Richard Allen and the Importance of Historical Literacy

 Hello Wonderful People of God,

February 14 commemorates the birthday of Bishop Richard Allen, the founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.  All Episcopal Districts within the AME Connectional Church set aside time for special reflection upon Allen's importance to the church.  However, this year many AME's  and interested persons with Internet access around the globe, had a unique opportunity to view a minidocumentary, Bishop Richard Allen, Apostle of Freedom.  This first rate film illustrates the life of Richard Allen and reflects the effective collaboration between Dr. Mark Tyler, Sr. Pastor of Mother Bethel AME Church in Philadelphia, PA, and Sam Katz's History Making Productions.

Philly.com  -a digital news journal of the Informer newspaper, published a wonderful article by Howard Shapiro on the "watch party"  and Founders Day Worship Service at Mother Bethel last Sunday.  When I read the article I was struck by the last sentence of the article, which was a quote by DeBrickashaw Ferguson, NFL player and financial supporter of the film.  Mr. Ferguson offered this commentary:  "It's easy to see why people are blessed in this church,...because they come from a great history, and a great founder."

This statement succinctly sums up my theme for this post - HISTORICAL LITERACY.  This phrase uses History as an analogy to a hot topic in the country right now - health literacy.  Literacy simply means the ability to read and write. However, health literacy is defined as the capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to adopt healthy behaviors and make appropriate health decisions. Advocates for health literacy know that persons who cannot read, write, or comprehend the information are likely to have higher health care costs and poorer health outcomes, therefore they create opportunities for health care professionals to learn how to communicate effectively with people.  Disparaging health statistics reveal the impact of poor health literacy on people living in poverty, which adversely affects people of color and the elderly.

Well, what about HISTORICAL LITERACY and the importance of historical knowledge to a person's wellbeing?  As a historian, I define HISTORICAL LITERACY as the capacity to obtain, process and understand basic historic information. HISTORICAL LITERACY provides access to information and tools to interpret that information - so that individuals and communities can adopt healthy cultural attributes which contribute to life-afffirming choices based on:  a sense of communal awareness; positive self identity; and divine purpose.

HISTORICAL LITERACY is not just  for the development of the intellect, it is necessary for the health of one's soul.  When you look at communities who succeed at a higher rate than others, they are communities who make significant investment in the preservation of their history. The African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church is one such community of faith  -with a high success rate of achievement and contribution in all sectors of these United States, and across the globe.  I am convinced that it is due to Bishop Richard Allen's grasp of the importance of HISTORICAL LITERACY - as revealed in the "Historical Statement" of the The Book of Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.  I believe Bishop Allen understood that an enslaved people would never become fully liberated in body and soul unless they had access to information which illustrated their struggles and triumphs in times past.  The "Historical Statement"  has been revised, but never excluded - it can be found in every published AMEC Book of Discipline, and is a constant reminder that history matters. 

This is why I often state that "History is not just my discipline, it is my ministry".  One cannot engage in the cure and care of souls without utilizing history in some form.  The historical principle is biblical  and spiritual. Throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament, persons are reminded to serve the GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  They are taught that YHWH is the One True God whom the ancestors worshipped and who constantly acts in history to liberate oppressed people.  The Christ event is a historical event - the Transcendent God became Incarnate at a specific time and in a specific place in history to redeem sinful people.  History Matters.  The Free African Society was organized  in 1787, by people of African descent who lived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with a goal to mitigate and eventually obliterate the factors which kept Africans in bondage physically, psychologically, socially and spiritually.  History Matters.

The  Richard Allen documentary released globally this week is a significant achievement in the effort to increase HISTORICAL LITERACY among all persons interested in the history of our founder and his contribution to the United States of America.  Happy Founders Day week to African Methodists everywhere!  Bishop Allen's legacy through the AME Church continues to make an impact across the world.


Rev. Sharon
"Today's Historian for Tomorrow's Church"