The History of Black Americans and the Black Church

As many of you know, the church and religion has played and continues to play a big role in the African-American community. Yet, many of us who grew up in the traditional black church do not have an understanding of how our faith evolved under the duress of slavery and discrimination to be and to represent what it does today. The purpose of this broadcast is to provide that background knowledge while also pointing out the dividing line between what is just tradition and true faith in Jesus Christ.

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The History of Black Americans and the Black Church #88

Gospel Light Society Podcasts · The History of Black Americans and the Black Church #88 with Daniel Whyte III

This is Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International, with episode #88 of the The History of Black Americans and the Black Church podcast.

Our Scripture Verse for today is Ephesians 2:19-20 which reads: “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;”

Our History of Black Americans and the Black Church quote for today is from Lee June, a professor at Michigan State University and the author of the book, “Yet With A Steady Beat: The Black Church through a Psychological and Biblical Lens.” He writes, “To realize its full potential, the church must be ministry-centered and teaching-oriented, emphasizing development and disciplining of men and women, focusing on its own survival as well as helping others. In an attempt to meet the broad range of needs in the congregation, they must be welcoming and open to utilizing the skills of everyone, including “professionals.” Furthermore, the church would be wise to offer a variety of workshops, institutes, etc., to promote training and advancement on an ongoing basis. The harvest truly remains ripe. Will those who claim membership in the “church” be workers/”ministers”? That is the question.”

In this podcast, we are using as our texts: From Slavery to Freedom, by John Hope Franklin, The Negro Church in America by E. Franklin Frazier, and The Black Church In The U.S. by William A. Banks.

Our first topic for today is titled “That All May Be Free, Part 6: Blacks Fighting for American Independence, Part 1” from the book, “From Slavery to Freedom” by John Hope Franklin.

From the beginning of hostilities in 1775, the question of arming blacks, slave and free, consistently plagued the patriots who most of the time had trouble enough without this aggravating situation. The fear of slave insurrections had caused the colonists to exclude blacks from militia service even in Massachusetts in 1656, and in Connecticut in 1660. Despite this exclusion, blacks frequently participated in wars against the French and the Indians, thus developing a tradition of military service that was alive at the time of the War for Independence. As early as the battles of Lexington and Concord in April 1775, blacks took up arms against the British, and their presence at subsequent battles in the spring and summer of that eventful year is an important part of the military history of the struggle.

In May 1775, the Committee on Safety–commonly known as the Hancock and Warren Committee–took up the matter of the use of blacks in the armed forces and came to the significant conclusion that only freemen should be used since the use of slaves would be “inconsistent with the principles that are to be supported.” It is doubtful that this policy was adhered to, for evidently slaves, as well as free blacks, fought in the Battle of Bunker Hill. Furthermore, many slaves were manumitted in order to serve in the army. Indeed, one of the outstanding heroes of the battle, Peter Salem, had shortly before the battle been a slave in Framingham, Massachusetts. One story, not thoroughly substantiated, says that Salem won the admiration of his comrades in arms by shooting the British Major Pitcairn. Mounting the redoubt and shouting, “The day is ours,” Pitcairn, who displayed more valor than judgment, received the full force of Peter Salem’s musket. The death of Pitcairn was a part of the moral victory won by the patriots on June 17, 1775.

Peter Salem was not the only black who succeeded in distinguishing himself at Bunker Hill. Another, Salem Poor, a soldier in a company and regiment made up largely of white men, won the praise of his superiors, who said that in the battle he “behaved like an experienced officer as well as an excellent soldier.” In an official commendation presented to the general court of Massachusetts these military leaders said, “We would only beg leave to say, in the person of this said negro centres a brave and gallant soldier. The reward due to so great and distinguished a character, we submit to the Congress.” While Peter Salem and Salem Poor stand out for their extraordinary feats of heroism, other blacks were integrated into the companies of whites and performed services for which they were later commended. Among these were Caesar Brown of Westford, Massachusetts, who was killed in action; Barzillai Lew, a fifer and drummer; Titus Colburn and Alexander Ames of Andover; Prince Hall, later an abolitionist and Masonic leader; and many other Massachusetts blacks: Cuff Hayes, Caesar Dickerson, Cato Tufts, Grant Cooper, and Sampson Talbert. While this is certainly not an exhaustive list, it is indicative of the early use of blacks in the War for Independence.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.
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Our second topic for today is “The Negro Church and Assimilation, Part 9: The Gospel Singers, Part 3” from “The Negro Church in America” by E. Franklin Frazier.

