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Payne Theological Seminary
Payne Theological Seminary is an African Methodist Episcopal seminary in Wilberforce, Ohio. It is the oldest free-standing African-American seminary in the United States. Incorporated in 1894 by the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME Church), it was named after Daniel Alexander Payne, the founder of Wilberforce University. Payne was Senior Bishop of the AME Church at the time of the Seminary’s founding and served as its first dean. He was the first African-American college president.
Payne Seminary traces its origins to 1844 when the Ohio Conference of the AME Church was authorized to build a seminary and manual training school. As a result Union Seminary opened in 1847, which led to the establishment of Wilberforce University in 1862 and Payne Seminary in 1891.
The seminary’s path towards becoming a free-standing institution began in June 1890, when the board of trustees of Wilberforce University, on the motion of Bishop Abraham Grant, appointed Bishop Benjamin Arnett to chair a committee to “consider the propriety and feasibility of establishing a Theological Seminary at Wilberforce, to be part of, but not to be controlled by, a peculiar arrangement, so that it would be made more efficient than now.” The board's plan for a seminary was presented to the AME Church Council of Bishops and approved unanimously on February 28, 1891.
Once the board of trustees' organizational plans were endorsed by Wilberforce's Financial Board, it was recommended the homestead of Rev. John G. and Fannie A. Mitchell be purchased for $8,500 as the seminary's future site. This plan was presented to Wilberforce's Board of Trustees and adopted with some modifications. Daniel Payne was selected as the Seminary's first dean. The Seminary was officially dedicated on the Mitchell homestead on September 20, 1892.
On June 19, 1894, "Payne Theological Seminary of Wilberforce University" was incorporated by Alexander Wayman, Benjamin Arnett, James Handy, Benjamin Lee (Bishops of the AME Church), John Mitchell, James Shorter, and William Scarborough. The first Bachelor of Divinity graduates were: E. T. Demby, Charles Henry Johnson, and William Polk, Jr.; C. H. Colemen was awarded an English Theological certificate.
Reverend John G. Mitchell served as the seminary's second dean, from 1893 to November 1900. Bishop Benjamin T. Tanner, founder of The Christian Recorder newspaper, was dean from 1900 to 1902, but he was only on campus during commencement due to his duties as Bishop.
Discussing the necessity for Payne Seminary, the Catalogue of 1893–94 states:
The growing demands of the Church, the imperative requirements and demands of the age for trained and tried [persons] to be the moral and spiritual leaders, were weighed by the committee, who came to the unanimous conclusion that unless the Church put forth some organized effort to perpetuate an intelligent ministry, it would have to go to the rear of the procession of progress, and eventually lose its place as the leader of the advanced guard of race redeemers.
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Payne Theological Seminary
Payne Theological Seminary is an African Methodist Episcopal seminary in Wilberforce, Ohio. It is the oldest free-standing African-American seminary in the United States. Incorporated in 1894 by the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME Church), it was named after Daniel Alexander Payne, the founder of Wilberforce University. Payne was Senior Bishop of the AME Church at the time of the Seminary’s founding and served as its first dean. He was the first African-American college president.
Payne Seminary traces its origins to 1844 when the Ohio Conference of the AME Church was authorized to build a seminary and manual training school. As a result Union Seminary opened in 1847, which led to the establishment of Wilberforce University in 1862 and Payne Seminary in 1891.
The seminary’s path towards becoming a free-standing institution began in June 1890, when the board of trustees of Wilberforce University, on the motion of Bishop Abraham Grant, appointed Bishop Benjamin Arnett to chair a committee to “consider the propriety and feasibility of establishing a Theological Seminary at Wilberforce, to be part of, but not to be controlled by, a peculiar arrangement, so that it would be made more efficient than now.” The board's plan for a seminary was presented to the AME Church Council of Bishops and approved unanimously on February 28, 1891.
Once the board of trustees' organizational plans were endorsed by Wilberforce's Financial Board, it was recommended the homestead of Rev. John G. and Fannie A. Mitchell be purchased for $8,500 as the seminary's future site. This plan was presented to Wilberforce's Board of Trustees and adopted with some modifications. Daniel Payne was selected as the Seminary's first dean. The Seminary was officially dedicated on the Mitchell homestead on September 20, 1892.
On June 19, 1894, "Payne Theological Seminary of Wilberforce University" was incorporated by Alexander Wayman, Benjamin Arnett, James Handy, Benjamin Lee (Bishops of the AME Church), John Mitchell, James Shorter, and William Scarborough. The first Bachelor of Divinity graduates were: E. T. Demby, Charles Henry Johnson, and William Polk, Jr.; C. H. Colemen was awarded an English Theological certificate.
Reverend John G. Mitchell served as the seminary's second dean, from 1893 to November 1900. Bishop Benjamin T. Tanner, founder of The Christian Recorder newspaper, was dean from 1900 to 1902, but he was only on campus during commencement due to his duties as Bishop.
Discussing the necessity for Payne Seminary, the Catalogue of 1893–94 states:
The growing demands of the Church, the imperative requirements and demands of the age for trained and tried [persons] to be the moral and spiritual leaders, were weighed by the committee, who came to the unanimous conclusion that unless the Church put forth some organized effort to perpetuate an intelligent ministry, it would have to go to the rear of the procession of progress, and eventually lose its place as the leader of the advanced guard of race redeemers.