Absalom Jones
Absalom Jones (1746-1818) was a Philadelphia religious leader who became the first African American priest ordained in the Episcopal Church. He founded St. Thomas African Episcopal Church, an institution that served Black Philadelphia for generations. Born into slavery in Delaware, Jones purchased his wife's freedom first, then his own, before rising to religious leadership that showed what enslaved people could achieve once emancipation opened doors to their abilities. His partnership with Richard Allen in establishing independent Black churches, combined with his service during the 1793 yellow fever epidemic, made him one of Philadelphia's most significant early African American leaders.[1]
From Slavery to Freedom
Absalom Jones was born into slavery on November 6, 1746, in Sussex County, Delaware. His master brought him to Philadelphia as a household slave when the family relocated. He taught himself to read. Against slavery's prohibitions, he acquired spelling books and learned despite everything the system imposed on him. Working in his master's store gave him chances to save money. In his own hours, he took on entrepreneurial efforts. Slowly, painstakingly, he accumulated the funds that freedom cost.[2]
In 1770, he purchased his wife Mary's freedom. Family came before himself. His own freedom didn't come until 1784, when he was nearly forty years old. That meant decades of saving, years of sacrifice. Obstacles couldn't diminish that kind of determination. Philadelphia's relatively large free Black community provided opportunities that few other places offered at the time.[1]
He got involved religiously at St. George's Methodist Episcopal Church, where he and Richard Allen served as lay preachers to Black congregants. This partnership would eventually create independent Black churches. But in 1787, everything changed. White trustees pulled Jones, Allen, and other Black worshipers from their knees during prayer. They withdrew after that. Allen stayed with Methodism, but Jones's congregation preferred Episcopal affiliation, so he moved in that direction.[2]
Founding St. Thomas
Jones established St. Thomas African Episcopal Church in 1794. It was the first Black Episcopal congregation in America. He pursued Episcopal orders with determination. Ordained deacon in 1795 and priest in 1802, he became the first African American priest in that denomination. The church gave Black Philadelphians a spiritual home aligned with their worship preferences while securing institutional independence that Methodist affiliation might have threatened.[1]
His leadership during the 1793 yellow fever epidemic proved his character. He and Allen worked alongside each other. When white Philadelphians fled and medical authorities proved helpless, Jones and Allen organized their community to nurse the sick, remove the dead, and keep essential services running. Philadelphia would've collapsed without them. Their published response defended their community against accusations that Black nurses had profiteered or shown negligence. Those were lies serving racist purposes, and they said so directly.[2]
At St. Thomas, his pastoral work continued until his death. The congregation became a center of Black Philadelphia's religious and civic life under his guidance. His sermons, published during his lifetime, tackled both spiritual and social questions. He opposed slavery consistently, drawing on his own experience of bondage. In 1800, he led a petition to Congress opposing the slave trade and seeking gradual emancipation. He was willing to engage political authority despite the limitations racism imposed.[1]
Legacy
Absalom Jones died on February 13, 1818. His leadership established institutions and precedents that served generations afterward. St. Thomas African Episcopal Church still exists as an active congregation, though it relocated from its original site. His feast day, February 13, is celebrated in the Episcopal Church's liturgical calendar. The denomination eventually recognized its pioneering Black priest. Jones shows what enslaved people could achieve when freedom and opportunity aligned. His Philadelphia career demonstrated abilities that bondage suppressed but couldn't destroy.[2]
See Also
- St. Thomas African Episcopal Church
- Richard Allen
- Free African Society
- Philadelphia African American History