Jabez Pitt Campbell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jabez Pitt Campbell
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| Born | February 5, 1815 Slaughter Neck, Sussex County, Delaware
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| Died | August 9, 1891 (aged 76) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Minister |
| Known for | American Colonization Society; eighth bishop of the AME Church |
| Spouse(s) | Stella Medley; Mary Ann Akins |
| Religion | African Methodist Episcopal Church |
Jabez Pitt Campbell (born February 5, 1815, died August 9, 1891) was an important American minister. He was also an activist and helped many people. He became the eighth bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME). This was the first independent church for African Americans in the United States.
Contents
Early Life and Freedom
Jabez P. Campbell was born free on February 5, 1815. His birthplace was Slaughter Neck, Sussex County, Delaware. Both of his grandfathers fought in the Revolutionary War. This was special because not many African Americans served then.
His father, Anthony Campbell, was a Methodist preacher. His mother was Catherine Campbell. Both his parents were part of the AME church. When Jabez was young, his father used him as a promise for a loan. This meant Jabez could be sold if the loan wasn't paid.
His father left without paying the loan. This put Jabez in danger of being sold into slavery. Jabez heard about this and ran away to Philadelphia, where his mother lived. But he was caught and became enslaved for four and a half years. He was supposed to serve two more years. However, he bought his freedom from his master. At age eighteen, he was finally free.
Family Life
Campbell was married two times. His first wife was Stella Medley. They married on October 23, 1844. Stella Medley passed away in April 1854. They had one child together, Catherine Stella Campbell, born in 1852.
Campbell married again in 1855. His second wife was Mary Ann Akins, who was a widow. She had four children from her first marriage. Akins and Campbell did not have any children together.
Religious Journey and Ministry
After gaining his freedom in 1833, Jabez Campbell joined Bethel Church in Philadelphia. This was an AME church. In September 1839, the AME church gave Campbell a license to preach. Bishop Morris Brown asked Campbell to preach in areas like Frankford and Berks County in Pennsylvania.
From 1839 to 1843, he preached in the New England states. In 1843, Campbell became an ordained elder. He taught and preached in New York and Pennsylvania until 1854. From 1855 to 1858, he managed books for the AME church. He also edited the Christian Recorder, which was the official newspaper of the AME church.
After leaving these jobs, he served in Trenton, New Jersey. He also served at Bethel Church in Pennsylvania. Jabez Campbell continued his religious work as a pastor in Baltimore and Philadelphia.
Becoming a Bishop
In May 1864, Jabez Campbell was chosen as the eighth bishop of the AME church. As a bishop, he helped set up new church groups. He started the Louisiana and California conferences in 1865. From 1864 to 1867, he mainly worked in Indiana, Missouri, California, and Louisiana. Campbell also helped start the Ocean Grove Conference in New Jersey in the 1880s.
Activism and Helping Others
After John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859, Reverend Campbell wrote a letter. He asked the Governor of Virginia for the bodies of two men, Shields Green and John Copeland, if they were to be hanged. He said the raid was reckless and did not agree with using violence to free enslaved people.
Campbell and his wife Mary were lifelong members of a group that helped older and sick African Americans. This group was called the Board of Managers of the Home for Aged and Infirm Colored Persons. It was located in west Philadelphia.
Supporting Education
Jabez Campbell gave money to many organizations. The biggest amounts went to Wilberforce University and Jabez Pitt Campbell College. Jabez Pitt Campbell College was in Jackson, Mississippi. This college later became part of Jackson State University. Wilberforce University gave him an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree in 1876. The University of Pennsylvania also gave him an honorary degree.
Campbell openly disagreed with President Lincoln. He felt Lincoln was too slow in freeing enslaved people after the Civil War ended.
Working for Change
Campbell was part of the American Colonization Society (ACS). This group encouraged free African Americans to move back to Africa. In 1876, he was chosen as the vice-president of the ACS.
He also took part in the Colored National Convention. This meeting was held in Philadelphia in October 1855. He gave a speech at the Convention, but we do not know the details of what he said.
Later Life and Death
Reverend Jabez P. Campbell passed away in 1891.
