William Paul Quinn, the fourth Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, was born on April 10, 1788 in Calcutta, India.

Quinn was admitted to the conference in 1816. He was ordained a deacon in 1818 and ordained an elder in 1838. He was present at the organization of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1816.

Bishop Quinn pastored in Gouldtown, Springtown and Salem Churches in New Jersey. He also pastored in Pennsylvania and Illinois. He did monumental work as a great missionary: preaching, traveling and organizing churches in the "Western Mission".


He defied slavery and organized churches in Missouri and Kentucky. When he submitted his report on the churches he established, the General Conference at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania elected him a Bishop on May 19 1844.

Bishop Quinn presided over the General Conference in 1848. He delivered at that conference a written Episcopal address for the first time in any conference. He became the Senior Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church May 9, 1849, after the death of Bishop Morris Brown and remained the Senior Bishop of the church until his death in Richmond, Indiana, February 3, 1873. Quinn served as the Senior Bishop for 24 years and 8 months, the longest term a Senior Bishop had served up to that time.

Bishop Quinn was married to Mary Jane Quinn