First African Baptist Church (Richmond, Virginia)

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First African Baptist Church
Baptist
Websitefirstafricanbaptist.org
History
Founded1841
Clergy
Senior pastor(s)Dr. Rodney D. Waller

The First African Baptist Church of

Protestant churches in the United States.[1]

History

The First African Baptist Church was founded in 1841 by the black members of Richmond's First Baptist Church, along with some of the members of the Second and the Third Baptist Church as well. The

Tidewater region of Virginia before they were hired to businesses in Richmond. Many freedmen traveled from other cities to attend its services, as well.[4]

In 1866

Greek Doric temple design.[6] Many of the white congregations in Richmond used a similar style when constructing their churches.[7]

The First African Baptist Church congregation moved in 1955. The church building was then sold to the

Medical College of Virginia. Some church members characterized the sale as insensitive to the church's contribution to African-American history.[8] The building now holds offices, classrooms, and laboratories.[6]

Attendance

At the time that the congregation split from the First Baptist Church there were approximately one thousand three hundred black members.[9] It soon experienced rapid growth, and by 1861, the services were regularly attended by more than three thousand people.[1] The number of members swelled to four thousand five hundred by 1869.[10] There was a dispute in 1880 which caused over seven hundred members to leave the church. The New York Times wrote that approximately four thousand members remained after the split.[11]

Events

As one of the largest meeting halls in Richmond, it was often rented for white events.[1] Its large interior and prominent location in Richmond made it a sought after venue for events such as concerts and political rallies. The practice of renting the church was controversial among members due to the use of a church for secular events and due to the racial segregation often imposed at the events. The practice continued, however, due in part to the significant income that it provided.[12]

Reconstruction.[3]

Practices

Though it was a Black church from the time of its 1841 separation from the First Baptist Church, it was led by a white minister and a board of thirty black deacons because it was illegal for blacks to preach.[2] Though the majority of the members were slaves in the years before the Civil War, most of the early leaders were freedmen due to greater liberties that they possessed.[14] The first pastor, Robert Ryland, served from 1841 until 1865. Ryland owned slaves and believed that slavery was the best way to convert Africans to Christianity.[1] The church also sent several of its members to Africa as missionaries.[15]

Though Virginia state law did not permit slaves to marry, the church would hold wedding ceremonies for its members. The church allowed slaves to divorce and remarry if their spouse were sold out of state.[1]

Their services were marked by enthusiastic singing and exhortation and were a popular attraction for visitors to Richmond. There was a space located near the pulpit that was reserved for white visitors. Some white residents of Richmond frequently cited the positive tone of services there as proof that their slaves lived happy lives, much to the dismay of their slaves.[16]

Even though it was against state law to teach blacks to read, Ryland published a catechism for members which allowed them to learn to read. This practice caused some controversy, but Ryland defended himself by citing the fact that his lessons emphasized submission to authority.[17] His practice of educating slaves was initially controversial, in part due to a high-profile murder committed by a member of the congregation. Richmond's white churches eventually defused the situation by coming out in support of Ryland's educational programs.[18] Ryland later touted the conservatism of his congregation against those who feared slave rebellions.[19]

Some members were also allowed to occasionally preach from the pews, and some of the lay preachers were purchased from their owners and emancipated with funds raised by the church.[1] It did not gain its first Black senior minister until 1867, however.[6] The first Black man to serve as senior minister was James Holmes, a longtime deacon who was born a slave.[20]

Notable members

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f Leveen, Lois (24 January 2011). "The North of the South". New York Times. Retrieved 27 January 2011.
  2. ^ a b Kimball 2000, p. 126
  3. ^ a b c Richardson 2008, p. 144
  4. ^ Kimball 2000, p. 29
  5. ^ Simmons, William J., and Henry McNeal Turner. Men of Mark: Eminent, Progressive and Rising. GM Rewell & Company, 1887. p666–670
  6. ^ a b c d "First African Baptist Church". Richmond. National Park Service. Retrieved 27 January 2011.
  7. ^ Richardson 2008, p. 145
  8. ^ White, Alvin (28 May 1949). "Historic First Baptist Church Site Wanted by Medical College of Va". Baltimore Afro-American. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
  9. ^ Kimball 2000, p. 70
  10. ^ "The News". The Guernsey Times. Cambridge, Ohio. 5 August 1869. Retrieved 27 January 2011.
  11. ^ "Churches and Ministers, Home and Foreign Events" (PDF). New York Times. 8 August 1880. Retrieved 27 January 2011.
  12. ^ a b Kimball 2000, p. 45
  13. ^ Furgurson 1996, p. 292
  14. ^ Kimball 2000, p. 127
  15. ^ Kimball 2000, p. 145
  16. ^ Kimball 2000, p. 51
  17. ^ Kimball 2000, p. 68
  18. ^ Kimball 2000, p. 67
  19. ^ Kimball 2000, p. 248
  20. ^ Kimball 2000, p. 258
  21. ^ Kneebone, John T.; Dictionary of Virginia Biography (27 August 2015). "Lucy Goode Brooks (1818–1900)". Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, Charlottesville, Virginia: Encyclopedia Virginia. Retrieved 4 December 2015.

Bibliography

  • Furgurson, Ernest (1996), Ashes of Glory: Richmond at War (2 ed.), New York: Vintage Books,
    ISBN 978-0-679-74660-7
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