Black church facts for kids
The black church (also called Black Christianity or African American Christianity) refers to Christian churches in the United States. These churches mostly serve and are led by African Americans. The term also describes their shared traditions and members. Sometimes, it can mean a single church, even if it belongs to a larger group mostly led by white people.
Black churches first grew in the 1800s. This was a time when slavery and racial segregation were common. Black people wanted places where they could freely express their faith. They also sought their own leaders and a break from unfair treatment in white-led churches. Most black churches are part of African American Protestant groups. Examples include the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) or the Church of God in Christ (COGIC). Some join mostly white Protestant groups or are independent. There are also Black Catholic churches.
Many of the first black churches were started by free black people before 1800. These were in places like Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Savannah, Georgia. The oldest black Baptist church in Kentucky, First African Baptist Church, began around 1790. It was founded by a slave named Peter Durrett. The oldest black Catholic church, St Augustine in New Orleans, was started by free black people in 1841.
After slavery ended, black and white people often worshiped separately. This was especially true in the South. Many black people chose to create their own churches. These new churches developed unique worship styles. They often included traditions from African spiritual practices, like call and response. Black churches became important community centers. They trained leaders, hosted schools, and helped people in need. They also played a key role in the Civil Rights movement.
Contents
History
Slavery
Even before organized black church groups, there were places for black Christians to worship. These were sometimes called praise houses.
In the late 1700s, Baptist and Methodist preachers traveled the South. They spoke directly to slaves, and many converted to Christianity. Black individuals found ways to be active in these new churches. They could become leaders and preachers, especially in Baptist churches. Slaves listened to Bible stories and found hope in tales of freedom. Nat Turner, an enslaved Baptist preacher, was inspired to lead a rebellion against slavery.
Free black people and slaves started the first black Baptist churches before 1800. These were near Petersburg, Virginia, Savannah, Georgia, and Lexington, Kentucky. Peter Durrett, a slave, and his wife founded the First African Church in Lexington, Kentucky, around 1790. By 1815, the church bought its own land. It had about 290 members when Durrett died in 1823.
In St. Louis, John Berry Meachum, a former slave, started holding church services for African Americans in 1817. He founded the First African Baptist Church in 1827. This was the first African-American church west of the Mississippi River. Even with rules against black people meeting, the church grew quickly. Many members were slaves who needed permission from their owners to attend.
After slave revolts in the early 1800s, some states made laws. These laws said black churches could only meet if a white minister was present. Still, black Baptist churches in cities grew fast. Most members were slaves, but free black people often led these churches.
On plantations, slaves created secret churches. These were called "invisible churches" or hush harbors. Here, slaves could mix Christianity with African beliefs. They sang Wesleyan Methodist hymns, gospel songs, and spirituals. These secret churches offered a safe place from the harsh white world. Spirituals were also a secret way to communicate.
Slaves also learned about Christianity from white preachers. Slave owners often held prayer meetings on their plantations. In these settings, white leaders used Bible stories to teach slaves to be loyal and obey their masters. Slaves sometimes started their own schools to study the Bible. Literate slaves, like Frederick Douglass, taught others to read.
Free blacks
Free black people in both northern and southern cities formed their own churches before the late 1700s. They wanted to practice their faith without white control. In Philadelphia, free black churches helped slaves who escaped. They also helped new arrivals settle into city life.
In 1787, the black church movement began in Philadelphia. Black members of St. George's Methodist Church were forced to sit in a separate area. Because of this unfair treatment, preachers Absalom Jones and Richard Allen left the church. They and other black members formed the Free African Society. This group helped the free black community. Later, Jones led many members to create the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas in the Episcopal tradition.
Richard Allen, a Methodist preacher, wanted to stay with the Methodist way. He built a congregation and founded the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME). By 1794, they had their own building for worship. The church's motto was: "To Seek for Ourselves." In 1799, Allen became a Methodist minister. Allen and the AME Church worked against slavery and racism. They also started schools for black children.
Allen saw that other black churches wanted independence too. In 1816, he brought four other black churches together. They formed the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the first fully independent black church group. Allen was chosen as its first bishop. He and Jones, though leading different churches, continued to work together for the black community in Philadelphia.
Petersburg, Virginia had two of the oldest black churches. Both started before 1800. They were First Baptist Church (1774) and Gillfield Baptist Church (1797). These churches grew quickly.
In Savannah, Georgia, a black Baptist church began in 1777. It was started by George Liele, a former slave. After Liele left, Andrew Bryan led what became the First African Baptist Church. By 1800, it had 700 members. By 1830, it grew to over 2,400 members. This church then helped start two new black churches in the city.
By 1850, First African Baptist in Lexington, Kentucky had 1,820 members. This made it the largest church in that state. In 1841, Saint Augustine Catholic Church was founded by the Creole community in New Orleans. This is the oldest black Catholic church in the United States.
