Wayman Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church
Ennis, Ellis County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Named for African Methodist Episcopal Church Bishop Alexander W. Wayman, this congregation was organized I n1880 by area residents, many of whom moved here from the community of Telico. Dr. C.A. Harris, a physician, served as pastor in the early 1900s. In 1905, under his leadership, the church moved from a site known as Biggins Hill to its current location. Over the years, the church has had a strong impact on its local community. The congregation has served the town through a variety of ways, and continues to support the community. (2006)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Named for African Methodist Episcopal Bishop Alexander W. Wayman, this Ennis congregation was organized in 1880 by area residents, many of whom had come from the community of Telico. Under the leadership of the physician-pastor Dr. C.A. Harris, the church moved in 1905 from a site called Biggins Hill to its present location. Through the decades it has remained a steady source of support for the surrounding community.
Why it matters
As a congregation of the historic AME Church — the first independent Black denomination in America — it embodies the tradition of African American self-governance and faith in post-Reconstruction Texas.
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Related people
- · Bishop Alexander W. Wayman
- · Dr. C.A. Harris
Themes & tags
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