Then there is another aspect of this movement which needs to be considered in relation to the changes in the religion of the Negro. Because of the improvement in their economic conditions, an increasing number of Negro students are able to attend the colleges for Negroes in the South. They are being drawn from those strata in the Negro population closest to the rural background and who, therefore, are closest to the folk heritage of the Negro. Education, or more specially the opportunity to attend college, is the most important factor enabling Negroes to achieve middle-class status. Moreover, the leaders of this movement have seen something of the world because of their army or other experiences, or their parents have had similar experiences. In their revolt against the racial discrimination they must fall back upon the only vital social heritage that has meaning for them and that social heritage is the religious heritage represented by the Spirituals which are becoming secularized.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

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Our third topic for today is from “The Black Church in the U.S.: Its Origin, Growth, Contributions, and Outlook” by Dr. William A. Banks.

Today we are looking at part 30 of Chapter 5: “Radicalism: 1915 – 1953”

Malcolm left the movement in March 1964, and for five months toured Africa and the Middle East. He attacked Mr. Muhammad as a phony and a racist. The organization splintered badly, many men left it altogether. From a peak of perhaps 100,000, the organization dwindled to perhaps less than 25,000. It is doubtful if many of the defectors reevaluated their attitude toward Christianity or the White man. Malcolm’s feelings toward Whites changed and consequently he sought to establish a “true” Muslim organization with the blessings, he said, of the Muslims of Africa and the Middle East. From Jedda, Saudi Arabia, on April 20, 1964, he wrote:

You may be shocked by these words coming from me, but I have always been a man who tries to face facts, and to accept the reality of life as new experiences and knowledge unfold it. The experiences of this pilgrimage have taught me much, and each hour here in the Holy Land opens my eyes even more.

When he returned to Chicago he said:

In the past, I have permitted myself to be used to make sweeping indictments of all white people, and these generalizations have caused injuries to some white people who did not deserve them. Because of the spiritual rebirth which I was blessed to undergo as a result of my pilgrimage to the Holy City of Mecca, I no longer subscribe to sweeping indictments of one race.

My pilgrimage to Mecca…served to convince me that perhaps American whites can be cured of the rampant racism which is consuming them and about to destroy this country. In the future, I intend to be careful not to sentence anyone who has not been proven guilty. I am not a racist and do not subscribe to any of the tenets of racism. In all honesty and sincerity it can be stated that I wish nothing but freedom, justice and equality: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness–for all people. My first concern is with the group of people to which I belong, the Afro-Americans, for we, more than other people, are deprived of these inalienable rights.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

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Let’s have a word of prayer.

In closing, allow me to say that like many of you, I grew up in a very religious and church-going family, and during that time, I often heard the phrase “Being Saved.” Now, much of what the church people whom I grew up around said “being saved” was I now know is wrong according to the Bible. For example, joining the church, being baptized, doing good things, or being a good person does not mean you are saved. I wrote an article about this matter titled “On ‘Being Saved’ in Black America” which is available for you to read free of charge on our website, gospellightsociety.com. Right now, I want to share with you very briefly what the Bible says “being saved” really is.

First, understand that you need to be saved because you are a sinner. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

Second, understand that a horrible punishment eternal Hell awaits those who are not saved. In Matthew 25:41, Jesus Christ said that God will say to those who are not saved, “depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”

Third, realize that God loves you very much and wants to save you from Hell. John 3:16 says, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

If you want to be saved from Hell and be guaranteed a home in Heaven, simply believe in Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose from the dead for your sins, and then call upon the Lord in prayer and ask Him to save your soul. And believe me, He will.

Romans 10:9-13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you do that today, then you can truly sing in the words of the Old Negro spiritual: Free at last, Free at last, Thank God Almighty I’m free at last.

Until next time, may God richly bless you.

The History of Black Americans and the Black Church #86

Gospel Light Society Podcasts · The History of Black Americans and the Black Church #86 with Daniel Whyte III

This is Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International, with episode #86 of the The History of Black Americans and the Black Church podcast.

Our Scripture Verse for today is John 14:6 which reads: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

Our History of Black Americans and the Black Church quote for today is from Lee June, a professor at Michigan State University and the author of the book, “Yet With A Steady Beat: The Black Church through a Psychological and Biblical Lens.” He writes, “How then can the tremendous work already performed by the church community be enhanced? To realize the full potential, individuals and congregations can do a “spiritual check­up.” Just as a mental status exam is used in the psychological area, one can employ a “spiritual status exam” in the spiritual area. In the psychological area, to assess one’s mental status one looks at a person’s orientation to time and space, the adequacy of their memory (long – and short-term), their insight, their ability to make sound judgment, and the ability for sound reasoning. In the spiritual area, one can assess the following: Do I have an accurate and proper sense of history? Am I attempting to serve two masters? Is Christianity a way of life? Do I properly understand the biblical definition of ministry? Is Jesus Christ Savior and Lord? Is my conception of what a church is accurate? Is my overall theology biblically sound? Have I been truly “born again”? Is the congregation that I am involved in practicing the elements of a “highly effective” church (Barna 1999) and a “high impact” church (Barna and Jackson 2004a)? Can I detect a toxic faith system? Do I understand the role and ministry of the Holy Spirit in the Christian life? Is the congregation that I am a part of doing the work of the ministry or is it just “churching”? Am I growing in love as Jesus Christ commanded?”

