by Minister Derrick Holmes
As we take time this month to celebrate Black History and the African-American role in the development of this country, I want to take a moment to focus in on the most integral component of that movement, the Black Church. It is impossible to talk about black history without talking about the part that the Black Church has played in it. Unknown and unappreciated by many is the role that the organized members of the household of faith played in changing the social landscape of America. The Black Church arises as a byproduct of the reality of racism in America. Prevented from worship with our white counterparts, we worshipped God with one another. And from there, the Black Church has always been significant. In the 25th chapter of the book of Genesis, we find a very familiar tale. The story of two brothers: Esau & Jacob. The Bible tells us that Esau, returning home famished from laboring in the fields, begged Jacob to give him some of the stew that he had just prepared. Jacob, jealous of the favor and royalty that Esau had been born into, offered to give Esau a bowl of stew in exchange for his birthright. Esau foolishly agrees to his brother’s proposal and barters his birthright for something uneven in worth. Even deeper, Esau values his personal position more than the legacy he is not only born into but privileged to be a part of.
The historical context for the Watch Night services that are currently held around the country on New Year’s Eve is found in the beginnings of the Black Church. In the 1800’s, slaves and freeman were gathered in churches on New Year’s Eve praying together while awaiting the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.
The Montgomery Improvement Association that later started the Montgomery bus boycott back in 1955 was not the brainchild of an elected official or government agency, but rather the product of community churches coming together and organizing strategic ways to mobilize people and speak out against racial injustice in the Jim Crow south.
In the 50’s & 60’s, the Black Church was not only a place for praise and worship but also a bulletin board for the African-American community; a center of political activism. Not only Martin Luther King Jr, but also Ralph Abernathy, CT Vivian, Fred Shuttlesworth, Bernard Lee, Otis Moss Jr., Andrew Young, Joseph Lowery, Gardner C. Taylor and a host of others find the beginnings of their national influence in the black churches they preached in on Sunday morning.
The Black Church has always represented the spiritual and moral foundation for the United States; allowing the Love of God that overflowed in their churches to spill over in our communities. So as we celebrate another Black History month, crediting those brightest among our people, we must be certain to give credit to that which has always been the backbone of our community & the conscience of our country, the Black Church. The Black Church is literally founded fighting for freedom. Seeking to establish our spiritual and social identity. And in times such as these, where many work to make a minimum wage lower than the living wage in our country…where brothers & sisters are still violently victimized because of the color of their skin…where many in power are more concerned with economics than ethics, if we choose not to re-embrace the history that the church is steeped in and cease to fight for freedom, then we have saddeningly sold our birthright just as Esau did to Jacob centuries ago.
It is impossible to talk about Black History without talking about the Black Church. And this month, we ought to take time to celebrate her and all God has done for our people through her. But, as we celebrate her, we must also see this time as a call to arms; a reminder of whom we are accountable to. We are accountable to the God we serve and of all of His children who we are charged to introduce Christ to. Knowing what legacy was left to us, this month, we must ask ourselves: what is the legacy will we leave behind?