Historic Saint Paul AME Church honored on 205th anniversary; leaders recount preservation work

Members of the planning commission and community recognized the 205th anniversary of historic Saint Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church in Lexington during the meeting. Speakers recounted the congregation's history, the church's preservation efforts and its role in the city's Black community.

Priscilla Sullivan spoke about Saint Paul AME's founding and early history, saying the congregation formed after members left Hill Street Methodist Church and purchased land in the early 1820s. "Historic Saint Paul was established ... in 1820. They were able to purchase the land for $280. They built the building in 1826, and of course they finally owned it in 1827," Sullivan said.

Speakers also described a concealed space above the sanctuary ceiling that church members say was used to hide people escaping enslavement; the transcript records that this hidden area was not broadly known until preservation work and research in 1978. The church's historian at that time, Lillian Gentry, is credited in the meeting with preservation work on the sanctuary's 20-foot windows.

Pastor (Dr.) Ragland, who said she was appointed as the church's pastor in October 2023 and is the congregation's first female pastor in its more-than-200-year history, commented on the church's ongoing role in education and social justice in Lexington.

Speakers framed the recognition as an opportunity to reflect on the church's long history and to raise awareness of restoration and preservation needs.

The commission's recognition did not include a formal action tied to city funding; it was presented as a ceremonial acknowledgement of the church's historical significance.