John M. Brown

**John Mifflin Brown** (September 8, 1817 – March 16, 1893) na he be a bishop insyd de African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. Na he be a leader insyd de Underground Railroad. Na he help open a number of churches den schools, wey dey include de Payne Institute wich cam be Allen University insyd Columbia, South Carolina, den Paul Quinn College insyd Waco, Texas. Na he sanso be an early principal of Union Seminary wich cam be Wilberforce University.

## Early life

Na dem born Brown on September 8, 1817, insyd Odessa (na then dem call am Cantwell's Bridge), Delaware. Na ein grandpoppie be a Methodist minister. At de age of ten na he move to Wilmington, Delaware wer na he live plus William Seals, a Quaker. Even as a student, na dem frustrate am by segregation insyd education, wey na he move from a Presbyterian Sunday school to a Roman Catholic school make he avoid de segregation. Na ein mommie be Methodist, though, so na he no convert go Catholicism. After two years insyd Wilmington he move go Philadelphia wer na ein sisto live. Na he live plus Emerson den Henry Chester, a doctor den a lawyer, wer na he work give dem in exchange for secular den religious lessons. Na he attend St. Thomas' Colored Protestant Episcopal Church til January 1836 na he join Bethel AME church. Insyd 1837 na he begin to apprentice to be a barber plus Frederick H. Hinton. Na he sanso attend an evening school wey James N. Glouster teach. Na he sanso take time off from ein apprenticeship make attend a manual labor school insyd Amherst, Massachusetts. Na among ein classmates from Philadelphia be Edward H. Ferris den A. G. Crippen. Shortly later na he return to Philadelphia, buh na he no remain, instead he move go Poughkeepsie, New York wer na he attend a school wey Rev. Nathaniel Blount lead wey na he dey work as a barber plus Uriah Boston. Insyd de summer na he work insyd New York City. Insyd de fall of 1838 na he enrol at Wesleyan Academy insyd Wilbraham, Massachusetts make he prepare for college. Insyd 1840, na he return to Philadelphia wer na he study Latin den Greek. Na he move west den insyd de fall of 1844 na he open a school insyd Detroit, Michigan, den soon after he cam be acting pastor of an AME church insyd Detroit, a position na he hold til 1847. Insyd de fall of 1846 na he enrol at Oberlin College insyd Ohio.

### Underground Railroad
Insyd Ohio den perhaps before, na Brown be an important activist insyd de Underground Railroad. Na he work closely plus local activists such as Delia Webster den Laura Haviland. One action dem note be sending Calvin Fairbank to Lexington make he retrieve de family of Gilson Berry. Na anoda be de rescue of Lewis Hayden insyd 1844 den Alex Duvalls insyd 1851. Insyd 1845, na Brown join de Boston Vigilance Committee.

## Religious career

Insyd September 1846 na he cam be a deacon insyd de AME church wey he move from Detroit to Columbus, Ohio. He sanso cam be principal at de Union Seminary, wich cam be Wilberforce University. Insyd August 1852 na he move go Pittsburgh make he preach, wey later dat year anaa early insyd 1853 to New Orleans. Insyd New Orleans na he help raise de money give de Morris Brown chapel, buh na ein work generally be opposed by local whites wey na he be imprisoned at least once for each of de five years wey na he dey insyd dat city for he allow make slaves attend ein sermons. Insyd 1857 na he biz dat he be relieved of ein position, wey na Bishop Daniel Payne assign am to Louisville, Kentucky, insyd April, den then to Bethel church insyd Baltimore insyd May 1858. Insyd Baltimore, na he sanso begin dey edit a church periodical.

Insyd December 1863 na dem ask am to superintend de organization of AME churches insyd Virginia den North Carolina, den insyd 1864 na he cam be editor of de *Christian Recorder*. Na dem sanso elect am corresponding secretary of de Parent Home and Foreign Missionary Society of de AME Church. Along plus James F. Sisson, William B. Derrick, den William E. Matthews, na he be very important insyd de work of creating new schools den churches thru out de South for de AME church.

Insyd May 1868 na dem ordain am bishop of de AME church, first na he dey serve a district dey consist of South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, den Alabama. Na he organize de Alabama Conference of de AME church insyd Selma, Alabama on July 25, 1868, wey he organize de Payne Institute insyd South Carolina wich cam be Allen University insyd Columbia, South Carolina. Insyd 1872 na he change district, then he cam be bishop of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, den Tennessee. Insyd dis role na he help establish de Paul Quinn College at Waco, Texas, wey he organize West Texas, South Arkansas, West Tennessee, den Columbia conferences. N he sanso help Bishop T. M. D. Ward establish de North Georgia Conference insyd 1872. Insyd 1876 he san move districts, then he dey oversee Baltimore, Virginia, North den South Carolina, wey he serve der til 1880. He then move to a district wey dey consist of Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York, den New England. Insyd 1884 na he move to a district wey dey include Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, Iowa, North Missouri, South Kansas, den California. Na he organize de Colorado conference insyd September 1887. From 1888 to 1892 na ein district include Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, den Iowa.

## Ein life matter

On February 13, 1852, na he marry Mary L Lewis insyd Louisville, Kentucky. Na dem get nine kiddies, wey dey include John M Brown den Mary L Brown, medical doctors; William L Brown den Martha L Brown, educators; Daniel P Brown den George A Brown, ministers. Na Brown die on March 16, 1893, insyd Washington, DC. Na ein funeral be at Metropolitan AME Church wey na e be presided over by Bishop A. W. Wayman. Na dem bury am at Graceland Cemetery.

## References


## External links

*Seraile, William. *Fire in His Heart: Bishop Benjamin Tucker Tanner and the AME Church*. University of Tennessee Press, 1998.