In 1796, James Varick, Abraham Thompson, William Millers, and several others established the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in New York City. This newly created church was a derivative of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The denial of religious freedom and instances of discrimination led to this development.

The denomination known as the "Freedom Church" was established by its founders with the intention of promoting the liberation of the human spirit. The founders placed great emphasis on spiritual, social, and economic freedom. Notable members of the A.M.E. Zion Church included James Varick, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and Sojourner Truth. Today, this organization spans five continents, boasts 3,000 churches, and has an active membership of 1.5 million individuals. The A.M.E. Zion Church has played a significant role in founding and supporting various institutions and associations, including Livingstone College, Lomax Hannon Junior College in Alabama, Clinton College in South Carolina, Dinwiddie Institute in Virginia, and the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Junior College in Monrovia, Liberia, West Africa.

The term "African" signifies that the church is to be led by the descendants of Africa, with equality as a fundamental objective.

• Methodist: Methodism highlights the importance of structure and uniformity in both personal and communal faith.
• Episcopal: The Bishops are selected by the congregation and supervise the denomination.
• The bishops maintain a global link. Currently, the A.M.E. Zion church functions across five continents.
• Zion: This term is utilized in the Bible to refer to the church of God. The name Zion was incorporated in 1848.