This book - Centro de Estudos Anglicanos

324WILLIAMS, PETER JR.black congregation associated with Trinity Church, New York, 1812–19; rector,St. Philip’s Church, New York, 1819–40.The second African American ordained to the Episcopal priesthood, Peter WilliamsJr. was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Although his father (Peter Sr.)was still a slave in 1780, he was able to purchase his freedom in 1796, and hesoon became a leading figure in the black community in New York City. PeterJr. was educated at the African Free School and tutored privately by ThomasLyell, a white minister of the John Street Methodist Church, where his fatherworked as a sexton and undertaker. As a teenager, he joined the African Americancongregation that worshiped on Sunday afternoons in the building of TrinityChurch in lower Manhattan. When the lay reader who led Trinity’s black congregationdied in 1812, Williams was elected to succeed him, and over the nextsix years, he helped organize the congregation into a separate parish. His peopleacquired land and constructed a building, which was named “St. Philip’s AfricanChurch” in 1819. Williams continued to lead the new parish in a lay capacityuntil his ordination as a deacon in October 1820. Because of racial discrimination,Williams and his parish were not accorded the same privileges as white Episcopaliansin the diocese of New York, and he was not ordained a priest until July1826.Like his father, Williams was involved in many significant ways in the AfricanAmerican community in his city. In 1808 he published a speech that he deliveredin celebration of the end of the American slave trade. Although he eventuallydenounced the racist efforts and ideas of the American Colonization Society, heonce considered the possibility of voluntary black migration out of the UnitedStates. He initially favored colonization in the black republic of Haiti, which hevisited in 1824, and in 1830 he delivered a speech at St. Philip’s on behalf of therecently established African American colony in Wilberforce, Canada. He alsowas one of the founders of Freedom’s Journal, the first black newspaper, and hehelped found the Phoenix Society, which offered financial support to young AfricanAmericans seeking an education. Among the people whom Williams assistedwas Alexander Crummell,* who attended St. Philip’s Church.After the founding of the American Antislavery Society (AAS) in 1833, Williamsbecame actively engaged in the abolition movement. However, protestsagainst slavery angered many whites in the city, especially those who fearedcompetition with African Americans for jobs. Thus, in early July 1834 whiteworkers went on a rampage and for several days attacked and terrorized blackNew Yorkers. Hearing rumors that Williams had performed an interracial marriage,a white mob broke into St. Philip’s, burned the church and its rectory, andforced Williams and his family to flee. Instead of denouncing this act of violenceagainst one of his priests, Benjamin T. Onderdonk,* the bishop of New York,reproved Williams and insisted that he resign publicly from the AAS, calling ita threat to “the peace of the community.” With great reluctance, Williams accededto his bishop’s demand. Despite this humiliating setback, Williams received the