The Silencing of the Black Church: A Legacy Lost?
October 22, 2011 by Admin
Filed under Church, Ministry Today
This editorial was written
by Michelle R. Peele, a freelance writer and founder of the grassroots organization P.A.S.T.O.R.S.; an entity that focuses on preserving and protecting the legacy of our Shepherds and their Faith Communities. Follow her on Twitter, here.
Some years ago, I had the opportunity to sit in the presence of an incredibly anointed and educated man of God. A scholar and theologian in his own right, this Bishop could exegete and expound on scriptural text like no one I had ever heard or seen. To say the least, his teachings left an indelible mark on me.
A decade or more must have passed when suddenly I started to think about the Bishop and his teachings. With what little information I could remember, I Google’d his name and the name of his church with the hope of being able to purchase a few DVDs and or CDs for my library. You can imagine the surprise I received when I learned that this man of God had passed away and his churches website no longer existed. In fact, I later discovered that the name of the church had been changed all together. Nevertheless, unwilling to accept my find, I scoured the Internet for hours searching for a portal where I could purchase his messages to no avail. I was devastated. Not only had the man of God passed and I was unaware but there was a great possibility that I would never hear that voice of wisdom again.
After a host of unsuccessful searches, I finally accepted the grim reality that I would never find the teachings of this man of God. I resolved to throw in the towel and move on. Yet as I was preparing to end my campaign, just for kicks, I decided to Google the names of a few other well-known evangelists and teachers; names such as Smith Wigglesworth, Kathryn Kuhlman and John G. Lake. Not only did I find their teachings online in great supply but they were also available in some of the world’s largest bookstore chains and online bookstores. Something was clearly wrong. Are the preached messages of Oral Roberts, Gene Scott and Vicki Jamison-Peterson more relevant than the teachings of Dr. E.V. Hill of Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church and Archbishop Wilbert S. McKinnley of Elim International Fellowship? Absolutely not!
As my anger began to kindle concerning yet another injustice plaguing the Black Church, I quickly realized that I was incorrect in my thinking. This was not about race but rather about assuming responsibility for our actions—our legacy. It is unjust, unfair and should not be expected that another should take up our cause but rather that burden must rest upon our shoulders. As Jesus commanded the man lying by the pool of Bethesda in John 5:8; we must “arise, take up our beds and walk.â€
On April 3, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. preached what would be his last sermon; a sermon that some 43 years later can still be heard from coast to coast and continent to continent. Yet has anyone, other than those who were in attendance, heard the last message preached by the late Bishop Walter Hawkins? Pastor Timothy Wright? Dr. Zachery Tims? Does anyone know what final truths they proclaimed; what wisdom they shared? What was their final message from God to the masses?
For the most part, one does not know when they will sing their last song or preach their last sermon. However, we can be proactive in ensuring that their messages of truth are made available to the masses upon their transition. Just as we continue to read the Gospels, the Epistles and the writings of the Major and Minor prophets, the teachings and preached messages of our modern day Shepherds should also be readily available for future generations to glean upon.
The legacy of the Black Church does not have to be lost or silenced. Like other “mainstream†ministries, our messages are equally as important because they were born from a pain and passion that can only be preached, taught and understood from an “experienced perspective.†For this reason alone, we should resolve to band together as one body making sure that the truths that God has spoken through our vessels of honor be perpetuated for generations and decades to come; rendering to them a roadmap of promise of better days and the encouragement to journey on.
Amos 8:11 reads “Behold the days are coming,†says the Lord, “That I will send a famine on the land. Not a famine of bread nor of thirst for water but of hearing the words of the Lord.†Tragically, I fear those days are among us. The famine does not persist because God has stopped speaking. The famine exists and persists because the mouthpieces He is speaking through are slowly being silenced. A blame and a fault that rests not with others but ourselves. A blame and a fault that will continue to rest until we, the Body of Christ, disturb it!
“The sky is falling, the sky is falling…” That’s exactly what this article sounds like…an overly melodramatic, doom and gloom message that does nothing to support its position.
How could the Black Church be silenced when there are hundreds of black preachers that preach the Word every Sunday live, via the internet and DVDs every single week.
While I’m sure it’s true that more black churches need to do a better job of cataloging and preserving their Shepherds’ messages, I do not see how this rises to the level of a “full on” crisis.
A little more research and a little less drama would have made for a much better article.
I don’t think the author had a touch of Chicken Little when she voiced her opinion in this article. It has only been in recent years that the message and the ministries of many black pastors have made it into the mainstream. When many mainstream ministers quote great theologians or ministries, they quote Martin Luther, C.S. Lewis, Oral Roberts, Billy Graham and the like, but rarely are African-American men and women of God quoted. Yes, there are more venues to get the message out for today’s pastors, but efforts should also be made to preserve the past for future generations.
@Phil H: I would agree with you to a point. The black church is becoming better about archiving the messages of their pastors. I would come from the angle of sharing the media even years after death. I love that I could until recently see Bishop G.E. Patterson on BET even after his death. To be honest I didn’t really discover him and his legacy till after his death through friends.
It is one thing to hold the treasure, but then it be comes something greater when it is shared. I wish being a young man that when I get in my car and turn on my radio I could hear the teaches of great deceased pastors of times pasted.
I have gained some much from Dr. King Jr.’s Letter from the Birmingham Jail, but I had never heard of that letter till this year, 2011.
We have to tap into where the young people are giving there attention and infuse the words of our leaders and lead them to this source of information and life. We have to engage them with truth and the words of our church leaders.
Since the 1970s, Judson Press, the publishing ministry of the American Baptist Home Mission Societies, has celebrated the Black church and preserved its many voices. We have a five volume set of “Those Preaching Women,” filled with sermons from African American preachers, a three volume set of “Outstanding Black Sermons,” and a six volume set of the Words of Gardner Taylor. We have also published sermons by Henry and Ella Mitchell. Please pay our site a visit to check out all of these important resources.
@Mel S…You mentioned several people who are regularly quoted or mentioned, but I didn’t see any examples of African American preachers mentioned. While I’m sure there have been great Black preachers and theologians, it seems as if the Black Churche’s legacy has been more documented in the area of gospel music.
I would dare say that the average Black churchgoer could easily rattle off a list of gospel singers and/or choirs from decades ago (not that that’s a bad thing). They would have a much more difficult task, however, listing a single black theologian. (present or past)
Why is that?
@Phil W…(cool first name BTW
) I totally agree with you. We do need to to do better job (as I said previously) at preserving and presenting our spiritual historical record. Maybe we should use our strengths in music to pass on our Black CHurch History. Sounds like a great project for an outstanding medium with reach into the black church to tackle (hint, hint)
@Phil H, lol Thanks. Do we believe that it is easier to market a gospel singer than a black preacher? Black pastor are in the media; the question is do we have enough there and for the right reasons?
I see that many pastors have gained visibility through gospel music, but every pastor can’t go that route.
I really believe that it has to start on the local levels of pastors encouraging the searching of their history. Us hearing and reading the voices of our past, gives us the able to speak into our future. I would really like a certain medium to encourage organizations to help local pastors do this.