Ebyafaayo bya Richard Allen

Richard Allen yazaalibwa mu buddu nga February 14, 1760, mu kibuga Philadelphia. Nannyini ye eyasooka yali Benjamin Chew, munnamateeka omumanyifu Omu-Quaker; era Allen bwe yali akyali mulenzi, ab'omu maka ge bonna — nnyina, kitaawe, n'abaana — baatundibwa ne batwalibwa ewa omulimi ayitibwa Stokeley Sturgis, okumpi ne Dover mu nsi ya Delaware. Eyo, ku ttaka ttono wakati w'ennimiro n'ebitosi, oyo eyali agenda okuba omutandisi wa kkanisa esooka ey'Abaddugavu eyeeyimirizaawo mu Amerika, yakulira mu ssomero erisinga obwangu n'obuzibu. Yayiga ng'akyali muto amakulu g'okuba ow'omusajja omulala, okubalibwa ng'ekintu ekigulibwa, n'okulaba amaka nga gaawulibwamu olw'okwagala kw'omugenyi. Naye ku nkomerero Allen yajjukiranga Sturgis nga mukama ow'ekisa. Obukyayi bwe yali tayinza kwerabira tebwali ku musajja, wabula ku kintu kyennyini.

Emirundi mingi nnateekebwanga mu mutima nti olunaku olumu nnaafuna eddembe lyange; kubanga obuddu kkerezi ekaawa, newankubadde nga twalina mukama omulungi.

— Richard Allen

Yazuukusibwa mu Nnimiro

Allen bwe yali ng'aweza emyaka kkumi na musanvu, omubuulizi Omumesodisiti yajja mu kitundu, era omuddu omuvubuka n'agenda okumuwuliriza. Abamesodisiti mu myaka egyo baali bantu abanyiikivu, abatalina bulungamu bwa bigambo, abaatambulanga nga babuulira eri buli eyandiwulirizza — abaavu, abaddu, n'abagobebwa — era obubaka bwabwe bwatuuka butereevu ku mutima gwa Allen. Yakwatibwa okulumirizibwa okw'amaanyi olw'ekibi. Mu byafaayo bye yeewandiikira yeeyogerako ng'eyatoowazibwa era eyaweddemu essuubi, ng'akakasiza ddala nti singa Katonda teyandimusaasidde yandibuze.

Nnazuukusibwa ne ndeetebwa okwetunuulira, nga ndi mwavu, nga ndi wa nnaku era nga nzikiridde, era awatali kusaasira kwa Katonda kiŋŋwanidde okubula.

— Richard Allen

Okumala wiiki nnyingi yakaabiriranga Katonda emisana n'ekiro, ng'akolerera mu nnimiro emisana era ng'alwanira mu kusaba ekiro, okutuusa akawungeezi kamu, ng'ali yekka, omugugu ne gumenyeka. Ebigambo bye yalonda okunnyonnyola akaseera ako bye bigambo by'omusajja eyali yeetisse enjegere ez'amazima — era kaakano n'awulira ez'omwoyo nga zigwa.

Okununulibwa, bwe kwajja, kwali kutuukiridde era nga kujjudde essanyu. Teyakwerabira, era yakiwandiika mu lwatu mu byafaayo by'obulamu bwe: amangu ago ekkomera lyange ne likankana, enjegere zange ne zigwa, era ekitiibwa kibe eri Katonda, ne nkaaba. Omwoyo gwange ne gujjula. Ne nkaaba nti, kimmala — Omulokozi yafa. Okuva mu ssaawa eyo Richard Allen yali, nga bwe yakibala yennyini, muntu wa ddembe mu ngeri esinga obuziba, emyaka mingi nga tannaba kuba wa ddembe mu maaso g'amateeka.

