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Mary J. Small
Mary J. Small, elder and minister of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
Born
Mary J. Blair

(1850-10-20)October 20, 1850
Died September 11, 1945(1945-09-11) (aged 94)
Nationality American
Occupation Minister and elder of the AME Zion Church
Known for First woman to achieve the position of elder in the AME Zion Church

Mary J. Small (1850–1945) was a reverend in the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (A.M.E. Zion Church), and was the first woman to achieve the position of elder.

Early life

Mary J. Small was born on October 20, 1850 in Murphy's Boro, Tennessee, to mother Agnes Blair. Little is known of her childhood years or her father. In 1873, she married Reverend John Small, a well-known bishop in the A.M.E. Zion Church.

Portrait of Mary J. Small (cropped)
Reverend Mary J. Small is pictured, the first woman to be ordained an Elder in the A.M.E. Zion Church.

Pastoral career

Initially, Small was opposed to female preachers. She resisted the call to preach until January 21, 1892, when she was licensed to preach by Dr. John E. Price. On May 19, 1985 Small was ordained as a deacon by Bishop A. Walters. Although she was active in Evangelical societies, no evidence shows Mary J. Small to have pastored a church. However, Small contributed much to her church community. Throughout her career, Small worked in the A.M.E. Zion church, serving on the Temperance and Women's Home and Foreign Missions committees. She was also president of the A.M.E. Zion church's Women's Society.

Small worked alongside her husband in the A.M.E. Zion Church, including as a missionary in Africa, until his death in 1905. In the United States, they conducted parish work together in Washington D.C., North Carolina, Connecticut, and other states. She also the first woman to be ordained an elder, the highest holy order of the time, when her nomination was approved on May 23, 1898 at the Philadelphia and Baltimore connections of the Church. She was nominated after passing an examination, and although a number of ministers protested and requested a hearing, she was elected to the position of elder by a vote of 24 to 13. The A.M.E. Zion Church was the first to open this high-level position to women. As an elder, Small had the same rights as a minister, including authority over male members of the church.

Her social influence was also great, as seen in the Mary J. Small Social Club. It was a women's club that met monthly, and included activities such as music and reading.

Death

Small lived to be 94 years old. She died on September 11, 1945 in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. Funeral services were held at the Small Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church, and she was buried in the Lebanon Cemetery at York. She was survived by a foster son, Dr. W. W. Gittens, and a niece, Agnes Taylor.

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