The name “Antioch” was chosen in honor of the city in the scriptures (Acts 11:26) where the disciples were first called Christians. Antioch African Methodist Episcopal Church was the first black church in the city of Decatur. Several faithful Christians established Antioch A.M.E. Church in 1868. In 1874, a one-room building was constructed on Marshall Street in the heart of downtown Decatur. In the early 1930’s the Rev. D. W. Wiggs reorganized the church, laid the plans, and started a new structure – a remarkable feat considering the great depression had taken its toll.