Domestic Mission Board Research Paper

After the Civil War, African Amerians organized their own churches and religious denominations. “The church was integral to the lives of most black people. It fulfilled spiritual needs through sermons and music” (pg. 319). These churches would also help the sick, the bereaved, and those in need when they didn’t even have the money to spare. “The church service itself was the most important aspect of religious life for most black congregations” (319).

Every Sunday my mother would force me into my church dress with the itchy lace, and white ankle-socks with the big, puff bow. We would walk into St. John A.M.E. Church and sit in age-old pews, singing Negro Spirituals that I had not yet learned to appreciate. Growing up, church consisted of sermons, praise, and family. For years I would automatically participate in the church activities and youth-group service projects, taking the many lectures about education a grain of salt. However, I never understood the true meaning of service and the importance of education until I learned about the history of Huntsville, Alabama. The founder of St. John African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church, and the founder of Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University (AAMU), William Hooper Councill, truly exemplified what it meant to serve his community.

In my experience at first progressive Baptist Church I was very much out of my comfort zone because not only did I not feel as welcomed but it was a little awkward because of all the looks I was receiving. I felt I was not dressed as they were and felt as if I didn't fit in and right away I just didn't feel appropriate with my attire. While I was there I actually had people wanting to shake hands and asking me questions about me coming and there was one man who just stared at me and so it was uncomfortable and didn't know how to react. While I was there I started to notice that there is a little difference from the church I go to and the music was way different as well, everyone will talk back with amen or thank you Jesus. The difference

Into the Pulpit: Southern Baptist Women and Power Since World War II, by Elizabeth Flowers, as the title suggest, is a historical account of women and their treatment in the Southern Baptist Convention from the mid 1940’s to present. Flower’s work revolves much around the well accounted for story of the SBC conflicts of the late 20th century, however, providing the often untold story of women in ministry and particularly their mistreatment. The book is broken up chronologically, chapter one and two begin with years leading to the struggle, 1945-1978. Chapter three revolves around the years entering the struggle for women in ministry, 1979 to 1984. Chapter four and five deal with the years of turmoil and destruction within the SBC, and

Existing in this book are fifteen essays, all written by Flynt, and all are relative to the South, religion, and diversity. His essays review southern history, politics, southern regionalism, evangelicalism, traditionalism, fundamentalism, social history, labor history, two case studies; one on the Southern Baptists in Appalachia and of modernization and community; the second one of twentieth-century politics and religion in Florida. Asserts the complexity of social issues and the reforms Baptists felt were necessary to change. He expounds a minister’s battle within a church to not display the American flag because of the death involved behind it and to not be willing for his church life to be separated from his personal convictions. Flynt

There were certain events that had occurred in Philadelphia and Baltimore prior to 1816 supporting the association of what was called colored Methodists into a self-governing society that had obviously extended to Charleston, S. C. Despite the fact that Richard Allen and Daniel Coker regulated the movements in Philadelphia and Baltimore, Morris Brown carried out one in Charleston. In the previous dwelling it assumed form in 1817-18. At this stage the organizations add up to about one thousand. In 1822 the amount had enlarged to nearly three thousand. Connected with Morris Brown in the work of the party were Henry Drayton, Charles Carr, Amos Cruickshank, Marcus Brown, Stewart Simpson, Harry Bull, John B. Matthews, James Eden, London Turpin, and Aleck Houlston. They secured a lot which they constructed a spacious but modest house of worship. They also possessed their own "field of graves," which is referred to as a burial-ground. They were really overjoyed over their achievement to worship God under their own vine and fig-tree. Their jubilation, however, was brief.

In 1882 Sophia Packard and Harriet Giles were joined by two teachers who were commissioned by the Woman’s American Baptist Home Mission Society (WABHMS). In the same year, Packard and Giles received the biggest single individual contribution from John D. Rockefeller who pledged $250 to the school. Mr. Rockefeller asked the women if they were serious about their mission and if they are going

Pastor Fred Dyess had retired after serving as pastor for thirty years and Director of Missions for the Baptist Association of Greater New Orleans for fourteen years. The Lord called him out of retirement to start a new church. Bro. Fred checked with the Eastern Louisiana Baptist Association Director of Missions, David Brown, to learn what areas the association had targeted for a new church and what was needed. He was told that the Louisiana Baptist Convention required a new church to have a sponsoring church. Dr. Roger Dunlap and Macedonia Baptist Church gladly voted to be our sponsoring church. The Louisiana Baptist Convention and the Eastern Louisiana Baptist Association each gave Victory a budget supplement of $500 per month decreasing