Ng'asabira Mukama We Ayingire mu Bwakabaka

Omukyufu omuggya teyeekuumira ssanyu lye yekka. Ye ne muganda we baalowooza nti engeri esinga obukakafu ey'okuwa Kristo ekitiibwa — n'okuggyawo olugambo nti eddiini yafuula abaddu abagayaavu — kwali kukola n'obunyiikivu n'obwesigwa okusinga bwe kyali kibadde, waleme okubaawo ayogera nti Obumesodisiti bwonoonye omuweereza omulungi. Allen yatya n'akyogerera ne waggulu nti mukama we ayinza okulowooza nti okukkiriza kumwonoonye, era n'aweereza n'obunyiikivu okusingawo. Mu kiseera n'afuna olukusa lwa Sturgis okukubiriza enkuŋŋaana z'Abamesodisiti mu nnyumba y'oku faamu yennyini.

Ababuulizi ne bajja ne basaba wansi w'akasolya ako, era mu bo mwalimu omutambuze Omumesodisiti omukulu Freeborn Garrettson. Olunaku lumu Garrettson yabuulira ng'ava mu kitabo kya Danyeeri ku bigambo, wapimibwa mu minzaani n'osangibwa ng'obulako — n'abissa awatali kutya ku basajja abaakwatanga bannaabwe mu buddu. Ekigambo ne kituuka mu mutima. Stokeley Sturgis n'akakasa nti okuba n'abaddu kibi eri Katonda, era nti teyandisobodde kusisinkana Omutonzi we ng'akyalina abaddu mu nnimiro ze. N'awa Allen ne muganda we omukisa okwegula bokka.

Endagaano n'eteekebwawo: ab'oluganda bombi baali ba kusasula pawundi nkaaga eza zaabu ne ffeeza — doola enkumi bbiri mu ssente ez'omu mulembe ogw'Obujeemu ezaali zigudde omuwendo — nga beegula obudde bwabwe n'entuuyo zaabwe. Allen n'akkiriza, era okumala emyaka egy'okupangisibwa ng'omupakasi, ng'asala enku, ng'atikka amatoffaali, era ng'avuga eggaali ery'omunnyo ery'eggye, n'amaliriza okusasula. Okutuuka mu 1783 ebbanja lyali liweddewo era Richard Allen, ku nkomerero, yali wa ddembe mu maaso g'amateeka. Yali aweza emyaka amakumi abiri mu esatu.

Omubuulizi Omutambuze

Eddembe eri Allen tekyategeeza kuwummula wabula kutumibwa. Yakwata oluguudo ng'omubuulizi omutambuze, ng'atambula era ng'eyimirizaawo ng'ayita mu Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, ne Maryland, ng'eyisaawo n'emirimu gya buli lunaku era ng'abuulira buli oluggi we lwaggulirwanga — eri amakuŋŋaaniro g'abazungu n'ag'abaddugavu, mu bisaawe, mu bibira, ne mu nkuŋŋaana ez'omu nsiisira. Yeetaba mu Christmas Conference ey'ebyafaayo eya 1784 mu Baltimore, Obumesodisiti bw'Amerika mwe bwetegekera okuba ekkanisa, era eyo n'ategeeragana ne Bishop Francis Asbury, eyakiraba ekirabo ky'omuvubuka oyo era omulundi gumu n'amuyita batambulire wamu mu bitundu eby'obuddu. Allen yagaana olugendo olwo, kubanga teyayagala kusirisibwa ku nsonga y'obuddu, naye amakubo g'abasajja bombi gaasigala nga gasibaganye obulamu bwabwe bwonna.

Mu 1786 Allen yajja e Philadelphia, ekibuga mwe yazaalibwa, era n'ayitibwa okubuulira eri abaddugavu abaali mu St. George's Methodist Episcopal Church. Yabuuliranga ku ssaawa kkumi n'emu ez'enkya aleme kutaataaganya kusinza kwa bulijjo, era wansi w'okufuba kwe omuwendo gw'abasinza abaddugavu ne gweyongera mangu. Okukula okwo, okwandibadde essanyu, ne kufuuka ensibuko y'ekiwundu.

