author
Jarena Lee
1783–1864
A pioneering Black evangelist, she became the first woman authorized to preach in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and turned her life story into one of the earliest autobiographies by a Black American woman. Her voice is bold, personal, and deeply rooted in faith, struggle, and public witness.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born free in Cape May, New Jersey, in 1783, Jarena Lee spent part of her youth working as a domestic servant before moving to Philadelphia. There she experienced a religious conversion, joined the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and felt called to preach at a time when women were rarely allowed to speak publicly from the pulpit.
Lee asked Bishop Richard Allen for permission to preach, but he initially refused. After hearing her speak powerfully during a service, he recognized her gift, and she went on to become the first woman preacher in the AME Church. She traveled widely as an itinerant evangelist, preaching to mixed audiences across the United States despite the racial and gender barriers of the early 1800s.
She is also remembered as an important writer. Her spiritual autobiography, first published in 1836 and expanded in 1849, records her religious experiences, call to ministry, and years on the road. Today, her work stands as a vivid account of Black religious life, women’s leadership, and the courage it took to claim a public voice.