Reconstruction
.jpg)
.jpg)
After slavery ended, churches from the North sent people to the South. They helped newly freed slaves, teaching them to read and write. For example, Bishop Daniel Payne of the AME Church went to Charleston, South Carolina in 1865. He helped organize teachers for freed people. In the first year after the war, the AME Church gained 50,000 new members.
By the end of the Reconstruction era, AME churches were all over the South. They had brought in over 250,000 new members. The AME Zion church also gained tens of thousands of members in the South. These two independent black church groups grew the most.
In 1870, black Southern ministers formed the Colored Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church. This was an independent Methodist group. They took their mostly black churches with them. Within three years, they grew from about 40,000 to 67,000 members.
The Church of God, started in 1881, believed that "interracial worship was a sign of the true Church." Both white and black ministers served in their churches. They welcomed people of all races. Church of God members were not stopped by violence and kept their strong belief in equality.
At the same time, black Baptist churches continued to grow. In 1895, church leaders formed the National Baptist Convention. This group brought together three national black Baptist conventions. It is still the largest black religious group in the United States.
After the war, black people wanted to manage their own affairs. They formed black churches, helpful societies, and other groups. Black churches became the main gathering places for black communities. Their quick separation from white churches showed their desire for independence.
Black preachers became important leaders. They encouraged education and economic growth. They often connected the black and white communities. Black churches started the first black schools. They also encouraged people to support these schools and other public services. For many black leaders, churches were always linked to the goal of helping their race move forward.
Civil Rights movement
Black churches played a leading role in the American Civil Rights Movement. They were already centers of strength for the black community. This made them natural leaders in the fight for fairness. They also often served as a bridge between the black and white communities. Famous minister-activists of the 1950s and 1960s included Martin Luther King Jr., Ralph David Abernathy, and Fred Shuttlesworth.
Black Power movement
After Dr. King's death in 1968, Black Catholics began to organize. This led to a "Black Catholic revolution." It brought traditions from the larger (Protestant) Black Church into Black Catholic churches. New groups were formed for Black religious sisters and seminarians. The National Black Catholic Congress was also restarted in 1987. This time saw many more Black priests and the first Black bishops and archbishops.
Black theology
Black theology is a way of thinking about faith based on ideas of black freedom. It started in 1966. A group of 51 black pastors, called the National Committee of Negro Churchmen, published a "Black Power Statement." They used the Bible to support a stronger approach to fighting racism.
James Cone and Dwight Hopkins are considered the main thinkers of this belief system. In 1969, Cone wrote a key book called Black Theology and Black Power. In it, Cone said that black power was not against the Gospel. He believed it was the Gospel's message for America in the 20th century.
In 2008, about a quarter of African-American churches followed this idea of liberation theology. This theology became widely known because of a discussion about Rev. Jeremiah Wright's sermons. He was the former pastor of then-Senator Barack Obama at Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago.
Some scholars see links between the Black church and the modern Black Girl Magic movement. Social media interactions with the "Black Girl Magic" hashtag are seen as a modern way for Black women to connect. They use traditions like sharing stories, call and response, and singing, similar to a "cyber congregation."
Womanist theology
From Black theology came a more female-focused idea called Womanist theology. This was a response to the male-focused nature of Black theology and the white-focused nature of Feminist theology. Important thinkers in this area included Afro-Latino thinkers and Black women. Black Catholic womanists also played a big role.
Politics and social issues
The black church continues to support the African-American community. Compared to other American churches, black churches often focus more on social issues. These include poverty, helping people in prison, and racism. A study in 1996 found that black Christians heard more about health care reform from their pastors than white Christians did.
Most surveys show that black people tend to vote for the Democratic Party. However, members of African-American churches are often more traditional on social issues than white Protestants. Some black churches have been active on LGBT issues. While many black Protestants were against same-sex marriage in 2015, support has grown in later surveys. Some church groups are still talking about these issues. For example, the African Methodist Episcopal Church does not allow its ministers to perform same-sex weddings.
As neighborhood institutions
Black churches can be very important for black neighborhoods. Even if a neighborhood has faced challenges, churches help improve the community. For some African Americans, the faith learned in these churches helps protect them from the difficulties of poverty and racism.
Churches also work to improve the physical parts of a neighborhood. Churches in Harlem have bought and fixed up old buildings. They created new homes for people. Churches have also fought for the right to run their own schools. This is because public schools in many black neighborhoods are often not good enough.
Traditions
Like many Christians, African-American Christians sometimes take part in or watch a Christmas play. Black Nativity by Langston Hughes tells the classic Nativity story with gospel music. These plays can be seen in black theaters and churches across the country. The Three Wise Men are often played by important people from the black community.
The watchnight service is held on New Year's Eve in many Christian churches. It is very popular among African American Christians.
Denominations
Throughout U.S. history, different religious choices and racial separation led to the creation of separate black church groups. Black churches also exist within white church groups.