“Tebaddamu Kuteganyizibwa Naffe”

Ekibiina ky'abaddugavu bwe kyeyongera obungi, abakulembeze abazungu aba St. George's ne batandika okweraliikirira. Ne bajjulula abasinza abaddugavu okuva ku ntebe zaabwe eza bulijjo ne babassa ku mabbali g'ekisenge, oluvannyuma ne babalinnyisa waggulu ku ggolofa. Ku Ssande emu ku makya Allen, Absalom Jones, n'abalala ne bafukamira okusaba nga bali waggulu — era omu ku bawanika n'akwata Jones ku bibegabega, ng'agezaako okumusitula okuva mu kufukamira wakati mu kusaba, ng'amuwuubaalira nti tateekwa kufukamira awo. Jones n'amwegayirira alinde okutuusa okusaba lwe kunaggwaako. Yagaana. Okusaba bwe kwaggwa, abaddugavu ne bagolokoka wamu ne bafuluma mu kizimbe olw'enkomerero. Allen yawandiika akaseera ako mu kitiibwa ekisinga obwogi okwemulugunya kwonna.

Mu kiseera ekyo okusaba kwali kuweddeko, era ffenna ne tuva mu kkanisa nga tuli ekibiina kimu, era tebaddamu kuteganyizibwa naffe mu kkanisa.

— Richard Allen

Tebaava mu kukkiriza — wabula mu nnyumba eyali ebaswazizza nga basaba. Dda, mu 1787, Allen ne Jones baali baatandiseewo Free African Society, ekibiina eky'okuyambagana n'okusinza ekyalabiriranga nnamwandu, ne kiziika abafu, era ne kiluŋŋamya abagirimu okubeera mu bulamu obw'obwegendereza n'okutya Katonda. Kyali kimu ku bibiina ebyasooka eby'abaddugavu ebyeyimirizaawo mu ggwanga, era okuva mu kyo, n'okuva mu kufuluma okwo, mwe mwandivudde amakanisa.

Omusujja gwa 1793

Allen nga tannaba kuzimba kkanisa ye, ekibuga ne kijjirwa entiisa. Mu kyeya kya 1793 omusujja ogw'ekyenvu (yellow fever) ne gukuba Philadelphia; enkumi n'enkumi ne zifa, era abo abaali basobola ne badduka. Abasawo, nga bakulemberwamu Dr. Benjamin Rush, ne beegayirira abaddugavu okujjanjaba abalwadde n'okuziika abafu, nga balowooza ekitali kituufu nti abantu ab'ensibuko y'Afirika tebakwatibwa bulwadde obwo. Tebaali batyo — bangi baafa — naye Allen ne Jones ne baddamu okukoowoola okwo, ne bategeka abaddugavu b'e Philadelphia okugenda buli nnyumba wakati w'abaali bafa, okusitula abalwadde, n'okuggyawo emirambo tewaali mulala eyali ayagala kugikwatako.

Kawumpuli bwe yayita, omuwandiisi w'obutabo n'avunaana abajjanjabi abaddugavu olw'okunyaga n'obubbi. Allen ne Jones ne baddamu n'Narrative yaabwe gye baafulumya, nga bawolereza abantu baabwe era nga bakyusa ekkalaamu ne bagitunuuza ku nteekateeka yonna eyabanyooma. Allen n'agattako obubaka eri abalina abaddu obutafiiriddwa maanyi na kaakano, ng'assa ensonga y'abaddu si mu byabufuzi wabula mu ngeri ya Katonda yennyini.

Katonda yennyini ye yasooka okuwolereza ensonga y'abaddu.

