Absalom Jones: America's First Black Priest

By Mark Francisco Bozzuti-Jones and Christopher Michael Taylor

The story of a former slave and America’s first Black Episcopal priest is an inspiring model for living a full life of service and love.

This book, appropriate for children but engaging enough for adults, begins by describing the reality of slavery during Jones’s life. Absalom Jones purchased his wife’s freedom before his own and dedicated himself to living the Christian faith. Through the difficulties and challenges of his time, he answered the call to serve the church and was ordained a priest and deacon to serve the first Black Episcopal Church in the United States.

The first Black priest in the Anglican Communion continues to be one of the most important historical figures in the Episcopal Church. As the church pays attention to its own sins of racism, this book offers encouragement, guidance, hope, and inspiration. Jones’s life is an example of what it means to follow Jesus through faithful, courageous, and selfless living of the way of love.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Morehouse Publishing
• Release date: Nov 16, 2021
• ISBN: 9781640654730

Mark Francisco Bozzuti-Jones

MARK FRANCISCO BOZZUTI-JONES is the Priest and Director of Spiritual Formation of Trinity Church Wall Street’s Retreat Center in West Cornwall, Connecticut . He is an avid reader, award-winning author, speaker, and has taught at elementary and university levels. He is also an NAACP Image Award nominee for Outstanding Literary Work - Children. He lives in West Cornwall, Connecticut.

Book preview

Cover of Absalom Jones America’s First Black Priest.Title of Absalom Jones America’s First Black Priest.

Copyright © 2021 Mark Francisco Bozzuti-Jones

Illustrations © 2021 Christopher Michael Taylor

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

Church Publishing Incorporated

19 East 34th Street

New York, NY 10016

Cover design by Christopher Michael Taylor

Typeset by Progressive Publishing Services

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

A record of this book is available from the Library of Congress.

ISBN-13: 978-1-64065-472-3 (paperback)

ISBN-13: 978-1-64065-473-0 (ebook)

Dedicated to Kathy and Mark Anthony Bozzuti-Jones

and

Black Christians throughout the world.

Mark Francisco Bozzuti-Jones

I dedicate this work to my mother,

Audrey Chaney Taylor.

Christopher Michael Taylor

Introduction: Absalom Jones and the Faith Heritage of Black Christians

Absalom Jones is a son of Africa, a descendant of a faithful people. Since the beginning, Africans have known God.

God was in Africa from the moment of creation and continues