In this podcast, we are using as our texts: From Slavery to Freedom, by John Hope Franklin, The Negro Church in America by E. Franklin Frazier, and The Black Church In The U.S. by William A. Banks.

Our first topic for today is titled “That All May Be Free, Part 3: Slavery and the Revolutionary Philosophy, Part 4” from the book, “From Slavery to Freedom” by John Hope Franklin.

The members of the Continental Congress doubtless realized that Jefferson’s bold accusations of the king were at considerable variance with the truth. The slave trade had been carried on not only by British merchants but by the colonists as well, and in some colonies no effort had been made even to regulate it. There was, moreover, much favorable disposition to slavery in the Southern colonies, an attitude shared by a larger number than the “few bold and persevering pro-slavery men” described by George Livermore. Those who favored slavery at all realized that if Jefferson’s views prevailed in the Declaration of Independence, there would be no justification for the institution once the ties to England were completely cut. It would be better, therefore, to reject the strong language in which the complete responsibility was laid at the door of George III. In thus declining to accuse the king of perpetuating slavery and the slave trade, the colonists contented themselves with engaging in what Rufus Choate later called “glittering generalities” and in connecting all too vaguely the status of the Negro with the philosophy of freedom for all men.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.
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Our second topic for today is “The Negro Church and Assimilation, Part 7: The Gospel Singers, Part 1” from “The Negro Church in America” by E. Franklin Frazier.

Although the lower strata in the Negro community do not participate to the same extent as the upper strata in the main currents of American life, they are nevertheless increasingly assimilating the manners and customs of American society. There is thus achieved a certain external conformity to the pattern of American culture. They continue to be influenced in their thinking and especially in their feelings and sentiments by the social heritage of the Negro which is represented by the Spirituals and religious orientation toward the world contained in the Spirituals. The masses of Negroes may increasingly criticize the church and their ministers, but they cannot escape from their heritage. They may develop a more secular outlook on life and complain that the church and the ministers are not sufficiently concerned with the problems of the Negro race, yet they find in their religious heritage an opportunity to satisfy their deepest emotional yearnings.

Out of the revolt of the lower strata against the church and the growing secularization of Negro religion there has come an accomodation between traditional Negro religion and the new outlook of Negroes in the new American environment. This accommodation is symbolized by the Gospel Singers. The songs which the Gospel Singers sing have been described as a compound of “elements found in the old tabernacle songs, the Negro Spirituals and the blues.” Since the Negro has become urbanized, there has been an amazing rise and spread of “gospel singing.” This has been attributed, and correctly so, to the fact that, “As Negro churches have become more European in decorum and program, the great mass of less Europeanized Negroes began to look elsewhere for full vented religious expressions in music and preaching.” The important fact is that although the Gospel Singers have gone outside the church for a congenial form of religious expression, they nevertheless remain in the church and are a part of the church. Recently when a Gospel Singer died and her funeral was held in a large Baptist church in the nation’s capital, it was reported that 13,000 persons viewed her remains, a thousand persons jammed the church, and another thousand lined the sidewalks outside the church. Dozens of gospel-singing groups came from neighboring areas and as far away as Pennsylvania and Illinois. The white owner of a broadcasting company flew from Ohio to attend the funeral. Between 150 and 200 cars accompanied the body to the cemetery.

More important still for us here is the fact that the Gospel Singers symbolize something that is characteristic of Negro religion from the standpoint of assimilation. Some of the so-called advanced Negro churches resented these Gospel Singers and refused to permit them to sing within their churches. They have gradually become more tolerant and let down the bars as the Gospel Singers have acquired status and acceptance within the white world. Such well-known gospel singers as Mahalia Jackson, Rosetta Thorpe, and the Ward Singers have been accepted as “artists.” The Gospel Singernot only sings to the Negroworld but sings to the white world. One of the famous Ward Sisters stated that the gospel singing is popular because”…it fills a vacuum in people’s lives. For people who work hard and make little money it offers a promise that things will be better in the life to come.” She was thinking, of course, of Negroes but the Gospel Singers sing to white America as well. This is indicated by their hold on the record industry and their popularity on radio and television programs.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

_______________

Our third topic for today is from “The Black Church in the U.S.: Its Origin, Growth, Contributions, and Outlook” by Dr. William A. Banks.

Today we are looking at part 28 of Chapter 5: “Radicalism: 1915 – 1953”

Malcolm X: One prize prisoner who was converted was Malcolm Little, better known as Malcolm X. He was born in Omaha, Neb., in 1925, the son of a Baptist minister. He spent most of his early life in Lansing, Mich. “Big Red” as he was known, entered a life of crime and was twice convicted for larceny. During his second incarceration in Concord, Mass., in 1947 he became a Black Muslim. After his release he became the movement’s chief spokesman. The Black Muslims’ existence was practically unknown to Whites and many Blacks. E. Franklin Frazier makes mention of the movement in his book, The Negro Church in America, although it was published in 1962. It was in 1958, about thirty-seven years after the cult’s birth, that recognition came. On April 14, 1958, squads of the N.Y.C. police rushed to Seventh Avenue and 125th Street in Harlem, to break up a fight between two Black men.

