From the Desk of the Pastor:
Congratulations to Historic St. Paul AME Church!
It is with immense joy and gratitude that I extend my heartfelt congratulations to our beloved Historic St. Paul AME Church as we celebrate its rich history and the vibrant community that has flourished within these walls. Founded in 1820, St. Paul AME Church has stood as a beacon of hope, resilience, and faith for 205 years, remaining steadfast in the same spot in Fayette County.
Throughout its remarkable journey, this church has not only served as a place of worship but has also played a crucial role in the fight for freedom as part of the Underground Railroad. Many enslaved individuals sought refuge within our walls, finding solace and support as they pursued a hopeful path towards liberation.
This legacy of courage and commitment to social justice continues to inspire us today, reminding us of our mission to uplift and empower those in need
As we reflect on our journey, we are reminded of the scriptures that guide our path. In Matthew 7:24-25 (NIV), it is written, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” This passage inspires us to build our lives and our church on the firm foundation of faith, love, and community.
As we embrace the theme for this occasion, “Building on a Firm Foundation,” let us remember that it is our faith in God that provides us with the strength to overcome challenges and the motivation to serve one another. This theme resonates deeply as we continue our mission to reach out to those in need, support one another, and grow in our love for Christ.
I take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude for the privilege of serving this incredible congregation for the past year and ten months. It has been a time of growth, learning, and incredible fellowship. Together, we have experienced moments of joy, healing, and grace, witnessing God’s hand at work in every aspect of our community life.
As we move forward, let us rise up together and continue to “Rebuild God’s House, God’s Way!” May we be inspired to engage in meaningful ministry that reflects God’s love and compassion, united in purpose and driven by the Spirit.
Once again, on behalf of 1 st Gentleman Mark A. Raglin, and Maya and Mykal, congratulations to Historic St. Paul AME Church! Together, we can look ahead with hope and determination, knowing that our foundation is secure in Christ.
In His Service,
Rev. Dr. Stephanie M. Raglin, DMin.,MDiv,MAPC,MACL
Pastor, Historic St. Paul AME Church
“Let’s Rebuild God’s House, God’s Way”
205TH CHURCH ANNIVERSARY
SUNDAY, AUGUST 17,2025……..11:00AM
Rev.Dr.StephanieM. Raglin is the esteemed pastor of Historic St. Paul A.M.E.Church in Lexington, Kentucky, where she has served since October 2023. Before her current appointment, she held the position of pastor at Embry Chapel A.M.E. Church, Elizabethtown, Kentucky from November 2015to October 2023,and accumulating over 8.5 years of ministryexperienceatCraig Chapel A.M.E.Church in Salvisa and Shorter Chapel A.M.E. Church in Paris,Kentucky.
Rev.Dr.Raglin was ordainedas an itinerant deacon byBishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie at the 141stSession of the Kentucky Annual Conference in 2008and subsequently ordained as an itinerantelder in the 143rdSession. With nearly19years of ministryexperience, she has also served as the Director of Programs for the Hope Center Recovery Program for Women since 2002and forthe Hope Center for Men and Women within the Fayette County Detention Center since 2006. She is a Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor in Kentucky and has earned numerous accolades, including OutstandingMember of theYear (2008)and Pastor of the Year(2012,2019)from the Kentucky Conference Lay Organization of the A.M.E.Church, as well as Pastorof the Yearfor the 13thEpiscopal District in 2019.
Rev. Dr. Raglin holds a bachelor's degree in organizational management from Midway College (2004)and continued her theological education at Payne Theological Seminary in 2007.She earned a Master of Arts in Christian Leadership (2010)and a Master of Divinity (2017)from Asbury Theological Seminary, followed bya Doctor of Ministryspecializing in Preaching and Leading(2023)and a Master of Pastoral Counseling (2024).
Her leadership roles extend to chairing the Kentucky Conference Women In Ministry and serving as Treasurerfor the Connectional Women InMinistry of the A.M.E. Church. Rev.Dr. Raglin is also the Chief Marshal for both the Kentucky Annual Conference and the 13th District, and she serves as a marshal for the Council of Bishops of the A.M.E. Church and a member of the General Board. Additionally, she is the Finance Chair for the Kentucky Conference, a member of the 13th District Finance, President of Camp Primm Simmons and BudgetCommittees, and a member of the Kentucky Conference Boardof Examiners. Shehas participated in various boards andcommittees, including the Kentucky Boardof Dentistry, the Kentucky Commission on Proprietary Education, and the Kentucky Alcohol and Drug Board, where she currently serves as vice chair. Furthermore, she is an active member of the Kentucky Recovery Ready Communities Advisory Council and the Kentucky Association of Addiction Professionals.
