UNION'S
BLACK HISTORY
Union United Methodist Church’s story begins in 1796 when a group of African-American believers began meeting for study and worship on Beacon Hill.
As the faith community grew they requested their first pastor, the Rev. Samuel Snowden—a former slave turned abolitionist—and formed the May Street Meeting House.
"In 1818, Rev. Samuel Snowden was called from Portland, Maine, to pastor the growing Black Methodist Episcopal congregation in Boston, Massachusetts. There he grew the first Black Methodist Episcopal congregation in New England and became a well-known and respected preacher and anti-slavery activist with a special ministry to Black seaman. At the end of his life, he opened his home as a refuge for fugitive slaves. Snowden’s son, Isaac Humphrey, became one of the first three Black men to enroll in Harvard Medical School."(1)
During Rev. Snowden's term, David Walker, who published the influential “Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World,” (2) was a member of our congregation. (3)
Works Cited
1. Patricia Thompson; “Father” Samuel Snowden (c. 1770–1850): Preacher, Minister to Mariners, and Anti-Slavery Activist." Methodist History 1 June 2022; 60 (1): 136–151. doi: https://doi.org/10.5325/methodisthist.60.1.0136
2. David Walker, Appeal, In Four Articles: Together With A Preamble To The Coloured Citizens Of The World, But In Particular, And Very Expressly, To Those Of The United States Of America, 1829. Read Here.
3. "David Walker," National Parks Service, https://www.nps.gov/people/david-walker.htm