When did the AME Church start giving women LICENSES to preach?

Also could anyone suggest any good history texts on women in the AME church?

Thank you for your consideration!

Christ's Peace, Miss Hale

-- Anonymous, July 20, 2001

Answers

Not sure of the date you requested. A good book to read would be Not Without A Struggle (V. McKenzie). There are a few more bboks I would suggest but I need to get the correct titles.

-- Anonymous, July 20, 2001

In a Preface to the Autobiography of Mrs. Jerena Lee (Dr. A Lee Henderson-AMEC Publishing House, 1991) it states that she was a licensed exhoter who was allowed to preach by Bishop Richard Allen who also encouraged her work in the ministry. Her story is recorded in "Religious Experiences and Journal of Mrs. Jerena Lee--A Preach'in Woman". A series of Evangelists followed in her train. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> http://digilib.nypl.org/dynaweb/digs-b/wwm9716/@Generic__BookView >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Around 1880 Bishop Henry McNeal Turner ordained Amanda Hughes as Deacon. However, his successor Bishop Jabaz P. Campbell sought to overturn this decision in 1887. 1n 1951 The Reverend Martha V. Reed was ordain as a Local Deacon by the West Tennessee Annual Conference. She was assigned a small congregation and was ordained as Local Elder in 1957 when she was assigned to her third church. In 1960, The Reverend Eleanor Woodcock became the first of two women ordained Elder. They were ordained by the Michigan Conference. On July 11/12, 2000, The Reverend Vashti McKenzie became the first A.M.E. woman Elder to be elected and consecrated to the office of the bishopric. Thus, she became the 117th Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

-- Anonymous, July 21, 2001

Another good book to get is Daughters of thunder by Betty Collier-Thomas. This is an excellent book on early women preachers from the early 1800's to the 1970's. It also contains some of their early sermons.

-- Anonymous, July 25, 2001