10 Years from Slavery

From sharecropper's son to religious pioneer, William Edward Fuller Sr.'s extraordinary journey began just ten years after the end of slavery. This intimate family memoir, written by his grandchildren Bishop Andy C. Lewter, Rosalyn Lewter Aaron, and Tonya Lewter Gordon, offers a remarkable window into a transformative era of American history through the eyes of those who lived it.

Born in 1875 in South Carolina during the tumultuous Reconstruction period, Fuller rose from humble origins to found the Fire Baptized Holiness Church of God of the Americas, building a religious movement that would spread across North America and the Caribbean. His story unfolds through cherished family memories passed down by his daughters, Emma Ruth Fuller Lewter and Betty Louise Fuller Taylor, revealing not just a religious leader but a visionary entrepreneur who understood that true freedom required both spiritual renewal and economic independence.

This compelling narrative takes readers from Fuller's childhood marked by tragedy and resilience to his emergence as a pioneering Black bishop who championed women's leadership in ministry decades before it became common practice. Journey to Atlanta's historic "Bishop's Row," where Fuller's fourteen-room yellow brick Georgian house stood as testament to his remarkable success and witnessed gatherings of the era's most influential Black religious leaders. Discover how his former home later became a "Freedom House" during the Civil Rights Movement, providing shelter to SNCC activists working for racial equality.

"Ten Years from Slavery" illuminates how one man's unwavering faith, business acumen, and organizational genius created institutions that empowered African Americans through education, property ownership, and spiritual community during the darkest days of Jim Crow. This meticulously researched family history offers profound insights into how Black religious leadership helped shape the struggle for civil rights and economic justice in America.

A powerful testament to faith, resilience, and vision that continues to inspire generations.