Black Church in America

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Abstract

This paper traces the role of the Black church in American history. The Black church is portrayed as an institution through which Blacks have worked to achieve social, economic, and political equality as well as spiritual guidance and social interaction. In the Colonial era the dominant purpose of having Blacks attend church was to condition them for their life in slavery. Yet after the Revolutionary War, Blacks in the north began to form their own churches to avoid the segregation and discrimination of white churches. Prior to the Civil War, the Black church was slowed considerably by whites fearing the Black church would incite slave revolts. After the Civil War and during the late 19th century, the Black church continued its fight against white discrimination and served as a center for educational activities. Throughout the 20th century, the theme of the Black church has been civil rights for all Blacks. The 1960's and 1970's have seen the church actively increasing community involvement, and social and economic programs for Black Communities. Blacks turned to the church for leadership because they were severely separated from other social, political, and economic areas of American life.

Black Church in America

Introduction

The Black Church in America represents a unique institution through which Blacks have worked to achieve social, economic and political strength. From the Revolutionary War Period to the present era, Blacks have used. the church not only for spiritual guidance and social interaction, but also for an instrument to help guide them to freedom, equality and justice. The church gave Blacks a place in which to release their psychological burdens originating from social, political and economic discrimination placed upon them by a white society. They utilized the church not only for spiritual guidance, but for planning and initiating activities that would help them achieve their full human rights. Therefore, the Black Church seems to be the most important Black institution that continued to grow and prosper despite centuries of abuse and attack upon it and its people by various elements in our society.

Historically, at least, there is universal consensus on the answer to this question: In the past, black churches have been the most vigorous institutions within African-American communities. A long history of persecution and extremely limited opportunities for organizing secular social political and economic organizations has produced black churches which performed functions and tasks beyond those traditionally religious. In addition to being centers of community religious life, black churches historically have been the primary sponsors of secular social services, sources of autonomous indigenous political leadership, and reservoirs of organizational and human resources, especially during the Civil Rights Movement.,

However, the contemporary position of the black church is a more contentious issue. Several sociological observers have argued that the historical institutional centrality of the black church within African-American communities has recently been compromised, especially in urban settings, by increased competition from secular organizations better situated to meet the needs of differentiated urban communities, and by enhanced opportunities for ...