On this day, the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church (CME) was officially organized in Jackson, Tennessee, by 41 freedmen and former slaves. The church was established to serve the spiritual needs of African Americans in the South following the Civil War. Supported initially by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, the CME Church emphasized self-governance, education, and community empowerment.
The denomination later changed its name to the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in 1954 to reflect a broader, more inclusive identity. Today, it remains one of the historic Black Methodist denominations in the United States, with a lasting legacy in religious, educational, and civil rights leadership.
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