Reverend Mark Kelly Tyler, pastor of Mother Bethel AME Church in Society Hill, was elected as an officer this week at the general conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AMEC) in Columbus, Ohio.

He was elected one of nine general officers: executive director of the Department of Research and Science and historian of the AME Church, which has its headquarters in Nashville.

The election was held on Monday. The Tennessee Tribune published the results and noted that six new bishops and nine general officers were elected. (At least 20 bishops are responsible for geographic districts.)

“As I assume the role of historian and executive director of the Department of Research and Scholarship for the worldwide AME Church, this moment is bittersweet for me,” Tyler wrote in a text message from Ohio on Wednesday afternoon.

“After 16 years as pastor of Mother Bethel AME Church in Philadelphia, I will greatly miss the faithful members who have been such an important part of my life’s journey. The lessons and bonds I learned at Mother Bethel have not only enriched my ministry but also prepared me for this new chapter.

“While I look forward to focusing on the global story of our church and carrying its story forward, I will always carry the spirit of Mother Bethel with me and look forward to staying connected with the community that has meant so much to me.”

In an interview earlier this month, Tyler said the new position would require his resignation as pastor of Mother Bethel AME, 419 S. 6th St., where he was named the church’s 52nd pastor in 2008.

He said he would stay at Mother Bethel for at least two to three months until the church leadership appointed a new pastor.

In his new role, he will have two offices, one in Philadelphia and one in Nashville.

” READ MORE: Rev. Mark Kelly Tyler of Mother Bethel AME Church in Philly is running for office in the AME Church

“I am filled with a deep sense of excitement and purpose,” Tyler said. “This position offers a unique opportunity to delve deeper into the rich history of our beloved church and discover stories and insights that continue to shape our faith and mission today.”

Tyler said he has always loved history and hopes to make a major documentary about the church, possibly with PBS.

The pastor has already produced five documentaries about the AME Church, but said he hopes to produce historical documentaries for a wider audience.

A denomination on five continents

Margaret Jerrido, Mother Bethel’s archivist, said Tyler’s new position means he will be responsible for the AME denomination’s historical records around the world.

“We are on five continents and in 40 countries,” she said.

Mother Bethel, located at the corner of Sixth and Lombard, is the oldest African Methodist Episcopalian church and as such is the “mother church” of the denomination.

It was founded in 1794 by Bishop Richard Allen after Allen and his colleague, the Reverend Absalom Jones, led a strike in 1792 from the predominantly white historic St. George’s United Methodist Church to protest racial segregation in worship.

Allen and Jones, who had founded the Free African Society in 1787, had already discussed the need to establish their own churches. The exodus from St. George’s strengthened their efforts.

Allen purchased the land for Mother Bethel in 1791, and Jones founded the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas in 1792, becoming the first African American ordained. The current Mother Bethel Church, a three-story masonry building in the Romanesque style, was completed in 1890 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1974.

The first members worshipped in an old blacksmith shop, which was replaced by frame buildings in 1805 and 1841. The 1841 building, which was demolished to make way for the current one, had a tunnel underneath it that connected it to the Arch Street Friends meetinghouse to support blacks escaping slavery.