John Bryan Small

John Bryant Small (died January 15, 1915) was a Barbadian-American bishop in the AME Zion Church.

Born and educated in Barbados, Small joined the British Army as a clerk and was stationed in the Gold Coast for three years, resigning due to British aggression towards the Asante. In 1871 he travelled to the United States, becoming a preacher with the AME Zion Church. In 1896 he was elected AME Zion bishop to Africa, where he concentrated his work in the Gold Coast, training indigenous African church leaders including James E. K. Aggrey by sending them to Livingstone College. Though Small returned to the US in 1904, his deathbed words were "Don't let my African work fail".[1]

References

1. Jacobs, Sylvia M. "African Missions and the African-American Christian Churches". African-American Experience in World Mission. p. 35.