The police engaged in an altercation with Johnson Hinton, a Negro who was not party to the fight, knocked him to the ground, and arrested him. It might have been a commonplace incident if Hinton had not been a Black Muslim and a member of Malcolm X’s temple. A huge crowd of angry Negroes, estimated at more than 500 by police, immediately threw a cordon around the local police station.

Officials grew alarmed and were happy to contact Malcolm X when they were advised to do so by a Negro newspaperman. Upon his arrival at the police station, Malcolm demanded that Hinton be removed to a hospital. This was done and, at a signal from Malcolm, the crowd quickly and quietly dispersed. Hinton later won a $75,000 damage claim against the city of New York, and Harlem police marked Malcolm and the Black Muslims as something to keep an eye on. It was after this that Malcolm became widely known as Muhammad’s emissary. He crisscrossed the nation, recruiting Negroes and frightening many whites, in one of the most amazingly successful missionary campaigns ever conducted in the U.S.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

—

Let’s have a word of prayer.

In closing, allow me to say that like many of you, I grew up in a very religious and church-going family, and during that time, I often heard the phrase “Being Saved.” Now, much of what the church people whom I grew up around said “being saved” was I now know is wrong according to the Bible. For example, joining the church, being baptized, doing good things, or being a good person does not mean you are saved. I wrote an article about this matter titled “On ‘Being Saved’ in Black America” which is available for you to read free of charge on our website, gospellightsociety.com. Right now, I want to share with you very briefly what the Bible says “being saved” really is.

First, understand that you need to be saved because you are a sinner. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

Second, understand that a horrible punishment eternal Hell awaits those who are not saved. In Matthew 25:41, Jesus Christ said that God will say to those who are not saved, “depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”

Third, realize that God loves you very much and wants to save you from Hell. John 3:16 says, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

If you want to be saved from Hell and be guaranteed a home in Heaven, simply believe in Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose from the dead for your sins, and then call upon the Lord in prayer and ask Him to save your soul. And believe me, He will.

Romans 10:9-13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you do that today, then you can truly sing in the words of the Old Negro spiritual: Free at last, Free at last, Thank God Almighty I’m free at last.

Until next time, may God richly bless you.

The History of Black Americans and the Black Church Episode #85

Gospel Light Society Podcasts · The History of Black Americans and the Black Church Episode #85 with Daniel Whyte III

This is Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International, with episode #85 of the The History of Black Americans and the Black Church podcast.

Our Scripture Verse for today is Malachi 2:10 which reads: “Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?”

Our History of Black Americans and the Black Church quote for today is from Lee June, a professor at Michigan State University and the author of the book, “Yet With A Steady Beat: The Black Church through a Psychological and Biblical Lens.” He writes, “When reference is made to skills, I am referring to proficiencies that a person possesses; these skills may have been acquired through training, education, and/or experience. By talents, I am referring to those things that a person possesses which seem unique to them and appear to have been naturally acquired. On the other hand, gifts refer to the enablement that the Holy Spirit has given to individuals for the edification of the Body of Jesus Christ (the church). Gifts in contrast to skills and talents are not naturally acquired. According to Scripture, each individual Christian has at least one spiritual gift. There are now instruments that have been developed to help an individual discern his or her spiritual gift(s). One such instrument was developed by Wagner. As the educational levels of congregations increase, it will be imperative that pastors and church administrators systematically and deliberatively make use of the array of acquired skills, along with spiritual gifts to the edification of the Body of Christ.”

In this podcast, we are using as our texts: From Slavery to Freedom, by John Hope Franklin, The Negro Church in America by E. Franklin Frazier, and The Black Church In The U.S. by William A. Banks.

Our first topic for today is titled “That All May Be Free, Part 3: Slavery and the Revolutionary Philosophy, Part 3” from the book, “From Slavery to Freedom” by John Hope Franklin.

In the years that followed the Boston Massacre, the colonists, as though pricked by conscience, frequently spoke against slavery and England at the same time. In 1773 the Reverend Isaac Skillman went so far as to assert that in conformity with the laws of nature, slaves should rebel against their masters. In 1774 Abigail Adams wrote her husband: “It always appeared a most iniquitous scheme to me to fight ourselves for what we are daily robbing and plundering from those who have as good a right to freedom as we have.” About the same time, Thomas Jefferson wrote “A Summary View of the Rights of British America,” in which he said that the abolition of slavery was the great object of desire in the colonies, but that it had become increasingly difficult because Britain had consistently blocked all colonial efforts to put an end to the slave trade.