In recognition of her significant contributions to the community, she was honored as a Kentucky Colonel byGovernor Matt Bevin in 2020and receivedthe Lexington Community Service Award in 2017.InJune 2022,she founded the 501(c)(3)organizationSereniteeAt Its Best Counseling Center in Versailles, Kentucky, and serves as the Director of Substance Abuse Services forthe AdantaGroup. In2023,she was appointed byMayor Linda Gorten as chair of the Opioid AbatementCommission.
Rev.Dr.Raglin is married toMr.Mark A. Raglin,and they are the proud parentsof three children:Melanie, 32,and twinsMaya and Mykal, 19,who are currently pursuingtheir highereducation atWestern Kentucky University and Bellarmine University. Her guiding motto is “Enjoy the Journey,” and she draws inspiration from her favorite scripture, Galatians 6:9: “Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap a harvestif wedo not giveup.”
THE ORDER OF WORSHIP
205TH ANNIVERSARY SUNDAY, AUGUST 17, 2025
WORSHIP LEADER: Brother Kenneth Dobson
The Announcements………………………………………………..……………….…...Sister Brandy Robinson
The Doxology…………………………………………………..………..……………….…………………………………..……
*The Call to Worship…………………………….………….…………….………..….…Sister Aleigha Sullivan
Leader: I was glad when they said unto me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!” Our feet shall stand within Thy gates, O Jerusalem!
People: For a day in Thy court is better than a thousand, I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
Leader: Because of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek Thy good.
People: Those that dwell in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.
Leader: Blessed are they that dwell in Thy house, Lord, I have loved Thy habitation, the place where Thy honor dwelleth.
People: For the Lord is in His holy temple, let all the earth keep silence before Him.
Leader: Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.
All: O sing unto the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things! Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth, and sing His praises.
The Opening Hymn .. #221 .. . .. Lift Him Up!
The Morning Prayer .. . . Sister Dinah Johnson
The Choral Response………………………………………………………..… There’s a Sweet Sweet Spirit
*The Scripture……………………………
The Introit
..… Brother A’lijah Robinson
From all that dwell below the skies, Let the Creator’s praise arise. Let the Redeemer’s name be sung: Through every land by every tongue.
The Summary of the Decalogue…………………………..………………………..….…..Sister Gloria Luter
Hear what Christ our Savior saith. Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it: Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments, hang all the law and the prophets.
The Gloria Patri: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning is now, and ever shall be, world without end. AMEN
Instrumental Performance ………………………………………………………………..……Bro. Bennie Smith
The Welcome and Recognition . .. . .. Sister Diane Payne
The Fellowship .. ..
The Children’s Moment . ..Brother Reginald Thomas
The Tithes and Offerings .. .. .Sister Diane Payne
(Sisters Diane Payne, Gloria Luter, Janice Floyd)
The Occasion………………………………………………………………………………………Sister Priscilla Sullivan
A & B Selection……………………………………………………………………
The Altar Call
The Choir
.Sister Janice Floyd
The Introduction of Guest Preacher . Sister Brandy Robinson
The Sermonic Selection .The Choir
The Sermon…………
The Invitation to Christian Discipleship…………
Dr. Raglin
Dr. Raglin
The Benediction & Blessing for Food .. .. . .Dr. Raglin
*DENOTES NO WALKING
THE ANNOUNCEMENTS
SUNDAY CHURCH SCHOOL @ 9:30AM---IN PERSONAND ON ZOOM
ID: 832 1650 5672 PC:203654
SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICE @11:00AM………IN PERSONAND ON ZOOM ID: 156 987 651 PC: 966774
TUESDAY NOONDAY BIBLE STUDY……12 NOON ON TUESDAYS ID:832 4172 0154 PC: 381000
PASTOR’S BIBLE STUDY…..6:00PM ON WEDNESDAYS ID: 815 6047 0782 PC: 688563
WOMEN’S MINISTRY…7:00PM EVERY FOURTH (4TH) MONDAY OF THE MONTH
ID: 844 0501 0039 PC: 830795
PRAYER CALL…………….7:00PM……………….EVERY THURSDAY CALL 1-712-832-8330AC:8206364
LAY ORGANIZATION MEETS 10:00AM THE FIRST (1ST) SATURDAY OF EACH MONTH ON ZOOM ID: 8814 5777 365 AC: 546477 DIAL IN: 1-646-876-9923
SUNDAY, AUGUST 17,2025…3:00PM
CHAIRPERSONS
Rev. Sherita Moon Seawright Supervisor of Missions
The Reverend Sherita Moon Seawright is married to Bishop Harry L. Seawright. She is the mother of two adult children, Shari Nicole Seawright and Harry Matthew Seawright, and the grandmother of Cameron Isaiah Seawright.
