Greater Warner Tabernacle AME Zion Church, Knoxville facts for kids
The Greater Warner Tabernacle AME Zion Church is a very old and important church in Knoxville, Tennessee. It is located at 3800 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. This church has a special history, especially because it was part of the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad was a secret network that helped enslaved people escape to freedom.
The church belongs to the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church group. This group started in 1796 and is often called the "freedom church." This is because it played a big role in the abolitionist movement. The abolitionist movement worked to end slavery in the United States.
A Church with a Special History
The church community first began in 1845. It started on Fuller Street, on land given by a religious German person. At first, it was known as Warner Tabernacle. The first actual church building was built much later, in the late 1800s.
Moving Through the Years
Sadly, the first church building was destroyed by storms in 1908. A new church building was finished in 1910.
The church moved several times over the years:
- In 1967, the church moved to Speedway Circle. Its name changed to Speedway Circle AME Zion Church.
- In 1969, the name changed again to Greater Warner Tabernacle.
- In 1987, the church bought the McCalla Avenue Baptist Church building. They moved there, and that part of McCalla Avenue is now called Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue.
Today, Greater Warner Tabernacle is the oldest existing African-American church community in Knoxville. It continues to be an important part of the city's history and community.