In their thinking some colonists had thus moved from the position of acceptance of the institution of slavery to the position that it was inconsistent with their fight with England and finally to the view that England was responsible for the continuation of slavery. This view was translated into action in the fall of 1774 when the Continental Congress passed an agreement not to import any slaves after December 1, 1775. Georgia, the only colony not represented, adopted a similar measure in July 1775. These can hardly be regarded as antislavery measures, however. It must be remembered that there was general resentment against England’s “Intolerable Acts,” passed earlier in the year, and that many of the enactments of the first Continental Congress were retaliatory measures of a temporary nature.

The test of the colonists’ regard for slavery came in their reaction to the Declaration of Independence, which was submitted to the Continental Congress by Thomas Jefferson. The formulation of a general political philosophy to justify the drastic step the colonists were taking was generally acceptable, even to the proposition that all people, being created equal, were endowed with “certain unalienable Rights…Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Jefferson’s specific charges against the king were harsh and uncompromising. Among them were the following:

He has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating its most sacred rights of life and liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating and carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere, or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither. This piratical warfare, the opprobium of infidel powers, is the warfare of the Christian king of Great Britain. Determined to keep open a market where MEN should be bought and sold, he has prostituted his negative [veto] for suppressing every legislative attempt to prohibit or to restrain this execrable commerce; and that this assemblage of horrors might want no fact of distinguished die, he is now exciting these very people to rise in arms among us, and to purchase that liberty of which he deprived them, by murdering the people upon whom he also obtruded them; thus paying off former crimes committed against the liberties of one people, with crimes which he urges them to commit against the lives of another.

These charges, described by John Adams as the “vehement philippic against Negro slavery,” were unacceptable to the Southern delegation at the Continental Congress and were stricken from the document.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

_______________

Our second topic for today is “The Negro Church and Assimilation, Part 6: The Church is no Longer a Refuge, Part 2” from “The Negro Church in America” by E. Franklin Frazier.

It was inevitable that the Negro should be drawn into the organized forms of social life in the urban environment. As a consequence, the Negro church has lost much of its influence as an agency of social control. Its supervision over the marital and family life of Negroes has declined. The church has ceased to be the chief means of economic co-operation. New avenues have been opened to all kinds of business ventures in which secular ends and values are dominant. The church is no longer the main arena for political activities which was the case when Negroes were disenfranchised in the South. Negro political leaders have to compete with the white political leaders in the ‘machine’ politics of the cities. In a word, the Negroes have been forced into competition with whites in most areas of social life and their church can no longer serve as a refuge within the American community.

We have seen how Negroes in the established denominational churches developed secular interests in order to deal with race prejudice and discriminations to which they are exposed when the ‘walls of segregation come tumbling down’. We have seen how lower-class Negroes have reacted to the cold impersonal environment of the city and of the large denominational churches by joining the ‘storefront’ churches and the various cults. These all represented their reaction to the crumbling traditional organization of Negro life as Negroes are increasingly cast afloat in the main stream of American life where they are still outsiders.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

_______________

Our third and final topic for today is from “The Black Church in the U.S.: Its Origin, Growth, Contributions, and Outlook” by Dr. William A. Banks.

Today we are looking at part 27 of Chapter 5: “Radicalism: 1915 – 1953”

After meeting “Allah on earth,” he dropped his “slave master’s name” of Poole and took the spiritual surname, Muhammad. The “X” used by the Muslims represents their unknown true name, taken away by the White slave masters centuries earlier. In April 1934 Detroit police arrested him, charged him with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He had refused to send one of his children to the public school and was educating him instead at a Muslim parochial school he had set up. The result: six months’ probation. In November of that year some of his would-be followers, disgusted with his teaching, drove him out of the city. He settled in Chicago and made it his permanent headquarters. When World War II came, he preached against the draft as the White man’s draft for the White man’s army. When the FBI tracked him down in September 1942, they found him rolled up in a carpet under a bed in his mother’s home in Chicago.

Seventy-one of his followers were arrested on charges of sedition and draft evasion. Muhammad was convicted and sent to the federal prison at Milan, Michigan, where he stayed until 1946. Prisons proved to be fertile ground for recruitment for the Black Muslims. While their leaders preach hatred in the principal cities across America, lesser lights inside prisons all across the country also spread their doctrines and recruited new “brothers.” Said Dr. Lincoln:

The prisons are made to order for Muhammad. Nine times out of ten, the potential convert was arrested by a white policeman, sentenced by a white judge, directed by a white prison guard under a white warden. The prison chaplain was white, and he knew when he got out that he could not go to a white church for help. The Negro church was not interested, but there was Elijah waiting.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

—

Let’s have a word of prayer.