Sherita Moon Seawright was born in Clinton, South Carolina, the second child of the late Peter and Aurelia Moon. She grew up in Mount Moriah Baptist Church, Clinton, where she served as a Sunday school teacher and a musician.
Rev. Sherita loves learning! She received her early education in the public schools of Mountville, Cross Hill and Clinton, South Carolina. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science, summa cum laude, from Benedict College, Columbia, SC and a Master of Arts degree in political science from The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. She earned a Master of Divinity degree from Howard University School of Divinity in Washington, DC. Rev. Sherita served a one-year Chaplaincy Internship and a one-year Chaplaincy Residency at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC, earning five units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE).
Rev. Sherita Seawright, an Itinerant Elder in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, served as the Assistant Pastor of Union Bethel AME, Brandywine, MD and the Lead Ministry Coordinator of Union Bethel North, Temple Hills, MD. One of her greatest joys is preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and empowering people for Christian service.
Praise & Worship
Offering
THE ORDER OF WORSHIP
TH ANNIVERSARY SUNDAY, AUGUST 17, 2025
WORSHIP LEADER: Rev. Dr. Stephanie M. Raglin
Sister Michele Coffey
(Sisters Diane Payne, Gloria Luter, Janice Floyd)
Mario Webb & New Covenant Choir The Occasion
The Introduction of the Preacher
Priscilla Sullivan
Dr. Stephanie M. Raglin
Sister Vada Shelton Selection
Mario Webb & New Covenant Choir
The Sermon…………………………………………………………………………
Sherita Moon Seawright (Supervisor, 13th Episcopal District)
The Invitation to Christian Discipleship
Sherita Moon Seawright The Closing Remarks:
Kenneth Dobson
Dr. Stephanie M. Raglin
Historic St. Paul AME Church A Revised Historical
Narrative (2025)
Historic St Paul African Methodist Episcopal (A M E ) Church in Lexington, Kentucky, traces its origins to 1820, when a group of free and enslaved people of African, Indigenous, Spanish, and mixed ancestry separated from Hill Street Methodist Church to form their own congregation They initially rented a brick horse stable from Charles Wilkins a prominent banker, saltpeter manufacturer, and trustee of Transylvania University In 1826, the congregation constructed a church building on the site, as indicated by the existing cornerstone. The property was formally purchased in May 1827 for $280, with the lot measuring 33 by 95 feet Trustees Daniel Francis, John Skinker, Benjamin Tibbs, William Dolan, and Peter Lewis signed the deed of sale.
By 1830, most of the original stable had been removed, although portions of its foundation remain intact in the basement directly beneath the sanctuary. The 1838–1839 Lexington City Directory described the city’s African American churches as “handsome brick buildings, in which comfort and elegance alike predominate,” with St. Paul proudly included among them.
On March 15, 1850, the congregation purchased an adjoining 7-by-95-foot lot for $1 Trustees involved in the acquisition included Charles Buckner, James Turner, Robert Dolan, Liberty Ross, and Moses Spencer Sometime between 1830 and 1850, the church added the concealed area now associated with the 20-foot stained-glass windows.
Later, on July 8, 1862, the church acquired an adjacent parcel that included a portion of the city’s stray pen formerly used to confine stray dogs and livestock for $400. In 1863, 80 feet of that lot was resold for $242
Today, the church owns not only its historic sanctuary but also the surrounding properties, extending from Byway Alley and West Third Street to its building at 251 North Upper Street
Although the congregation was aligned in faith and practice with the African Methodist Episcopal Church from its earliest years, it operated independently until formally affiliating with the A M E denomination in September 1865 under the leadership of Rev. David Smith. According to historical accounts, this decision followed a contentious meeting during which Rev Smith persuaded the congregation to join the A.M.E. Church, despite attempts by Bishop William Henry Miles to incorporate them into the newly forming Colored Methodist Episcopal Church Until that point, St Paul functioned as an autonomous Methodist body.
Significant renovations to the church building occurred in 1906 under Rev C C Townsend at a cost of $13,000. The parsonage was remodeled in 1919 for $2,600 and paid off within four months. In 1920, under the leadership of Rev David Johnson, the church celebrated the retirement of its remaining $4,400 mortgage debt.
Throughout the 19th century, Historic St. Paul A.M.E. Church emerged as a powerful center for faithbased abolitionism, education, and civil rights. Under the leadership of Rev. James Turner who also served as treasurer of the Freedmen’s Bureau the church played a pivotal role in establishing schools and advancing institutions critical to the growth of Lexington’s African American community.
Historic St. Paul AME Church A
Revised Historical Narrative (2025)
Turner, along with Henry Britton, George Buford, entrepreneur and builder Henry A. Tandy, and others, was instrumental in key expansions of the church’s physical structure.
