▁as ▁popular ▁among ▁white ▁aud ien ces ▁as ▁the ▁black ▁ones ▁As bury ▁had ▁originally ▁intended ▁for ▁him ▁to ▁minister . ▁His ▁ser mon ▁at ▁Thomas ▁Chap el ▁in ▁Chap elt own , ▁Del aware , ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 4 ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁be ▁delivered ▁by ▁a ▁black ▁pre acher ▁directly ▁to ▁a ▁white ▁con greg ation . ▁ ▁Despite ▁being ▁called ▁the ▁" gre at est ▁or ator ▁in ▁America " ▁by ▁Benjamin ▁R ush ▁and ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁best ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁by ▁Bishop ▁Thomas ▁Co ke , ▁H os ier ▁was ▁repeatedly ▁passed ▁over ▁for ▁ord ination ▁and ▁permitted ▁no ▁vote ▁during ▁his ▁attend ance ▁at ▁the ▁Christmas ▁Conference ▁that ▁formally ▁established ▁American ▁Method ism . ▁Richard ▁Allen , ▁the ▁other ▁black ▁at ten de e , ▁was ▁ord ained ▁by ▁the ▁Method ists ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 9 , ▁but ▁his ▁con greg ation ▁of ▁free ▁African ▁Americans ▁in ▁Philadelphia ▁left ▁the ▁church ▁there ▁because ▁of ▁its ▁disc rim ination . ▁They ▁founded ▁the ▁African ▁Method ist ▁Epis cop al ▁Church ▁( AME ) ▁in ▁Philadelphia . ▁After ▁first ▁subm itting ▁to ▁o vers ight ▁by ▁the ▁established ▁Method ist ▁b ish ops , ▁several ▁A ME ▁con greg ations ▁finally ▁left ▁to ▁form ▁the ▁first ▁independent ▁African - American ▁den om ination ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 6 . ▁So on ▁after , ▁the ▁African ▁Method ist ▁Epis cop al ▁Z ion ▁Church ▁( AME ▁Z ion ) ▁was ▁founded