St. Stephen AME Zion Church
The origins of St. Stephen A.M.E. Zion Church date back to 1878, a time when Asbury Park was a small community with only a few African Americans living there. Among this group, some came together to form a congregation for religious worship. Property was leased from Dr. H.S. Kinmouth, providing them with a place to worship, which brought them great joy. The earliest authentic records of the church are found in the New Jersey Annual Conference minutes, spanning from the church’s organization in 1874 to 1885.
Initially established as a mission, the first mention of the Asbury Park church appears in the 1880 Annual Conference minutes. A letter from the congregation described the church’s condition and requested that it remain a mission with Elder S.J. Berry appointed as a missionary to lead them. During another session of the same conference, Brother Ward, a delegate from Asbury Park, addressed the assembly despite lacking official credentials. He reported the church’s financial challenges, including a debt of $280 for the building, $130 for the land, $48 owed to a store, and $36 owed to Elder T.W.H. Hinton—a total debt of $494. Brother Ward reiterated the congregation’s desire for the church to remain a mission under Elder Berry’s care.
However, at the closing session of the conference, Matawan and Asbury Park were combined into a circuit under the pastoral leadership of Reverend Daniel F. Bradley and Reverend J.H. White.
In 1881, when conference reports were called, Brother Wm. H. Van Clief, delegate from Asbury Park, shared the congregation’s progress. He noted that they had paid the pastor’s full salary and unanimously requested Reverend Bradley’s return. His financial report included $2.00 for conference support and $1.00 from the Sunday School. At that time, the church had 12 full members, 4 probationers, and 25 enrolled in the Sunday School.
Zion Church continued to grow steadily. At the 1882 Annual Conference, Reverend Bradley reported that both Matawan and Asbury Park churches were in good spiritual and temporal condition. He highlighted the progress in Asbury Park, despite challenges such as losing one good member and dismissing one bad member. The congregation had made improvements and paid Reverend Bradley an annual salary of $200, along with house rent, all of which were current. They had also given him a $40 gift.
The church had a fine chapel at Asbury Park but faced difficulties acquiring a lot to move it to. Reverend Bradley voiced the congregation’s desire for a dedicated pastor to serve only their church. Letters from the Sunday School and the Board of Trustees echoed this sentiment, expressing appreciation for Reverend Bradley’s dedication and requesting his return.
In response, the Annual Conference assigned a pastor exclusively to the Asbury Park church, allowing the congregation to begin organizing independently. Under Reverend Marshall’s leadership, the church was eventually relocated to Springwood Avenue.