Later, civic leader Jordan Carlisle Jackson Jr. and his contemporaries further amplified the church’s influence through political advocacy and grassroots community organizing.
Historic St. Paul was the site of several landmark state conventions during and after Reconstruction, affirming its position as a central meeting place for African American advocacy:
In 1866, the church hosted the founding of the **Kentucky State Benevolent Association (KSBA), one of the earliest statewide organizations established by African Americans to advocate for civil rights, voting access, education, and economic self-determination.
In 1867, the State Convention of Colored Men convened at St Paul, bringing together delegates from across Kentucky to organize around issues critical to the social and political advancement of formerly enslaved people and free Black people
In 1885, the church once again stood at the forefront of Black civic leadership by hosting the Colored State Convention during a period of growing political disenfranchisement, racial violence, and systemic segregation. Delegates strategized on how to resist these injustices and continue the pursuit of full citizenship and equality
The church’s connection to the Underground Railroad and the abolitionist movement is also deeply rooted In 1844, freedom-seeker Lewis Hayden and his family escaped enslavement in Lexington with assistance from white abolitionists Delia Webster and Calvin Fairbanks. Fairbanks had come to the city at the request of Rev John Mifflin Brown a prominent Black minister who would later be ordained as a bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church Though originally seeking to rescue the family of Gilson Berry, Fairbanks instead met Hayden, who was leased by his enslaver to work at the Phoenix Hotel Henry Britton, a trustee and member of St Paul A M E Church, was a carpenter and barber who operated a barbershop in the hotel’s basement and likely facilitated contact between Hayden and Fairbanks
In 1842, Lewis Garrard Clarke, who had previously escaped slavery in Madison County, Kentucky, returned to Lexington to rescue his younger brother, **Cyrus Clarke**, who was still enslaved After a successful escape, the brothers traveled north to Oberlin, Ohio, where Lewis had settled Clarke became an influential abolitionist author and lecturer, and the model for the character George Harris in *Uncle Tom’s Cabin* by Harriet Beecher Stowe Following the death of his wife, Clarke returned to Lexington in January 1897 and passed away later that year His funeral was held at Historic St Paul A M E Church on December 19, 1897 Before the service, his body lay in state at the Lexington City Auditorium, most likely was the Lexington Opera House, by the order of Governor William O’Connell Bradley It was the first time in Kentucky’s history that a Black man was honored with such a public tribute
Historic St Paul AME Church continued its legacy of advocacy in education and social justice well into the twentieth century, serving not only as a place of worship but also as a center for community action and leadership
Historic St. Paul AME Church A Revised Historical Narrative (2025)
The church remained a meeting ground for members working to establish educational opportunities for African Americans, even before the state implemented a tax to fund public schools. It played a foundational role in the creation of Kentucky State University, where John Jackson, the university’s first president, was a member of St. Paul. The church was also instrumental in the establishment of the Orphan Home on Georgetown Street, providing care and shelter for vulnerable children in the community
In 1993, Rev. Robert E. Keesee, then serving as pastor of Historic St. Paul and president of the Tri-Methodist Fellowship (1989–1994), played a pivotal role in addressing long-standing inequities in Lexington’s public school system and their disproportionate impact on African American students. His leadership reflected both his pastoral duties and a deep commitment to ecumenical collaboration and educational justice. These efforts contributed to greater diversity and representation on the Fayette County Board of Education, culminating in the election of Jerry K Devine, a member of St Paul’s Steward Board, to serve as a school board member
During the pastorate of Rev. James Stowe, the church remained deeply engaged in matters of public concern Notably, in the aftermath of the Tony Sullivan shooting, Rev Stowe took a leading role in calming tensions and addressing the unrest among the city’s youth following Sullivan’s death His efforts reaffirmed Historic St Paul A M E Church’s enduring role as a moral voice and stabilizing presence in the community during times of crisis
Today, Historic St Paul A M E Church stands as a living monument to faith, freedom, and community progress From the era of slavery through Reconstruction and into the present day, it continues to uphold a legacy of over 200 years of African American leadership, resilience, and unwavering commitment to justice in Kentucky.
Also known as Lewis Garrard Clarke (1815-1897)
The Atlanta Constitution Atlanta, Georgia • Sun, Dec 19, 1897
Historic St. Paul AME Church
A Revised Historical Narrative (2025)
The Lexington Herald Sun, Dec 26, 1920 ·Page 34
205 Years of Neighbors, Friends, and Family
It's more than just a building; it's the people inside. For 205 years, your church has been a place where connections are made, lives are changed, and everyone has a place at the table.
"Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him"
Psalm 127:3