In closing, allow me to say that like many of you, I grew up in a very religious and church-going family, and during that time, I often heard the phrase “Being Saved.” Now, much of what the church people whom I grew up around said “being saved” was I now know is wrong according to the Bible. For example, joining the church, being baptized, doing good things, or being a good person does not mean you are saved. I wrote an article about this matter titled “On ‘Being Saved’ in Black America” which is available for you to read free of charge on our website, gospellightsociety.com. Right now, I want to share with you very briefly what the Bible says “being saved” really is.

First, understand that you need to be saved because you are a sinner. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

Second, understand that a horrible punishment eternal Hell awaits those who are not saved. In Matthew 25:41, Jesus Christ said that God will say to those who are not saved, “depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”

Third, realize that God loves you very much and wants to save you from Hell. John 3:16 says, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

If you want to be saved from Hell and be guaranteed a home in Heaven, simply believe in Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose from the dead for your sins, and then call upon the Lord in prayer and ask Him to save your soul. And believe me, He will.

Romans 10:9-13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you do that today, then you can truly sing in the words of the Old Negro spiritual: Free at last, Free at last, Thank God Almighty I’m free at last.

Until next time, may God richly bless you.

The History of Black Americans and the Black Church #83

Gospel Light Society Podcasts · The History of Black Americans and the Black Church #83

This is Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International, with episode #83 of the The History of Black Americans and the Black Church podcast.

Our Scripture Verse for today is Galatians 5:1 which reads: “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”

Our History of Black Americans and the Black Church quote for today is from Lee June, a professor at Michigan State University and the author of the book, “Yet With A Steady Beat: The Black Church through a Psychological and Biblical Lens.” He writes, “The other case occurs when the individual is attempting to assume a role outside of his/her “calling.” Because of a need for power, a need for recognition, or due to a misguided view of ministry, this person decides to proclaim for him or herself a certain type of ministry. Therefore, the individual assumes the role of “minister” using the societal definition. This particular person may be attracted to the aura and the perceived prestige of “ministry.” Those factors may lead this person to embrace ministry in order to feel good psychologically or to garner a sense of importance. Such is done because the individual sees that role as providing a sense of self-actualization or the opportunity for other gains.”

In this podcast, we are using as our texts: From Slavery to Freedom, by John Hope Franklin, The Negro Church in America by E. Franklin Frazier, and The Black Church In The U.S. by William A. Banks.

Our first topic for today is titled “That All May Be Free, Part 1: Slavery and the Revolutionary Philosophy, Part 1” from the book, “From Slavery to Freedom” by John Hope Franklin.

By the middle of the eighteenth century, slavery in the United States was an integral part of a maturing economic system. There had been protests against the slave trade, some colonies had imposed almost prohibitive import duties, and some religious groups, notably the Quakers, had questioned the right of one person to hold another in bondage. There had been, however, no frontal attack upon the institution, and even in the Northern colonies, where there was no extensive use of slaves, the majority of the articulate colonists paid little attention to slavery. Perhaps it was the colonists’ preoccupation with their economic and political relations with England that accounted for the widespread indifference with which they regarded slavery. Colonial problems were so urgent that little time was left in which colonists could concern themselves with humanitarian matters. If there could be assurance that blacks would neither conspire to rebel nor offer aid and comfort to the French or the Indians, there seemed to be little reason to be concerned over this condition.

This general attitude prevailed up until the end of the French and Indian War in 1763. This significant year not only marked the beginning of a new colonial policy for England but also ushered in a new approach, on the part of the colonists, to the problem of slavery. There was, moreover, a discernible connection between the two developments. As colonists saw in England’s new colonial policy a threat to the economic and political freedom that they had enjoyed for several generations, they also seemed to recognize a marked inconsistency in their position as oppressed colonists and slaveholders. John Woolman, a New Jersey Quaker, and Anthony Benezet, a Philadelphia Huguenot, had already begun their anti-slavery activities in the Middle colonies, and others, such as Benjamin Franklin and Benjamin Rush, had joined in the work to free the slaves. But there had been no dramatic denunciation of the institution by any outstanding political leader in the colonies. The resurrection of the hated navigation acts and the imposition of new regulations like the Sugar Act of 1764 brought forth eloquent defenses of the position of the colonists. One act of Parliament had, as James Ortis declared, “set people a-thinking in six months, more than they had done in their whole lives before.” They began to think of their dual role as oppressed and oppressor. Almost overnight the grave but quiet efforts of Benezet and Woolman bore fruit, as some colonial leaders began to denounce not only England’s new imperial policy but slavery and the slave trade as well.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

_______________

Our second topic for today is “The Negro Church and Assimilation, Part 4: The Walls Came Tumbling Down, Part 4” from “The Negro Church in America” by E. Franklin Frazier.

