The Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, the national church of the African Methodist Episcopal denomination, was completed in 1886. It was formed by the merger of two congregations that broke away from the Ebenezer Methodist Episcopal Church in response to white racism. Israel Bethel AME Church was organized in 1821, and Union Bethel AME Church of Georgetown was organized in 1838. The two churches came together in 1870 and named their new congregation Metropolitan AME in 1872. In 1886 the current building, designed by architect Samuel T. Morsell, was completed.

Similar to other religious institutions, Metropolitan AME was more than simply a place of worship. It was a community center. Concerts, graduation ceremonies, and society meetings were held here. The American Negro Academy, for example, held two of its formal sessions here in 1905 and 1911. A more inclusive learned society, the Bethel Literary and Historical Association, also met in the church. Begun in 1881 by Daniel Payne, the group first met in nearby Bethel Hall until it was razed.

As the “National Cathedral of African Methodism,” Metropolitan AME Church has been the site of important national events. Frederick Douglass's funeral took place here, attended by thousands of mourners. Martin Luther King, Jr., Jesse Jackson, Winnie Mandela, and President Bill Clinton have spoken here.

The church was placed on the DC Inventory of Historic Sites and the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

Photo: Metropolitan AME Church stained glass window with bishops' names. Credit: Bill Lebovich.