Allen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church
A Brief Historical Sketch of
Allen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church
6425 85th Street
Wabasso, Florida
The word ‘organization’ is generic and may therefore be applied to any body of
men/women or a combination of both assembled for religious purposes. Bearing
the above statement in mind, let us take you back in time to the earlier humble
beginnings of this great church.
October 16, 1915, three men and one woman became interested in having an
African Methodist Episcopal Church in the township of Wabasso, Florida, under
the leadership of Presiding Elder S. A. Harris who was serving the areas from
Daytona Beach to Miami, Florida. At the annual conference held in February
1916, Reverend J. J. Maddox was assigned to the Mt. Zion Circuit, which consisted
of the church in Gifford and the one to be organized in Wabasso.
The third Sunday in September 1916, Reverend C. S. Elkins, a licensed preacher,
came to Wabasso and the church was established with four members, under the
name of Beulah AME Church. The first four members were Brothers Thomas
Jackson, J. A. Knowles, Robert Thomas, and Sister Hattie Jackson. The church
became a member of the South Florida Annual Conference, in the Mt. Zion
Circuit of Gifford, Florida.
Brother Thomas H. Jackson organized the first Sunday School in 1916, under the
pastorage of Reverend Elkins, and served as its first Superintendent, from 1916
until March 12, 1922. Because of illness, he stepped down and was succeeded by
Brother J.A. Knowles who served from March 1922 until June 1925. Brother
Walter Jackson, Beulah AME’s first convert, served as Superintendent from June
1925 till September 1930.
During the month of February 1919, the Reverend P.H. Young was sent from the
Conference and served as the second pastor for a very short time before becoming
ill. On the third Sunday in October, The Reverend H.W. Faison was assigned to
Beulah AME as pastor and built the first church structure. He served as pastor
from October 1919 until February 1921. From the year 1921 till 1930, thirty-eight
pastors were charged to Beulah AME Church. The first parsonage was built by
the Reverend T.W. Bullard in 1930-1931. Under the leadership of Reverend
J. B. Blake, who was then serving as Presiding Elder of the West Palm
Beach District, the name of the church was changed from
Beulah AME Church to Allen Chapel AME Church in 1943.
Brother J.H. Hutchins was appointed as Sunday School Superintendent and served
from September 13, 1925. Other Superintendents included Brother Theodore
Jackson, Brother J.D. Williams, and Brother Jeremiah Knowles. Brother Walter
McNeal Jackson was again appointed as Sunday School Superintendent on August
25, 1935 and continued to serve in this capacity except for one year, when Sister
Hanna Cromartie served under the leadership of Reverend R.H.M. Salmon.
After graduating from Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, FL in 1936, Brother
Walter M. Jackson was again appointed as Sunday School Superintendent and
served for 67 consecutive years!
Vast church renovations were instituted under the leadership of Reverend J. D.
Stonom (1965-1969). The parsonage was destroyed giving way to a new
parsonage, along with a new dining hall, including a kitchen area and two
classrooms. The sanctuary’s interior underwent a new look with central air and
heat and new furniture. As we moved on up the “King’s Highway”, in 1970, we
were inspired by Pastor Reverend E. J. Bellamy (1970-1977), who led the
way in the purchase of an organ and a piano.
Reverend Hartford Lee served in 1984 for only a short term.
Reverend Alton Ferrell served in 1985 for only a short term.
The Reverend J.C. Watson was assigned to Allen Chapel in 1986 and installed a
new roof on the church in 1986.
At the 1987 Annual Conference, the Reverend Lloyd Lamar Taylor was assigned
to Allen Chapel. It was under his leadership that we were able to pay off the debt
of the newly installed roof, refurbish the wall in the choir loft to display the AME
motto, “God Our Father, Christ Our Redeemer, Man Our Brother.” Reverend
Taylor was responsible for having our church pews cushioned, installed cushions
around the chancel rail, and purchased the churches’ first van. In addition, the
fellowship hall was dedicated and named in honor of our first convert, Brother
Walter M. Jackson.
During Reverend Taylor’s administration, youth membership and youth
involvement increased significantly. Under the leadership of Reverend Taylor, the
music department was revitalized as he added drums and moved from singing all
hymns to other contemporary gospel music and added new seating in the choir loft.
Reverend Taylor’s enthusiasm revived the spirituality of the church and greatly
increased the youth membership.
Reverend Taylor was followed by Reverend Milton Broomfield (1996-2000), a
faithful servant of God. He had a pleasing demeanor and personality, and truly
demonstrated cared for his parishioners. He appointed Kathryn A. Wilson as the
Church Secretary. Under the leadership of Reverend Milton Broomfield, we were
able to repaint the church’s interior, install floor tiles in the church foyer, the
pastor’s office, and the dining room countertop, purchase two stoves, and a
computer and printer for the church office. The church membership continued to
grow and flourish. We had outstanding Family and Friends Days, and other family
fund days on the church grounds. Through the years, from our origin as Beulah
AME (1916) to the church that stands today, the members of Allen Chapel know
and firmly believe that “Faith Moves Mountains”.