As ‘the walls of segregation tumble down’, it is the institutions which embody the secular interests of Negroes which are being undermined more rapidly than those representing their cultural interests. As white establishments cater to the personal needs of Negroes there is less need for what is known as ‘Negro’ businesses to supply such services. Moreover, as the large corporations and other so-called white business enterprises employ Negroes in all capacities, there is less need for an association of people engaged in ‘Negro’ businesses. Likewise, as white newspapers carry more news concerning Negroes and employ Negro journalists, the Negro newspapers decline in circulation as the foreign language newspapers have done. Although schools are cultural institutions, the segregated Negro public schools and state colleges will become less important.

The situation is different in regard to the cultural institutions within the Negro community. There are some privately supported Negro educational institutions with deeply rooted traditions in Negro life that resist the trend towards the integration of the Negro. On the other hand, as Negro professors are increasingly taken on the faculties of so-called white colleges and universities and Negro students are admitted to such institutions, Negroes are joining the mainstream of American life. When one comes to the Negro church which is the most important cultural institution created by Negroes, one encounters the most important institutional barrier to integration and the assimilation of Negroes. White churches may open their doors to Negroes and a few Negro ministers may be invited to become pastors of white churches; the masses of Negroes continue, nevertheless, to attend the Negro churches and the Negro church as an institution continues to function as an important element in the organized social life of Negroes.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

_______________

Our third and final topic for today is from “The Black Church in the U.S.: Its Origin, Growth, Contributions, and Outlook” by Dr. William A. Banks.

Today we are looking at part 25 of Chapter 5: “Radicalism: 1915 – 1953”

In time, internal strife erupted; a leader, Sheik Claude Greene, was killed. Arrested for murder, Noble Drew Ali died under mysterious circumstances in 1929 while released on bond and waiting for trial. After Ali’s death the cult split into a number of factions. The leader of one of the surviving splinter groups was none other than Wallace D. Fard or Farrad Mohammad or Wali Farrad, who initially considered himself the “reincarnation of Ali.” Fard, who was later proclaimed to have been “Allah in Person,” was once a peddler of “exotic goods” (silk, incense, perfumes, etc.) in the Black sections of the city of Detroit. Some say that he was a White man, which of course, if true, would be an embarrassment to the Black Muslims. Others describe him as being of “light color” with “an Oriental cast of countenance.” All this is difficult to ascertain since so much mystery surrounds Fard.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

—

Let’s have a word of prayer.

In closing, allow me to say that like many of you, I grew up in a very religious and church-going family, and during that time, I often heard the phrase “Being Saved.” Now, much of what the church people whom I grew up around said “being saved” was I now know is wrong according to the Bible. For example, joining the church, being baptized, doing good things, or being a good person does not mean you are saved. I wrote an article about this matter titled “On ‘Being Saved’ in Black America” which is available for you to read free of charge on our website, gospellightsociety.com. Right now, I want to share with you very briefly what the Bible says “being saved” really is.

First, understand that you need to be saved because you are a sinner. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

Second, understand that a horrible punishment eternal Hell awaits those who are not saved. In Matthew 25:41, Jesus Christ said that God will say to those who are not saved, “depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”

Third, realize that God loves you very much and wants to save you from Hell. John 3:16 says, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

If you want to be saved from Hell and be guaranteed a home in Heaven, simply believe in Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose from the dead for your sins, and then call upon the Lord in prayer and ask Him to save your soul. And believe me, He will.

Romans 10:9-13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you do that today, then you can truly sing in the words of the Old Negro spiritual: Free at last, Free at last, Thank God Almighty I’m free at last.

Until next time, may God richly bless you.

The History of Black Americans and the Black Church #82

Gospel Light Society Podcasts · The History of Black Americans and the Black Church #82

This is Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International, with episode #82 of the The History of Black Americans and the Black Church podcast.

Our Scripture Verse for today is 1 John 5:5 which reads: “Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”

Our History of Black Americans and the Black Church quote for today is from Lee June, a professor at Michigan State University and the author of the book, “Yet With A Steady Beat: The Black Church through a Psychological and Biblical Lens.” He writes, “Pitfall Three: Ministers without Ministries. Another pitfall to avoid is becoming a “minister without a ministry.” How can that be, you ask? I would suggest that it could happen because of organizational or individual factors. On the organizational side, there are “ministers” without ministry when the church structure is such that the spiritual gifts of individuals are not identified and are not allowed to operate. As indicated in a prior chapter, my belief is that all Christians are ministers in a biblical sense and thus have a role to carry out in the corporate body. However, because of a misunderstanding of certain Scriptures, a narrow definition of ministry, misguided views of authority, personal insecurities and/or perceived threats, spiritual gifts are not allowed to be exercised and the individual with a particular gift is frustrated and not allowed to do what would help the Body of Christ to grow. In other instances, the organizational problems or structure may be such that the individual’s spiritual gift is recognized and the individual attempts to exercise the gift(s) but is not given the freedom to express it to the full glorification and edification of the Body.”

In this podcast, we are using as our texts: From Slavery to Freedom, by John Hope Franklin, The Negro Church in America by E. Franklin Frazier, and The Black Church In The U.S. by William A. Banks.

