On May 15, 1795, John Marrant was ordained as a Methodist minister in London, England, becoming one of the first Black missionaries in North America and the first to work extensively with Indigenous peoples. Born a free Black man in New York in 1755, Marrant converted to Christianity as a teenager and became a preacher to the Cherokee and other Native American tribes. His ministry bridged cultural and racial divides, and he later wrote an influential autobiography, A Narrative of the Lord’s Wonderful Dealings with John Marrant, a Black, which became one of the earliest published works by an African American. His ordination in London marked global recognition of his pioneering role in both Black and Christian history.
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