Researching Peter Spencer

Peter Spencer (1782–1843) was an American freedman who in 1813 founded the Union Church of Africans in Wilmington, Delaware. The denomination is now known as the African Union First Colored Methodist Protestant Church and Connection, or A.U.M.P. Church for short. Born into slavery in 1782 in Kent County, Maryland, Spencer was freed after his master died, by the terms of his will.

Spencer moved north to Wilmington, which had a large free black population. He contributed to the development of the free Africa-American community in this city. There he founded the Union Church of Africans in 1813. (This followed the 1793 establishment in Philadelphia of the African Methodist Episcopal Church by Richard Allen, which was the first independent black church. It had ties to the Methodist Episcopal Church until 1816, when several congregations formed it as a denomination, electing Allen as bishop.

In 1814, Spencer called for the first annual gathering of the Union Church, an event now known as the Big August Quarterly. This has drawn members of this denomination and their descendants together in an annual religious and cultural festival, which continues to be held in the early 21st century.

Thomas Garrett, a Quaker in Wilmington who was an abolitionist and active in the Underground Railroad as a “conductor” of refugee slaves, helped Spencer buy land to build the Mother Church on French Street in Wilmington. Over the course of his lifetime, Spencer began 31 churches, nearly all of them with schools. He became known as the “father of the independent black church movement.”

He played for Western Australia in the 1979 Perth State of Origin Carnival, before moving to Victoria to play for the Kangaroos in 1981 and 1982. His first season in the VFL was impressive, playing nineteen games and kicking the third most goals for the Kangaroos with 26, but injuries restricted him to only five games in 1982.

Spencer returned to Western Australia in 1983, but after two seasons with East Perth switched to Subiaco. After 21 games with the Lions it was clear his style was antagonistic to the philosophies of coach Bunton, and Spencer applied along with Derek Kickett for a clearance to Claremont. At first the WAFL denied these applications, but on 21 May Spencer won his clearance – though he was recruited mainly to stiffen Claremont's reserves and played only two senior matches for the Tigers.

In 1987 he had one last season with the Royals, but injuries meant he had to play with headgear and padding all through – though he retired on a high note with a best afield effort as the Royals avoided the wooden spoon by downing .

He was inducted into the West Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2007.

He is the son of former East Perth player Jim Spencer and is currently a sports commentator with the ABC. He is an old boy of Aquinas College, Perth.