The Reverend Alfred Jones was assigned to Allen Chapel in October 2000.
Reverend Jones, whose tenure lasted three years, was successful in leading the
charge to have the church and parsonage connected to the county water system.
Following Bro. Walter Jackson’s retirement in 2000, he was succeeded by Brother
Barry Broxton, who served for approximately six months. Upon his resignation,
Brother William Henry “Billy” Wilson, III, served as Superintendent until his
demise on October 13, 2020 (20 years of service).
Fortunately, Allen Chapel was blessed when Reverend Curtis Randolph was
assigned to us in 2003. He and his family immediately captivated the hearts of the
Allen Chapel Family. Through his sincere love of the Holy Father, and earnest
love and consideration shown to the congregation, he was able to keep us together
following the two hurricanes in 2004 (Jean and Francis). The church experienced
major damage, spanning extensive interior and exterior work on the church
parsonage.
Allen Chapel’s membership continued to grow, and we were able to pay off the
balance on the van, the connection fee for the county water hook-up, in addition to
upgrading the electrical system, the sound system, and completely furnishing the
Jackson Fellowship Hall with new tables and chairs — an effort led by each
member purchasing a table, a chair, or both—this effort was spearheaded by
Brother Bill Stanford. Also, new chandeliers and lighting fixtures were installed in
the sanctuary, windows and lights were replaced in the Walter Jackson Fellowship
Hall, and a new refrigerator was purchased for the kitchen.
In 2007, we had our first “Church Retreat,” a tremendous success. At this retreat,
we developed our church Mission statement: “To promote Christian brotherhood
for the AME Church through faith, service, and commitment to God.” We had a
consultant, Bro. Valene Croskey, from Greater Allen Chapel AME in Melbourne
FL, who presented “About the AME Church,” a review of how the AME Church
operates, along with the duties and responsibilities of all boards. The retreat was
held at the Comfort Suites in Vero Beach. Twenty-five children and adults
attended.
In 2008, the Couples Ministry was established. Reverend Randolph served as
chairman. On February 14th of that year, all couples renewed their vows. A
wonderful reception was enjoyed by all. We celebrated the life of Brother
Walter McNeal Jackson on Friday, June 17, 2008, as Allen Chapel’s first
convert. He lived to celebrate his 104 th birthday. A citrus tree was
planted on the church grounds in his honor.
The next pastor assigned to us was Reverend Seena Washington, the first female to
pastor at Allen Chapel. Reverend Washington served from 2011 to 2013. She was
instrumental in starting a college student stipend that allowed each college student
to receive $25.00 each month from the church school funds. During her tenure,
we also had our first Greek Letter Worship Service, where the guest speaker was
Sister Monica McCoy. During Reverend Washington’s duration, we were able to
repair the roof, along with minor upgrades to the parsonage and the Walter
Jackson Fellowship Hall.
The next leader of our flock was Reverend Carl O. Wallace. He arrived in
October 2013 with his lovely wife Ella and led our congregation until October
2018. Reverend Wallace served previously at Ward Chapel in Melbourne, Florida.
They arrived with great spirit, enthusiasm, positivity, and optimism, believing that
our church membership would grow. Reverend Wallace demonstrated that he was
a firm believer in church fellowshipping with many churches throughout the tri-
county area.
Much was achieved during Reverend Wallace’s tenue at Allen Chapel. The Hanna
Cromartie Women’s Missionary Society was completely revamped, and Kathryn
Wilson was tapped as President. The active members were Shirley Atkins (Vice
President), Debra Matthews (Vice President), Lillian Stanford (Treasurer) and
Carol Pinder, Mary Rue, Eva Glover, Yolanda Lucas, Geneva Taylor, Margie
Chambers, Debra Darnell, Teneshia Wilson, Sandra Mixon and Ella Wallace.
These missionaries were faithfully involved in working at the Ft. Pierce Food Bank,
feeding the community (once per month), providing much assistance to the people
of Haiti with care packages, health care products, and finances. The missionaries
adopted a local grandmother that was raising three grandchildren who were
frequently in attendance at church school and worship service. The missionaries
were actively involved in several projects that help others in need.
Serving as Stewards were Carol Pinder, William Wilson, III, Eva Glover, Mary
Rue, Lillian Stanford, and Debra Matthews. The Trustee Board included,
Leonard Edwards, Yolanda Lucas, William Wilson, Jr. Stan Pinder and Barry
Broxton.