— Richard Allen

Mother Bethel n'Ekkanisa Yaabwe Bo

Mu 1794 Allen yagula edduuka lya muweesi ekkadde, n'alisikisa ku kibanja kye yalina ku Sixth Street, n'alifuula ennyumba y'okusinzizaamu. Francis Asbury yabuulira ku lunaku olw'okugiwaayo, era n'etuumibwa Bethel — “ennyumba ya Katonda.” Abantu ne bagiyita Mother Bethel, era ekyayimiridde ne kaakano ku kibanja ekisinga obukadde ekyakuumibwa obutasalako Abaamerika Abaddugavu mu Amerika. Mu mwaka gwe gumu Allen n'akkirizibwa mu buweereza mu lwatu, era mu 1799 Bishop Asbury n'amuwonga okuba omudiikoni — omusajja omuddugavu asooka okuwongebwa bw'atyo mu Methodist Episcopal Church.

Naye okwefuga kwalina okulwanirwa. Olukiiko lw'abazungu lwagezaako emirundi n'emirundi okukomyawo Bethel wansi w'obuyinza bwalwo n'ebintu byayo wansi w'amaanyi galwo. Allen n'ekibiina kye ne bagaana okumala emyaka mingi egy'entalo z'omu mbuga z'amateeka, okutuusa mu 1816 Pennsylvania Supreme Court bwe yakakasa obuyinza bwa Bethel okwefuga. Mu mwaka gwe gumu Allen n'akuŋŋaanya amakuŋŋaaniro g'Abamesodisiti abaddugavu okuva e Philadelphia, e Baltimore, n'awalala, era wamu ne batandikawo eddiini empya ddala: African Methodist Episcopal Church — eddiini esooka ey'abaddugavu eyeefuga mu bujjuvu mu Amerika. Nga April 11, 1816, Richard Allen n'awongebwa okuba omulabirizi waayo omusooka.

Omulimu Omuwanvu, n'Ekiwummulo

Ng'omulabirizi, Allen yawaayo obulamu bwe obwasigalawo eri abantu abaali beezimba mu ddembe. Yazimba amakuŋŋaaniro, n'awa ababuulizi olukusa, n'awakanya enteekateeka ez'okusindika Abaamerika Abaddugavu ab'eddembe okubazza mu Afirika nga bayita mu Colonization Society, n'alwanirira okusomesa, n'akweka abaddukanga obuddu, era mu 1830 n'ayamba okukuŋŋaanya National Negro Convention esooka mu bisenge bya Mother Bethel byennyini. Ennyumba ye yali kifo ku kkubo eriraga mu ddembe; ekituuti kye kyali ssomero ery'okwewulira eri abantu abaabuulirwanga buli lunaku nti tebalina kitiibwa kyonna.

Richard Allen yafa nga March 26, 1831, ng'aweza emyaka nsanvu mu gumu, era n'aziikibwa ku Mother Bethel, entaana ye gye ekyali n'okutuusa leero. Yali ajje mu nsi ng'ekintu ky'omusajja omulala n'agivaamu ng'omusumba w'ekkanisa eyandisitudde Enjiri n'ensonga y'eddembe okubuna essemazinga lyonna n'okulisukka. Enjegere ezaagwa mu nnimiro y'e Delaware zaali, ku nkomerero, zisumuludde olulimi lw'eggwanga lyonna okusaba n'okuyimba mu nnyumba tewali muntu ayinza kubaggyako.

Ajjukirwa ng'omulabirizi, ng'omutandisi, ng'omulwanyi w'okumalawo obuddu, era ng'omukulembeze w'eggwanga. Naye eyasooka okwemanya ng'omuddu eyasanga ekisa ng'afukamidde — era ebirala byonna ne biva mu ekyo. Omusajja eyali atidde nti okukkiriza kwe kwandirowoozeddwaako ng'obugayaavu, yawa abaddu n'ab'eddembe kimu ekifo eky'okuyimirirako mu maaso ga Katonda ng'abaana ab'obulenzi n'ab'obuwala, so si ng'ebintu bya muntu yenna.