temple AME Church

The Church's Early History

The church was named after Richard Allen. He was the person who started the AME Church. Allen Temple began in 1823 as a Methodist Episcopal Church. This happened because Black people faced unfair treatment in other churches.

The first pastor chosen by the Black members was Rev. James King. He was a slave in Lexington, Kentucky at the time. His owner allowed him to work for money. In 1824, Rev. King and Rev. Philip Brodie led the church. They decided to join the new AME denomination.

Before 1870, the church used at least four different buildings. Each building had its own name. The last one was called "Allen Chapel" and was built around 1850. During this time, the church was a waystation on the Underground Railroad. This was a secret network that helped enslaved people escape to freedom. In 1862, Allen Temple also helped start another AME church in Cincinnati. It was called the Brown Chapel AME Church.

Growth and Challenges

The church grew a lot, but it also faced problems like vandalism. In 1870, the members bought a new building. This building used to be the Rockdale Temple synagogue. They paid $40,000 for it. This showed that Allen Temple was one of the first Black churches with many middle-class members. At this time, the church officially became "Allen Temple."

Paying off the building's loan was hard. A fire in 1974 also caused damage. Because of these money problems, charity groups were formed. These groups helped pay off the church's debts. After that, they started doing social and welfare work in the community.

Isaac Nelson Ross was a pastor at Allen Temple for five years. He served from 1900 to 1907. Later, he became the 41st bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

In 1975, the old Broadway church building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This meant it was important for its history and architecture in Ohio. However, the building was later destroyed. It was removed from the Register in 1999.

Allen Temple in Modern Times

In 1996, Rev. Donald Harold Jordan, Sr. became the pastor of Allen Temple. He was a well-known founder and CEO of funeral homes. He had been a pastor at Quinn Chapel AME Church for 17 years. When he came to Allen Temple, it was located on Reading Road.

Under Rev. Jordan's leadership, the church gained hundreds of new members. They also bought the Swifton Commons Shopping Mall. In 2003, this mall was renamed Jordan Crossing Mall. Allen Temple started holding services in the mall's Worship Center in 1999. They continued to grow and began building a brand new church. This new church would be big enough for over 1,000 people.

The new church building was finished in May 2004. On May 16 and 23, 2004, it was officially dedicated. Bishop Paul A. Bowers and Bishop Robert V. Webster led the dedication services.

Rev. Jordan decided to retire in August 2004. He had thought about becoming a bishop, but he was 72 years old. He decided to withdraw his name. He officially retired on June 30, 2005, after almost ten years at Allen Temple.

Bishop Robert V. Webster served as a temporary pastor for four months. Then, in November 2005, a new permanent pastor was chosen. This was Reverend Dr. Mark Wendell Thompson from Atlanta, Georgia. His wife, Evangelist Stephanie D. Thompson, became the First Lady and Associate Minister.

Rev. Thompson preached his first sermon at Allen Temple on November 20, 2005. He chose the theme "Becoming Whole Through Christian Living." The church grew a lot again in a short time. The youth ministry, especially, saw huge growth. In November 2007, Rev. Thompson moved back to Atlanta.

On November 4, 2007, Rev. Dr. Alphonse Allen, Jr. became the new pastor. He was 44 years old at the time. Before this, he was a pastor at United A.M.E. Church in Xenia, Ohio.

Upward Bound Youth Ministries

In December 2003, Cory W. Ferguson returned to Allen Temple. He had previously led the church's youth choir. Rev. Jordan then appointed him as the youth minister. In October 2004, the Upward Bound Youth Ministries (UBYM) was started. At its busiest, this ministry had over 110 children, teens, and young adults. This number did not even include their parents and other helpers.

UBYM had several groups:

• The Training Choir (ages 3–5)
• The Children's Choir (ages 6–12)
• The Worship Chorale (ages 13 and up)
• The Empty Vessels Praise Dance Ministry
• A new children's praise dance ministry

These choirs and dance teams performed on the second, fourth, and fifth Sundays of each month. Many church members saw them as a great blessing. UBYM also became very active outside the church. They sang and danced at other churches, gospel concerts, and other Christian events.

In September 2009, Cory Ferguson left Allen Temple. He moved back to Dayton, Ohio. Fran Allen, Pastor Allen's wife, now leads the children's choir and a new choir called First Fruits. She is also part of the Worship Chorale. Minister Courtney Jackson now leads the Worship Chorale, which is called "Anointed."

See also

• History of Cincinnati, Ohio
• Race relations of Cincinnati, Ohio
• Black church