· 1796  Peter Williams, James Varick, Christopher Rush and other African Americans of
  the John Street Methodist Church, a white church in New York City, begin holding
  separate meetings, October

· 1801  Chartered as the 'African Methodist Episcopal Church' in New York City, April 6
  with members from John Street Methodist Church

· 1816  Zion Church and Asbury African Methodist Episcopal Church part of conference

· 1820  Zion and Asbury hold organizational meeting to form own denomination, October

· 1821  Zion, Asbury and four other congregations hold conference in New York City to
  establish a new organization separate from Richard Allen's Methodists, June 21

· 1822  Zion pastor, James Varick elected first bishop of denomination

· 1824  New group officially breaks ties with the white Methodist denomination 

· 1828  First General Conference of the A.M.E Zion Church held

· 1828  Christopher Rush becomes second bishop of denomination

· 1848  "Zion" officially added to name of the denomination, African Methodist Episcopal
  Zion Church

· 1884  Membership reaches 300,000

· 1896  Membership reaches 350,000

· 1989  Membership reaches 1.2 million

· Colleges include: Livingstone and Hood Theological Seminary, in North Carolina

· Office of the general secretary and the A.M.E Zion Publishing House located in   Charlotte, North   Carolina

· Known as the "Freedom Church" because members included Sojourner Truth,
  Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass