On February 4, 1824, Allen Temple African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church, the first organized Black congregation in Cincinnati and west of the Allegheny Mountains, was born out of a desire for autonomous worship and community development. Worship services were held at various locations, including the cellar of Pastor Philip Brodie's home. During the first 50 years, the congregation grew considerably. Among several locations, they held worship services at the Little Red Church on the Green and the Old Lime House. During the years before the Civil War, our church congregation and buildings were the object of hate, derision and violence, largely due to our anti-slavery work and beliefs. Even though racial violence and rioting dislocated most of the black community in 1862, the membership was undaunted. Several women of the church organized a Freedman's Aid Society which distributed rations to the needy, cared for the sick at a makeshift church hospital and helped find shelter for former slaves.

In October 1870, Allen Temple purchased the K.K. Israel Synagogue (6th & Broadway) for $25,000. In a span of less than 40 years, this group of committed believers had moved from Rev. Brodie's cellar to a sanctuary with a seating capacity of over 1,000. The next 108 years marked the cementing of Allen Temple's commitment to Christian witness and community empowerment. Many ministers served the congregation during this period; among them were: Rev. A. C. Sumpter; Wallace M. Wright; Charles E. Drummer; Simon A. Perkins; H. Mason Brown; Taylor T. Thompson; and Donald H. Jordan; all have contributed to the rich legacy of Christian commitment and social justice.

In October 1979, under the tenure of Rev. Brown, Allen Temple left its historic downtown location and moved to Roselawn. Rev. Brown was noted for his financial acumen and for maintaining the spiritual fervor that the congregation had not experienced since Pastor Drummer (1957-1973). In 1989, Dr. Taylor T. Thompson, came to the church with a passion for winning souls and restoring communities. He began the annual "Festival of Pentecost" and introduced the African- centered Umoja Summer Day Camp. Under the leadership of our current pastor, Rev. Jordan, the church is now primed to repeat the type of growth experienced in 1834. He has adeptly combined the business acumen of Rev. Brown and the Neo-Pentecostal spirit brought by Dr. Thompson, into a 21st century style of pastoral leadership previously unknown. Pastor Jordan revived the spirit of Allen Temple with a ministry of joy, fellowship, commitment and love. He led the church through a visionary program of expansion that culminated with the building of a beautiful new sanctuary, completed in 2004.

Under our current leadership, the dynamic, cultivating Rev. Dr. Mark W. Thompson is teaching how to become whole through Christian living. Thus, as we enter the dawning of a new century, we strive to understand how we can resurrect souls and reclaim our communities. For we have not only broken ground for a new sanctuary and Family Life Center, we also open our lives as we reaffirm our historical legacy and participate in the liberating works of ministry.