The Reverend Peter Williams Jr.

The Reverend Peter Williams, Jr. (ca. 1780 – July 30, 1840) was a graduate of the African Free School who became a towering spiritual and social leader in New York City. By the early 1800s, Black Episcopalians who refused to tolerate the systemic racism they faced in white parishes sought to worship in the “Anglican Way” on their own terms. This movement led to the formation of the “Free African Church of St. Philip” in 1809. Organized and led by Williams, it became the second independent Black Episcopal congregation in the United States. Originally located on Centre Street, the church building was destroyed by fire in 1822 and subsequently rebuilt in brick.

Williams’s leadership extended far beyond the pulpit; he was a dedicated member of the American Anti-Slavery Society and co-founded Freedom’s Journal, the first African American newspaper in the United States. In 1826, Williams was ordained to the priesthood, officially becoming the first rector of St. Philip’s Church. He faithfully served the parish in this position until his death in 1840, cementing his legacy as a pioneer of Black liberation and faith within the early diocese.

[Published Winter 2019]