The word African means that the church was organized by people of African descent and heritage. It does not mean that the church was founded in Africa, or that it was for persons of African descent only.
The church’s roots are of the family of Methodist churches. Methodism provides an orderly system of rules and regulations and places emphasis on a plain and simple gospel.
Episcopal refers to the form of government under which the church operates. It means that the church is governed by bishops. The chief executive and administrative officers of the African Methodist Episcopal denomination are the Bishops of the church.
![Rev. A. J. Holman with Mt. Zion Church Choir, ca. [1950].](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b796f933917ee60c0636d3d/1536713365314-06SAOYP61A30LA6BL7VS/ChoirandHolman.jpg)
Rev. A. J. Holman with Mt. Zion Church Choir, ca. [1950].
The AME Symbol
The shape of the emblem is in the form of a three pointed shield; the three points being symbolic of the official motto of the A.M.E. Church. "God our Father, Christ our Redeemer, Man our Brother." The anvil represents the blacksmith shop in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where the founder, Richard Allen, with a few followers, established the first African Methodist Episcopal Church, the cross represents the Church.