African Americans have been enriching the Presbyterian Church for more than two centuries.
The first ordained African American minister in the Presbyterian Church was John Gloucester. Rising from slavery and oppression, he formed the first African American Presbyterian congregation in the early 1800s in Philadelphia.
Many years later, in 1974, PC(USA) ordained a black woman, the Rev. Dr. Katie Cannon, to ministry. Cannon would go on to establish the Center for Womanist Leadership at Union Presbyterian Seminary.
These are just two examples of African Americans who have played important roles in the lives of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and America. In February, Black History Month, we celebrate their contributions.
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