Go Tell It On The Mountain

Black Churches were extremely importan to African Americans from the years of slavery to this very day. Although attending them was difficult for blacks, they became the core of African American communities. “The biracial churches the Awakening spawned had never embraced African Americans on an equal basis with white people, and as time passed, white people denied black people significant influence in church governance” (pg. 101). Richard Allen and Absalom Jones would lead a movement and gain permission to use a church at evening times to preach to blacks. They would be forced out and need to establish a church of their own. White leaders would try to take over control of Mother Bethel congregation until 1816. This resulted “Mother Bethel becoming the birthplace of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME)” (pg.

“Roll, Jordan, Roll”, “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Had”, “Go Down, Moses”, and “Wade in the Water” are the titles of only a handful of what were called “Negro Spirituals”, which originated during the reign of slavery in the United States (Frey). Such spirituals used call-and-response, a method of communication that was popular with slaves who brought African traditions to America, and gave way to the gospel music and unique form of preaching characteristic to the Black Church. The history of the Black Church, which began during the slave era, demonstrates the way that African Americans found refuge in Christianity, where the church became the center for African American communities (Baer). Born out of struggle and oppression, the Black Church not only became the focus for the religious practices of African American communities, but also worked to “re-member” the community through rituals such as that of call-and-response, a core element of the Black Church which served as a powerful tool for the African American community in the fight for the exercise of true freedom in America.

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.

What ministry types are present within the Black Urban Church that may not take place in the Black Rural Church setting? (Chapter 6) The present picture of black urban churches is a complicated, mixed picture of some effects of privatization among unchurched sectors of the black population, and the withdrawal of some black churches into a sphere of personal piety and religiosity; but there are also numerous signs of a continuing tradition of activism and involvement in the political, economic, educational, and cultural aspects of black life among the majority of black clergy and churches (Lincoln, C. Eric, and Lawrence H. Mamiya

Culturally speaking observing the worship service demonstrated just how important of a role religion is for African Americans. There seemed to be a lot of focus on social

It gives one a close glimpse at what exactly kept them going strong in this period of mistreatment, and just how they were so spiritually strong even at their weakest physically. It was said to be that African-Americans established this “invisible institution” through signals, passwords, and other things. It was here in Church where they mixed their African rhythms, sang, and praised God.

Bell and H.A. Goss issued a call to convene a general council of “all Pentecostal saints and Church Of God In Christ followers,” to meet the following April at Hot Springs, Arkansas. This invitation went only to the white saints.

And upon this ground our ….. and in short is totally repugnant to the idea of being born slaves.” Furthermore, many African Americans were very religious. After the civil war and even during it, many African Americans started their own churches separate to the churches that the whites went to. Reverend Mr. Gloucester, an African American, was a minister at a Presbyterian Church who had “friends of religion and of the poor Africans in Philadelphia subscribed liberally towards building him a church” (Document

Not to be outdone were the Louisiana Baptist which were evangelizing whites and Negroes all over the

When churches were built the former slaves were eager to go to them and build them. This was the most important institution. Churches played a very important role in the African Americans. They had always gone to white churches or had to hide their own secret services. Black churches grew quickly. Many

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.

Due to the darker pigment of her skin, Maya was automatically forced to a category of outsiders. During this time and in the past African Americans held on to Christianity because it gives them hope and God believes in equality and this is what they want out of the world. So yeah it is a custom that African Americans are drawn to Christianity as their religion and it is passed down from generation to generation. Maya and her story is a great example her race helps her find Christianity faster because her culture was accustomed to believing in better to come and this religion help settle what was going on around her. In the bible, it talks about the good to come and since things for African Americans was not going so well her on earth the put all their hopes in things to come with Christ, the suffering that Maya went through forced her to Christianity because she believed in the hope it offered her. “I found that I knew not only that there was God but that I was a child of God, when I understood that, when I comprehended that, more than that, when I internalized that, ingested that, I became courageous” (Angelou). Aside from using religion for her problems she used it as a stepping stool to defy the odds, the odds of being an African American and the odds of being women and made history and followed her dreams despite the

Gabriel becomes distraught at the revelation of her statement.  Joyce describes Gabriel's anguished state, "Generous tears filled Gabriel's eyes.  He had never felt like that himself towards any woman, but he knew that such a feeling must be love" (Joyce 182).  Gabriel is perplexed as to why, if Gretta loves him so much, she still possesses memories of her first love.  He also wonders why this important detail of Gretta's life was not brought to his attention at an earlier point.  Gabriel's recognition that he has been excluded from what he believes to be the deepest experience of Gretta's life now becomes the deepest experience of his life.  Gretta's reaction to his questions about her first love causes Gabriel to become overwhelmed by Michael Furey's control over him.

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.