Because my family is Baptist I have a Baptist legacy that goes back to my grandfather he was a Baptist from early ages I have heard him tell many stories of attending church at First Baptist Church of Blue Ridge Georgia. The legacy of the southern Baptist convention is often spoken often my family. Both my father and grandfather are southern Baptist ministers to this day both graduates of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and both hold the Convention in high regard. I have to take into consideration my family’s option of the Convention if I am to get a clear picture of how I view the Southern Baptist

Peter Randolph, too, presented the durable linkage between African-Americans, especially during slavery. Their alliance was characterized by creating the so called, “plantation churches” whenever they could not attend the actual church services. By doing so, they could simply gather together, remember their traditions, dance, sing, recite their prayers, sorrows or play banjo. All those familiar activities were helping them hold on to their culture, refine their identity and avoid the “Social Death” or “Cultural Genocide” they were subjected to. Similarly, creating the AME Church, along with following churches, such as the Ethiopian Church of Jesus Christ, was a method of showing to the society that the African history and beliefs are not forgotten.

Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) founded in 1845 at Augusta, Georgia, is the largest Protestant denomination in the United States. The name itself tells us the geographical location of where the most number of these churches were founded. Although primarily found in the southern region of the United States, in recent years they have expanded to all regions of the country. “Due to its expansion their annual convention has been held in cities outside of the southern area, therefore giving the name “Southern” a large misconception” (Mead, Hill, & Atwood, 2001, p. 64)

While conducting research, Lemuel Haynes was found to be one of the most influential African-American religious leaders that argued against slavery. Sidwell, (1999) stated that ?To the late twentieth century, when Christians vigorously debate the question of racial reconciliation and how to achieve it,?Lemuel?Haynes?represents a significant symbolic ?first?, the first black pastor of a white congregation?. Lemuel Haynes was the illegitimate son of a black father and a white mother. ?Haynes?grew up as an indentured servant to the Rose family in Massachusetts. An indentured servant is men and women who signed a contract or covenant by which they agreed to work for a certain number of years in exchange for transportation to Virginia and, once they arrived, they received food, clothing, and shelter. The Rose family gave him an education and treated him like one of their own children. After the end of his period of indenture, he served in the Continental Army during the Revolution, with the support and encouragement of the Roses and others; he was ordained to the ministry (Sidwell, 1999). The following essay will discuss his legacy and contributions to society.

“The number of blacks who received religious instruction in antebellum white churches is significant because the church was the only institution other than the plantation which played a major role in acculturating the slave “(Blassingame, The Slave Community, p. 98). African Americans found their strength in the church, because they secretly met outside of the church in invisible churches to discuss freedom, liberty, and how god is judging against the slave-owners. The church offered a sanctuary against the harsh realities of the plantation and allowed them to connect with one another and gain

that freed slaves during the mid-19th century. Baquaqua’s story provides evidence of the important role of the American Free Baptist Movement providing educational, financial, and transportation assistance to Baquaqua in order to escape the bonds of slavery. The role of Mr. Jones and R. Mr. Judd provide accurate examples of the influence of the Baptist faith on Baquaqua, which inspired him to convert to Christianity in Haiti. However, the implicit bias of “Christian influence” on Baquaqua may be questionable during his stay in New York and Boston, yet the more concrete example of R. Mr. Judd’s influence on Baquaqua seems to confirm the conversion process as part of the liberation of Baquaqua from slavery during this time of his life. In this manner, evidence taken from the primary source of Baquaqua’s narrative provides a deeper understanding of the impact of Christian abolitionist movements in the liberation and freedom of former slaves during the 19th century.

Think about the poverty and problems that all countries around the world are facing today and every day. As Americans we have an urge to go into these countries to help as much as possible because of that we have begun a revolution. Americans began going on mission trips around the 1960s but did not really pick up until the 1990s. The trend grew after multiple natural disasters, Americans saw and need and went, since then short term mission trips show no sign stopping anytime soon. As the popularity of leaving our comfort zones, many people have found issues with the way the trips are led to the extent of questioning whether or not these trips are really worth the amount of money and time that they consume. Through periodicals, interviews, narratives, and articles, I will show the issues and improvements that could be made to the living situations, attitude of the Americans, and relationships that are acquired during the short term mission trips.