1. Baptist History Lesson 29 Baptists and the African American Church

2. I. Slavery in America A.Coming of the slaves 1619 Dutch ship at Jamestown Samuel Sewell The Selling of Joseph John Wolman and the Society of Friends Jonathan Edwards, Jr. (Mt. 7:14) OPPOSITION TO SLAVERY B. EARLY MINISTRY AMONG SLAVES C. OPPOSITION TO EVANGELISM John ElliotCotton Mather 1. No soul; less than human 2. Awkward to have slave as brother 3. Couldn’t work on Sabbath! 4. “Free in Christ” equals “free man”

3. D. CONVERSION OF THE SLAVES 1. First Great Awakening Samuel Davies George Whitefield “He prayed that grace in ev’ry heart might dwell, He longed to see America excell: Take him, ye Africans, he longs for you, ‘Impartial Savior’ is his title due; Washed in the fountain of redeeming blood, You shall be sons, and kings, and priests to God.” “Nearly 50 Negroes came to give me thanks for what God had done to their souls” Phillis Wheatley

4. “Through Whitefield’s preaching... The slaves were given the resources for constructing their own slave religion in evangelical terms that eventually led to the creation of an autonomous black church” Dr. David Calhoun Preaching Spirituals Late 18 th and early 19 th centuries “The Dawn of a New Day” How did this happen? Carter Woodson “The History of the Black Church”

5. II. White Missions to Blacks Charles C. Jones “The Apostle to the Negro Slaves” “The religious instruction of our servants is a duty. Any man with a conscience may be made to feel it. It can be discharged…it must be discharged” (emphasis author)

6. John Girardeau (1825-1898) Zion Presbyterian Church How do we sum up our views of the white Southern preacher? 1,000 black members 250 white members

7. III. The Invisible Institution ‘the secret black church in the South’ Albert Raboteau “White fo’ks have deir servic in de mornin’, an’ de (negroes) have deirs in de evenin’, a’ter dey clean up, wash de dishes, an’ look a’ter everything….Ya’ see (negroes), lack (like) ta shout a whole lot, an’ wid de white fo’ks al’round ‘em, dey couldn’t shout jes’ lack dey want to” Sarah Fitzpatrick, Alabama slave Private “hush meetings” Public camp meetings Greatest gift:Spirituals

8. IV. Black Baptist Churches in the South George Liele (c. 1750-1825/28) Silver Bluff, SC 1773/74 First African American Baptist Church, Savannah 1778

9. SavannahFirst African Baptist Church 1783Moves to Jamaica Ethiopian Baptist Church

10. Andrew Bryan (1737-1812)

11. John C Jasper (1812-1901) Richmond - 1815 African American Missionary Society 1821 – Colin Teague & Lott Carey to Liberia

12. V. Methodist/Richard Allen (1760-1831) Bethel M. E. Church, 1794 1815 – African Methodist Episcopal Church Daniel Payne (1811-1893)

13. Lemuel Haynes (1753-1833) “When Paul and Barnabas were preaching at Antioch, as many as were ordained to eternal life believed….All the encouragement fro a minister to preach among a people, so far as the salvation of souls ought to be a motive, is the doctrine of election”

14. The African American Church after the War “From the balcony To the floor, Then out the door” African Americans became leaders of their own churches 1865 – formation of first black state convention in NC Influence of Freedman’s Fund – established 32 colleges by 1894 1865 – Shaw University, Raleigh Church model in the South 90% Negro population prior to WWI Pastor had little education but most in community “Christianity answered to deeply felt needs of a people for whom emancipation had been a less than glorious boon” Sydney Ahlstrom, pg 711

15. African American Baptist Denominations 1895 – Atlanta: The National Baptist Convention 1897 – Lott Carey Baptist Home & Missionary Society 1915 - The National Baptist Convention of America E. C. Morris (1855-1922) R. H. Boyd (1843-1922)

16. Condition of the African American Church 20 th Century - oppressed 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education Social progressive called for end of segregation – NAACP (1909) 1955 – Rosa Parks; Montgomery Bus Boycott Martin Luther King, Jr (1929-1968) ‘Letter From a Birmingham Jail” ‘Shallow understanding from a people of goodwill is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejections’ 1961 – Progressive National Baptist ConventionTHEOLOGY

17. White Baptist and Civil Rights SBC leadership pressed for a resolution affirming Brown vs. Board of Education Some prominent leaders opposed integration WMU pushed for integration 1961 – MLK, Jr invited to speak at SBTS 1970’s - Walls of segregation finally breaking down 1968 – “The Church of the Open Door” W. A. Criswell (1909-2002) 1995 – SBC officially repents for racism

18. Where are we today? Increase understanding of evangelical theology Definite movement to the Doctrines of Grace Glory Road: The Journey of 10 African Americans Into Reformed Christianity Thabiti Anyabwile Dr. Tony Evans “The Urban Alternative” Louis Love, Thabiti Anyabwile, Anthony Carter & Hensworth W.C. Jonas Eric Mason: Epiphany Fellowship Church - Philly

19. YouTube - Shai Linne - My Portion East Caribbean Baptist Mission:Home Dr. Hensworth W. C. Jonas Central Baptist Church - Antiqua