[1] The church was established in 1872 under the sponsorship of Biddy Mason, an African American nurse and a California real estate entrepreneur and philanthropist, and her son-in-law Charles Owens.

[5] In 1993 Federal authorities unearthed an alleged plot by young men associated with the "Fourth Reich Skinheads" to attack the First AME Church.

In 2008 Hunter entered into a repayment plan to pay for tax obligations, family vacations, clothes and jewelry purchased with church funds.

[16] In the 80's and 90's, the church created 40 task forces concerned with health, substance abuse, homelessness, emergency food and clothing, housing, training, employment and so on.

[8][17] In December 1989 city officials including Mayor Tom Bradley and First AME leaders broke ground for FAME Arms, a 40-unit apartment complex for physically disabled, low-income people in Southwest Los Angeles.

[19] In September 2009 the church launched an open-air fresh produce market to bring healthful foods to residents of South Los Angeles.