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Richard R. Wright (Richard Robert), b. 1878
Centennial Encyclopaedia of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Containing Principally the Biographies of the Men and Women, both Ministers and Laymen, Whose Labors During a Hundred Years, Helped Make the A. M. E. Church What It Is; Also Short Historical Sketches of Annual Conferences, Educational Institutions, General Departments, Missionary Societies of the A. M. E. Church, and General Information about African Methodism and the Christian Church in General; Being a Literary Contribution to the Celebration of the One Hundredth Anniversary of the Formation of the African Methodist Episcopal Church Denomination by Richard Allen and others, at Philadelphia, Penna., in 1816
Philadelphia: [Book Concern of the A.M.E. Church], 1916.

Summary

The Centennial Encyclopædia of the African Methodist Episcopal Church is a collection of articles and biographical sketches relevant to the history of the African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church compiled and edited by Richard Wright in honor of the Church's one hundred year anniversary. Wright strives to present the history in an objective, fact-based manner, reserving his own judgment and analysis. The book begins with a series of articles about the Church's history and present status written by various church leaders. Of note is a comprehensive chronology of African Methodism, organized by Wright himself. The second section of the encyclopedia contains hundreds of biographical entries that Wright states are primarily autobiographical sketches he received in response to inquiries. The third portion of the book is a glossary of terms pertaining to Church organization, doctrine, laws, and history. Lastly, the work ends with detailed entries on the Church's regional conferences and divisions, including important people and places, and financial and membership statistics. The encyclopedia is enhanced by numerous photographs and illustrations.

Maryellen Davis

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