‘God of Our Weary Years, God of Our Silent Tears’
I was glad when they said unto me…let’s go to church. (paraphrase of Psalm 122:1.)
The effect, influence, and impact of the Black Church simply cannot be overstated in the life, struggle, and history of African Americans. Obviously, we’re not going to cover the breadth of the Black Church in a single or even a series of blog posts. However, if you wish, here's an excellent podcast on what the Black Church can teach the rest of American Christianity.
While there is some dispute, the Black Church’s journey in America began with the First African Baptist Church of Savannah, GA.
According to their website, First African Baptist was organized in 1773 under the leadership of Rev. George Leile. Its story of faith, persistence, and dependence on God’s promise and power is truly inspiring. You can read some of their stories here.
In some ways, the factors that necessitated a Black Church were instrumental in shaping the church's life, ministry, and activism. We might even say that given the crushing burden of systematic racism, gathering each Lord’s Day to pour out our praise, collectively cry out to God for deliverance, and offer mutual support was an act of protest itself. Though at times the protest broke out into the open.
Image of stained glass in First African Baptist by TripAdvisor.
Such is the case with the creation of the African Methodist Episcopal Church under the leadership of Bishop Richard Allen and Absalom Jones. Faced with racism in the north (Philadelphia). It began when officials at St. George’s MEC pulled blacks off their knees while praying, indicating to them just how far American Methodists would go to enforce racial discrimination against African Americans. This moved Bishop Jones to lead a mass walkout from St. George’s and the eventual start of the AME in Philadelphia.
The spirit of protest and advocacy for justice continued even to the point of Black denominations being formed from existing Black churches. The Progressive National Baptist Convention began at the Zion Baptist Church in Cincinnati, OH in Nov. 1961. The PNBC grew out of a split with the existing National Baptist Convention USA over the church’s stance regarding Civil Rights and other issues. You can read more about them here.
The birth of the PNBC sheds light on how African Americans differed in our approach to Civil Rights. Many believed the church should stick to ‘spiritual’ issues and take a more conservative approach to Civil Rights. Others, such as those who began the PNBC favored a more active, church-based engagement. We shouldn’t be surprised then when African Americans differ on the best and most effective ways to challenge our present moment.
That’s not to say Black churches refused attempts at genuine unity and racial integration. The Spirit-filled congregations of the Church of God in Christ. COGIC began in November of 1907 by Bishop C.H. Mason. You can read more about them here.
COGIC (Church of God in Christ) is unique among our historic African-American denominations in that it began as an integrated church. Bishop Mason licensed and ordained both African-American and white ministers. This included having a white minister serve as the first general secretary of COGIC.
However, in 1914 a group of white ministers met and determined to separate from COGIC. They went on to eventually begin the Assemblies of God. Nevertheless, COGIC continued to grow and become one of the most influential denominations in America. It was at a COGIC congregation that I was first exposed to faith.
Holy Temple COGIC was first served by Bishop O.T. Jones Sr., one of the original bishops consecrated by Dad Mason, and then by his son, Bishop O.T. Jones Jr. It was the church my grandmother, Idell Taylor belonged to and the very first church I remember attending. There is no way I’d be where I am today as a man and minister without the ministry of Holy Temple.
A line in the anthem Lift Every Voice and Sing reads, “God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, Thou who hast brought us thus far on the way.”
Throughout our darkest times in America, the living God used the Black church to sustain us in our weary years, hear our silent tears, and be especially present with us as we journeyed toward on our way. In doing so, He used the Black Church to present the clearest, most biblical picture of the church America has ever seen.
It was the Black Church that taught America how to affirm the humanity of both Black and White people during the Civil Rights Movement. Moreover, it was the Black Church that showed America how God works to change an entire society by relying on the teachings and character of our Lord Jesus Christ.