Methodism (including the holiness movement)
African Americans were drawn to Methodism. This was partly because John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, was against slavery. He also focused on Jesus Christ and helping those who were suffering.
African Methodist Episcopal Church
The first of these churches was the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME). In the late 1700s, Richard Allen, a former slave and Methodist preacher, was an important leader at St. George's Methodist Church in Philadelphia. Allen brought many new black members to St. George's. White members became uncomfortable and made black worshipers sit in a separate area. Because of this unfair treatment, Allen, Absalom Jones, and other black members left St. George's in 1787.
They first created the Free African Society, which helped each other. Later, Jones led many followers to start an Episcopal church. They opened the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas in 1794. Absalom Jones later became the first African-American priest in the Episcopal Church.
Allen stayed with the Methodist way but started a black church. By 1794, he and his followers opened the doors of the all-black Mother Bethel AME Church.
Allen and others wanted more independence from white control in the Methodist Church. In 1816, Allen brought together four other black churches. They formed the African Methodist Episcopal Church as an independent group. This was the first fully independent black church group. Ministers chose Allen as their first bishop.
African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
The African Methodist Episcopal Zion or AME Zion Church also came from the Methodist Episcopal Church. Black members of the John Street Methodist Church in New York City left to form their own church. This happened after they faced clear unfairness from white members. In 1796, black Methodists asked to meet separately. They built Zion chapel in 1800.
In 1820, AME Zion Church members began to separate more from the main Methodist Church. They wanted to have black preachers and elders. This led to a debate about whether black people could be ministers. The debate ended in 1822 with the choosing of Abraham Thompson, Leven Smith, and James Varick. Varick became the first leader (bishop) of the AME Zion church. After the Civil War, this church sent people to the South. They gained thousands of new members who helped shape the church.
Other Methodist groups
- African Union First Colored Methodist Protestant Church and Connection
- Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
- Church of Christ (Holiness) U.S.A.
Baptists
National Baptist Convention
The National Baptist Convention first started in 1880. It was called the Foreign Mission Baptist Convention in Montgomery, Alabama. Its founders, including Elias Camp Morris, believed that preaching the gospel could fix the problems of a separated church. In 1895, Morris moved to Atlanta, Georgia. He founded the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. This group combined three national black conventions.
By 2020, the National Baptist Convention USA, Inc. said it had 8,415,100 members. They were in 21,145 churches around the world. This makes it the largest black religious group in the United States.
Other Baptist denominations
- Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship
- National Baptist Convention of America International, Inc.
- National Missionary Baptist Convention of America
- Progressive National Baptist Convention
Pentecostalism
Church of God in Christ
In 1907, Charles Harrison Mason formed the Church of God in Christ (COGIC). This happened after his Baptist church removed him. Mason was part of the Holiness movement in the late 1800s. In 1906, he visited the Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles. When he returned to Tennessee, he began teaching about the Holiness Pentecostal message.
At a meeting in Memphis, Tennessee, Mason reorganized the Church of God in Christ. It became a Holiness Pentecostal group. The main office of COGIC is Mason Temple in Memphis, Tennessee. This is where Martin Luther King gave his last sermon, "I've Been to the Mountaintop", the day before he was killed.
Other Pentecostal denominations
- United Holy Church of America
- Apostolic Faith Mission
- Apostolic Faith Mission Church of God
- Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith
- Fire Baptized Holiness Church of God of the Americas
- Mount Sinai Holy Church of America
- Pentecostal Assemblies of the World
- United House of Prayer for All People
- United Pentecostal Council of the Assemblies of God, Incorporated
Black Catholicism
Black Catholics have been present in the United States for a long time. Their communities existed before the U.S. was formed, in places like New Orleans and Baltimore. In the early 1800s, Black Catholic religious sisters began forming groups to serve their communities. This started with Mary Elizabeth Lange and Henriette DeLille. They founded the Oblate Sisters of Providence and Sisters of the Holy Family. Later, openly Black priests began to appear, with Fr Augustus Tolton being the first in 1886.
The Society of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart (Josephites) was formed in 1893. This group of priests was specifically tasked with serving African-Americans. They started ordaining Black men right away, though in small numbers. They created and staffed Black churches across the country. Today, they continue to serve in the same way.
After the Civil Rights Movement, new Black Catholic groups were formed. These were for Black priests, sisters, and others. The National Black Catholic Congress was started in 1987. The number of African-American Catholic priests greatly increased. African-American bishops, including archbishops, also began to be appointed.
Wilton Gregory, the first African-American cardinal, was named in 2020.
See also
- African diaspora religions
- Atheism in the African diaspora
- Black sermonic tradition
- Black theology
- Louisiana Black church fires
- Our Lady of Ferguson
- Our Mother of Africa Chapel
- Traditional Black gospel
General:
- Racial segregation of churches in the United States
- Religion in Black America
