Jarena Lee: First Black Woman Preacher’s Story | Freedom Journeys

Jarena Lee was a pioneering religious leader, recognized as the first Black woman to preach within the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Born in New Jersey in 1783, Lee later became connected to the Black religious community in Philadelphia and to the growth of African Methodism. She described a personal spiritual conversion and a call to preach, which was initially rejected due to restrictions on women in ministry. After the death of her husband, she resumed that calling. During a service at Bethel Church, she spoke after the minister lost his place, drawing the attention of Richard Allen, who affirmed her ability to preach. With that support, she became an itinerant minister, traveling extensively across the United States and into Canada. In 1836, Lee self-published her autobiography, becoming the first Black woman in the United States to publish an extended autobiographical narrative. Her work documents her spiritual journey, ministry, and the religious life of the period. Freedom Journeys celebrates the lives of 250 phenomenal Philadelphians shaping history, community, and the future. Learn more, listen, and support the project at wurdradio.com/freedomjourneys