6 African-American Institutions That Have Lasted Over Time

- By

Old Time Religion

Black churches have been a source of spiritual comfort and inspiration for centuries. There’s some debate, however, as to which black church or congregation is the nation’s oldest. There are several churches, which are still thriving, that vie for the title. One of those includes First Baptist Church in Petersburg, VA, which began in Prince George County when black known as the “New Lights” gathered for worship. In 1774, Rev. John Michaels united the members of “New Lights” to form a regular Baptist Church, which was then known as the first African Baptist Church.

However, First African Baptist Church of Savannah, GA claims to have the first black Baptist congregation also. Its history as a congregation dates from 1773, when Baptists licensed a slave named George Leile to preach to other slaves on plantations in Georgia and South Carolina. One of those who were influenced by Leile’s preaching was Andrew Bryan. After Leile migrated to Jamaica in the early 1780s, Bryan took over and led the First African Baptist Church to official recognition with 67 members on Jan. 20, 1788. His congregation built a structure in 1794, calling it the Bryan Street African Baptist Church. By the early 1800s, the congregation renamed itself First African Baptist Church.

In 1787, Richard Allen and Absalom Jones, among others, left Philadelphia’s St. George’s Methodist Episcopal Church after suffering racial discrimination, including having to sit apart from white worshippers. They established the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1793, naming Allen as pastor. Allen eventually sued for the right of his church to exist independently of white Methodists, and won. He then formed the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME Church) in 1816.

Comment Disclaimer: Comments that contain profane or derogatory language, video links or exceed 200 words will require approval by a moderator before appearing in the comment section. XOXO-MN