Black Church Research Paper

Since the arrival of African Americans in this country blacks have always had differing experiences. Consequently, African-Americans have had to forge a self-identity out of what has been passed on to them as fact about their true selves. History has wrought oppression and subjugation to this particular race of people and as a result, certain institutions were formed in order aid African-Americans, culturally, spiritually and economically. The African-American Church has served of one such institution. From the time of slavery, though outlawed, many slaves found ways to congregate and form their own "churches", away from the one-sided and bias lessons about the bible that they were being taught in the white church. The white ministers and

Black religion was no longer regarded as exemplary or special. During a time of growing segregation and violence, some black leaders attempted to counter this perspective seen by whites by embracing the romantic racialist notions that “blacks possessed peculiar gifts.” These gifts being directly connected to the importance of black churches in a time of direct exclusion of blacks from other pieces of society.

Throughout the development of Black Theology and the black church a sensitive topic has risen. Many feel that there is a large amount of sexuality throughout the black church. Four hundreds of years a major discussion raised among people has been the issue of sexuality as well as the black church, furthermore the combined idea of sexuality in the black church. Many theologians as well as philosophers have tried to grasp and place meaning to the connection that exist as well as the problem within sexuality in the black church. Blacks are known as sexual beings so obviously one would assume that there is an association of sexuality in the African church. This idea is even seen in a black church worship experience. In a black worship experience the pastor is seen as a “ministerial Casanova” who sends ambivalent messages to the congregation speaking the ills of adulterous relationships. But then he proceeds to pursue a relationship with one of the congregation members. Many argue that we need to recover erotic uses our black bodies. In the book Sexuality and the Black Church

1. What does the increase of education Among African-American clergy indicate? (Chapter 5) As the results of our survey will show, educational level has been a key variable in determining a pastor’s awareness of social problems in the surrounding community, cooperation with social agencies, attitude toward politics, and awareness of internal problems in church structures (Lincoln, C. Eric, and Lawrence H. Mamiya 130).

While the neo-Pentecostals in the A.M.E. Church had produced enormous church growth, there were severe critics, who resented the threat to traditional worship in an atmosphere of order. In addition, they criticized the spiritual loyalty of many people who tend to view their way as the only way. There is some evidence that the neo-Pentecostal movement also involved Black church denominations, including a few churches in the A.M.E. Zion Church and some middle-class Baptist churches. The challenge that neo-Pentecostalism posed for the Black church is an issue of how to benefit from this church growth and spiritual revitalization without producing a crisis of differences in

As the only white individual entering the church on Sunday I felt extremely out of place and very uncomfortable, at first. Upon entering the church, before I could even find a place to sit, the pastor came to welcome me and showed me a place to sit for the service. The pastor was very kind and so welcoming that my nervousness and worry started to vanish. Once I was seated and more people entered the church, I was treated as if I had always been there and was part of the group. Although I was the minority at the service I did feel very comfortable with my surroundings and with the people in attendance. The whole experience was very interesting and broadened my perspective on the African American culture.

The element of worship has always been an essential part of the Black American culture. Black Americans “are markedly more religious on a variety of measures than the U.S. population as a whole.” 87% of blacks vs. 83% of all Americans affiliated with a religion according to the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, conducted in 2007 by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public

The African Meeting House was used for many purposes during the 1800's that was essential to blacks in Boston and helped the mission of antislavery reformers. The meeting house first served as a church founded by Thomas Paul, an African American preacher, in 1805. The church was named the First African Baptist Church. Although, black Bostonians were able to attend white churches, they faced discrimination and were put in assigned seats in the balconies. The creation of the church gave blacks the opportunity to worship freely away from anti black sentiment. The meeting house was constructed entirely on black labor, but funds were raised in white and black communities. The church was meant to be only attended by the black population , but a

As most western based christian religions in the south, the Pentecostal christians are largely white, however in the video “The Holy Ghost People” a preacher specifically states that it does not matter if they are black, white, male, female, young or old, they are all equal in the eyes of the church and the eyes of god. The Pentecostal christians also have no age requirement for a person to be a worshiper, in the video it depicts images of infants and children of all ages, while they do not participate in the service actively, they are present and avidly viewing everything that is happening.

Nationally, in 1787, blacks broke away from the Methodist Church and in 1815 the African Methodist Episcopal (A. M. E.) Church was founded. By 1846, the A. M. E. Church, had grown to about 300 churches with over 17,000 members. They had 176 clergy.14

In 1816, Richard Allen founded the first African-American led church in the country, the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The African Methodist Episcopal Church was the first major religious denomination in the western world that originated because of sociological and not theological differences. It was the first African-American denomination organized and incorporated in the US. The church was established in what was known as the Blacksmith Shop Meeting House. “By 1786 blacks made up about 10 percent of the Methodist church in the United States, and though whites and blacks often worshiped together, blacks enjoyed no real freedom or equality. Segregated seating was typical; the area reserved for blacks was usually called the “Negro Pew” or the “African Corner.”

African-American religion dealt with life as blacks lived it. It was about pain and sorrow, sin and shortcoming, pardon and joy, praise and thanksgiving, grace and hope. This version of Evangelicalism provided a wonderful benefit; it was able to accomplish great things in their lives that were frequently shouted about. Whether it be through a simple shout during church, or a song sung in the fields Evangelicalism took root among African-Americans. Large numbers underwent conversion, baptism, instruction, worship, and lived the life of a Christian even in face of oppression. Although, the development of their own religious institutions would await Emancipation and the war 's end, there were many thousands of Negro Baptists and Methodists by 1850, which represented what African-American religious culture had grown into.

I jumped at the opportunity to complete the extra credit assignment because of the topic. I have always wanted to attend an African American Baptist Church. I was raised Catholic in a predominantly white community and for the chance to experience something different was appealing. I’ve seen the stereotypes in movies and on TV about what an African American Baptist church looks like but I wanted to experience it myself. I wasn’t sure on what to expect but kept an open mind about the situation.

In my second field experience, I’d decided to go to a Baptist church. However, I did not come from a religious background. Although I am not completely in the dark when it comes to religion I have learn about different religion through friends and books. Therefore, I thought this would be a great opportunity to finally experience a service and put my ignorance aside. Meaning the assumption and expectation I had of church service. Furthermore, it provided me the opportunity to challenge myself and my own biases I have towards going to church. Once I went to church I was surprise to see so many black people, for the first time since I moved too Greensburg, I was actual able to see a room overflowing with individual who looked just like me, my first emotion was excitement and enjoy. Some of my expectation, was something I have learned from my mother. My mother always told me that “black people churches last longer”, with this in mind I was prepare to be there for a long time. However, to my surprise it did not last as long as I’d expected it to. My overall experience, was warming, peaceful and positive.

Hallelujah!! Amen! Preach! are responses heard in many black churches. I have always been a shouter, a runner, a singer, a dancer, one who cries and protest during the heightened celebration of what we called Black Worship. I never thought anything about it, but always understood and accepted by faith that this was God spirit’s interacting and responding with my spirit. We were doing a dance and celebrating together. We were in agreement!!! The creator’s nurture comes near to us and envelope us when we are in spaces of nurture in black churches.