Background
Turner, Henry Mcneal was born on February 1, 1834 in Newberry C.H., South Carolina, United States. Son of Hardy and Sarah (Greer) Turner.
Turner, Henry Mcneal was born on February 1, 1834 in Newberry C.H., South Carolina, United States. Son of Hardy and Sarah (Greer) Turner.
Learned to read and write by his own perseverance. At 15 years, employed in law office, Abbeyville C.H., and young lawyers in office often assisted him with his studies. Learned to read accurately and studied geography, arithmetic, history, astronomy, hygiene and anatomy.
United with Methodist Episcopal Church, South, 1848.
Licensed to preach, 1853. Traveled and preached among the colored people in South Carolina., Georgia, Alabama, and other Southern states.
Transferred membership to African Methodist Episcopal Church, 1858. Shortly after, joined Missouri Annual Conference.
Became Itinerant minister.
Transferred to Baltimore Annual Conference by Bishop Doctorate. A. Payne, Doctor of Divinity. Remained 4 years, meantime studying Latin, Greek, Hebrew and divinity at Trinity College. Doctor of Laws, University of Pennsylvania, 1872.
Doctor of Divinity, Wilberforce, 1873.
Doctor of Civil Law.
Pastor Israel Church, Washington, 1863. Commissioned chaplain United States.C.T. by President Lincoln (1st colored chaplain ever commissioned). Mustered out September 1865.
Commissioned by President Johnson chaplain in regular army, detailed as officer Freedmen’s Bureau in Georgia.
Resigned commission; resumed ministry. Organized school for colored children.
Elected member Constitutional Convention, Georgia, 1867. Member Georgia Legislature, 1868 and 1870.
Postmaster Macon, later inspector of customs, then United States secret detective.
Elected by General Conference African Methodist Episcopal Church, 1876, manager of its publications at Philadelphia. Elected bishop by General Conference at Saint Louis, 1880. One of principal agitators of return of his race to Africa.
Organized 4 annual conferences in Africa, 1 in Sierra Leone, 1 in Liberia, 1 in Prætoria, Transvaal, and 1 in Queenstown, South Africa.
Later presiding bishop in Canada and Michigan Author: Methodist Polity. Hymn Book of African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Also a catechism, various sermons, lectures, et cetera Address: Atlanta, Georgia.
Member Georgia Legislature, 1868 and 1870.
Married Eliza Ann Peacher, August 31, 1856. Married second, Mistress. Married 3d, Harriet A., widow of Bishop A. West. Wayman, August 16, 1900.