Jonas "Papa" Conley
| Jonas "Papa" Conley | |
|---|---|
| File:JONAS CONLEY I.jpgJONAS_CONLEY_I.jpg | |
| Born | 1857 Harvest, Alabama, U.S. |
| 💀Died | 1930 Huntsville, Alabama, U.S.1930 |
| 🏡 Residence | Conley Mountain, Madison County, Alabama |
| 🏳️ Nationality | American |
| 🏫 Education | Huntsville Normal School |
| 💼 Occupation | |
| 📆 Years active | 47 |
| Known for | Elder Christian Methodist Episcopal Church Huntsville District |
| 👪 Relatives | Paschal Conley II (cousin) |
| Twitter= | |
The Reverend Jonas Conley (1857 - 1930) was the leader of the Christian Methodist Episcopal (C.M.E.) Church in the greater Huntsville, Alabama area at the turn of the 20th Century.[1] The CME church is a historically black denomination which emerged in the tumultuous aftermath of the Civil War in the throes of Reconstruction.[2]The Christian Methodist Episcopal Church is a variant of Wesleyanism and emphasizes personal responsibility, and is rooted in the belief that a individual is capable of choosing good or evil without special Divine guidance.
The 5th Episcopal District for which Conley served as administrative superintendent would eventually be run by his son, Benjamin Harrison Conley (1888-1948.)[3] The 5th district would be made famous by the Scottsboro Boys case, held deep in Ku Klux Klan territory near the Garner Memorial Church in Decatur, Alabama led by Pastor Benjamin Harrison Conley at the time.
Early life[edit]
Jonas Conley was born on the Conley Homestead in Madison County, Alabama on December 27, 1857 to Green Conley, a free black from Georgia, and Harriet Conley of Alabama, a free black of no relation to Green, who was the sister of the original Conley Brothers (Paschal, William and Hamilton.) He prepared for university at the newly created Huntsville Normal School, which was a high school dedicated to the agriculture and mechanical arts. Huntsville Normal School would eventually become the modern day Alabama A&M partially located on land once owned by Jonas’ uncles Paschal and William.
CME Church[edit]
Jonas Conley was the Founder of Conley CME Chapel in Huntsville and the now defunct Forest Chapel CME Church.[4] Prior to the founding of Conley Chapel, Jonas Conley played a role in the development of Acklin Chapel in Gurley, Alabama; Bethel CME of Meridanville, Alabama; Phillips CME in Huntsville, Alabama; and Garner Memorial in Decatur.
Land holdings[edit]
Under the guidance of his older brother, Alexander Conley, Jonas pooled his resources with brothers Milton and Willie to purchase on and around what was known as Conley Mountain prior to the Civil War. During the backlash against the Reconstruction Era the mountain was renamed Cave Mountain, as several parcels of land around the mountain were forcibly taken from the family under threat of violence.
Family life[edit]
With his wife, Judy, Jonas Conley had 10 children. Jonas Conley’s son Eddie Conley (b. 1885) became a stone mason who supervised the construction of a number of churches led by his younger brother Benjamin Harrison Conley (1888-1948) throughout the Huntsville area. Benjamin Harrison became the Presiding Elder of the Huntsville District of the CME Church. Descendants of Jonas contributed to the development of AME, Seventh Day Adventist and Baptist churches throughout the region.[5]
References[edit]
- ↑ "Conley CME Church" Retrieved 2015-7-11.
- ↑ "The History of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church" The CME Church. Retrieved 2015-7-11.
- ↑ "5th Episcopal District Churches" CME Church. Retrieved 2015-7-11.
- ↑ "Binford Conley Obituary" The Huntsville Times. Retrieved 2015-7-11.
- ↑ "Transcript of Eva B. Dykes" Retrieved 2015-7-11.
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