Reverend Wallace was an anointed preacher and teacher who frequently used his
personal experiences to make a valuable point during his dramatic and spirit-filled
sermons. Under Reverend Wallace’s leadership, the exterior of the church was
repainted. The members of Allen Chapel continue to live the well-worn and true
scripture concept that says, “Faith Moves Mountains.” Faith is what infused our
church’s forefathers and mothers with the inspiration to build on the foundation of
Christ’s Church, for they knew it to be true, as we do today, and through continual
faith, hope and most importantly, charitable love, in our church and to each other.
The church applied for and received $6,000.00 from the Jeremiah Fund
established by Bishop A. J. Richardson, Jr., to help struggling churches that needed
repairs. Allen Chapel used the assistance to get rid of a termite infestation.
Our 100 th Church Anniversary was held on Sunday October 23, 2016, at 4 PM.
Our speaker was The Right Reverend Bishop Adam Jefferson Richardson, Jr. who
was beautifully introduced by young Kennon Matthews. The theme for this
Historic Celebration was “Honoring the Past…Celebrating the
Present…Continuing the Legacy.” As a part of our Church Anniversary
Celebration, a time-capsule was buried on the grounds and is slated to be
unearthed in 25 years (2041). The land where the church now stands was
designated by the Indian River County Historical Society as a County Historic
Sight. This historical marker reads:
Allen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church
Beulah African Methodist Episcopal Church was the first house of worship in Wabasso to be
affiliated with a national congregation. Its founders settled here in the early1900s as laborers in
agriculture, lumber, turpentine, and construction, the industries that formed the county’ s early
economy. Many congregants soon became successful entrepreneurs and property owners,
including John Knowles, Sam Caswell, and Thomas Jackson---the three men who donated this
land as a site for the church and school. The original sanctuary was built in 1916. It served as a
classroom as well until the congregation’s commitment to education drew the attention of the
Julius Rosenwald Fund. The school fund provided the seed money for Douglas Elementary
School. Built on this same donated tract in 1927. The teaching, spiritual inspiration, and
fellowship fostered by these parishioners helped them defy racial barriers. Members became
civic leaders, medical professionals, NASA engineers, business owners, educators, citrus growers,
and decorated military veterans. The church was renamed Allen Chapel AME Church in 1943.
This sanctuary, dedicated in 1957, is the third to be built on this site
The Reverend Cheryl Wilcox was assigned to Allen Chapel in October 2018. She
continued to serve during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic as it swept the
entire world. During this time, the physical church doors were closed and
remained closed for over two-and-a-half years. Reverend Wilcox exemplified
extraordinary leadership immediately by collaborating via Conference Call with
two other local AME churches for worship service: New Sanctuary Payne, Port St.
Lucie (Reverend Dr. Denise Smith-Blue, Pastor) and New Bethel, Fellsmere
(Reverend Theodore Bennett, then Licentiate Jewell Dixon, Pastor). Several
months later, Reverend Wilcox introduced the memberships to the Zoom platform
and the three churches rotated leading the worship service. Hand sanitizing
stations were installed in the church with great anticipation of the reopening of the
church. Our first in-person worship service was held on April 17, 2022, for the
annual Easter Sunrise Service.
We were sent yet another faithful woman of God – The Reverend Tamika and
Brother Anthony Moore greeted us in April 2022. They arrived with cheerful
hearts and hit the ground running. It was immediately recognized by the
congregation that this pastor was very committed to the charge and dedicated to
the idea of making Allen Chapel a shining star in the eyes of the Wabasso
community. She immediately scheduled meetings with the Steward Board,
Trustee Board, and church congregation to hear the voices of the parishioners.
Allen Chapel began to have in-person worship service on the first and third
Sundays and continued the virtual combined services with New Bethel, Fellsmere,
and New Sanctuary Payne, Pt. St. Lucie, on second, fourth, and fifth Sundays.
Because of the closeness of the congregations, the three churches decided to
continue to worship together in-person monthly during the summer months. The
three churches collaborated in June 2022 at New Bethel in Fellsmere where the
theme was “Prayer, Praise, and a Picnic”—this was the first combined worship and
fellowship opportunity for all since the pandemic. Our next worship and fellowship
gathering was held at New Sanctuary Payne where the theme was “Praise, Power
and Pasta” in July 2022. In August 2022, the worship and fellowship service was
held at Allen Chapel where the theme was “Faith, Fellowship and a Fish Fry,” an
event enjoyed by all.
As a result of the leadership of Reverend Moore, we were able to get several facility
(sanctuary and parsonage) issues corrected, including cracks in the wall, bathroom
repairs, air conditioner upgrades, and improved lawn care. A building
maintenance fund was also established with the stipulation that funds in this
account could only be used for Allen Chapel facilities.
From the humble beginnings of worship at the old site to this present moment,
truly the Lord has been with Allen Chapel every step of the way. The rich history
of Allen Chapel is a true testimony to the faith that our founders’ fathers and
mothers had in God when they embarked on this journey in 1916. At Allen
Chapel, Wabasso, WE KNOW that “Faith Moves Mountains.”