Our first topic for today is titled “Colonial Slavery, Part 15: Blacks in Colonial New England, Part 3” from the book, “From Slavery to Freedom” by John Hope Franklin.

Despite some restrictions, blacks in New England seemed to have been free to associate with each other and with peaceful Indians. The houses of some free blacks became a rendezvous where they danced, played games, and told stories. Slaves like Lucy Terry of Deerfield, Massachusetts, and Senegambia of Narragansett, Rhode Island, had a seemingly limitless store of tales about Africa and other faraway places that filled many an hour with excitement and pleasure. There was, moreover, ample opportunity for blacks to associate with whites, for hardly a house or church raising, an apple paring, or a corn husking took place without the presence of at least a portion of the slave population. On Guy Fawkes Day, Lorenzo Greene says, “Negroes joined in the boisterous crowds that surged through the streets of Boston, much to the annoyance of pedestrians.”

Blacks in New England were in a unique position in colonial America. They were not subjected to the harsh codes or the severe treatment that their fellows received in the colonies of the South. Nevertheless, it is possible to exaggerate the humanitarian aspects of their treatment. Masters in New England held a firm hand on the institution and gave little consideration to the small minority that argued for the freedom of slaves. Although New Englanders took their religion seriously, they did not permit it to interfere with their appreciation of the profits of slavery and the slave trade. At the same time, they did not glut their home market with slaves and increase the number to the point where they would be fearful for their safety. There seemed to be the characteristic Yankee shrewdness in the New Englander’s assessment of the importance of slavery to economic and social life.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

_______________

Our second topic for today is “The Negro Church and Assimilation, Part 3: The Walls Came Tumbling Down, Part 3” from “The Negro Church in America” by E. Franklin Frazier.

The second factor and a factor of equal importance, which determines the nature and extent of the participation of Negroes in the wider American community, is their own institutional life. The system of racial segregation in the United States has resulted in an almost complete duplication of the institutions of the American community within the Negro community. We shall begin by considering those institutions which embody the secular interests of Negroes. As Negroes have moved from the world of the folk, they have established insurance companies and banks which have a purely secular end. These institutions are becoming a part of the different associations of insurance companies and banks and they are subject to state supervision. Then there are many other kinds of business enterprises, many of which cater especially to the personal and other needs of Negroes, and thus supply services often refused by white establishments. Negroes are expected to patronize these various so-called ‘Negro’ businesses because of ‘racial loyalty’. There is a National Negro Business League and numerous Negro chambers of commerce. Among the more successful Negro businesses should be included the Negro weekly newspapers which have circulations running into the hundreds of thousands.

Then there are certain cultural institutions among which are included the various secret fraternal organizations such as the Masons, Odd Fellows, and the Elks. In this group we would also include the various college Greek letter societies for men and women. Although they would not qualify as institutions, there are numerous social clubs which may be considered along with the cultural institutions. The most important cultural institution is, of course, the Negro church. It embodies, as we have seen, the cultural traditions of Negroes to a far greater extent than any other institution.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

_______________

Our third and final topic for today is from “The Black Church in the U.S.: Its Origin, Growth, Contributions, and Outlook” by Dr. William A. Banks.

Today we are looking at part 24 of Chapter 5: “Radicalism: 1915 – 1953”

The Moorish Science Temple: The Black Muslim cult is not the first group to make such a radical departure from the traditional Black religion. Timothy Drew, a Black born in North Carolina in 1886, founded the Moorish Science Temple of America. Obsessed with the idea that the salvation of the Black man was to be found in the discovery of his national origin, he taught that we should no longer be called Negroes, black folk, colored people, or Ethiopians. Drew said that the words Negro or Black symbolize death. “Colored” means painted. Since we are neither dead nor painted, the term that suits us best is Moorish-American.

Coupled with a certain personal magnetism, his apparent sincere desire to help his people escape race prejudice and discrimination proved valuable in his efforts to establish temples. He started in Newark, N.J., in 1913 and became known as Noble Drew Ali. The cult professed to honor all divine prophets: Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, Confucius, Zoroaster, and others. Preaching that a change in identification (Negro to Asiatic) would bring salvation, hundreds in Chicago (which became the center of the organization) joined him. Membership may have been as high as twenty or thirty thousand during his lifetime.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

—

Let’s have a word of prayer.

In closing, allow me to say that like many of you, I grew up in a very religious and church-going family, and during that time, I often heard the phrase “Being Saved.” Now, much of what the church people whom I grew up around said “being saved” was I now know is wrong according to the Bible. For example, joining the church, being baptized, doing good things, or being a good person does not mean you are saved. I wrote an article about this matter titled “On ‘Being Saved’ in Black America” which is available for you to read free of charge on our website, gospellightsociety.com. Right now, I want to share with you very briefly what the Bible says “being saved” really is.

First, understand that you need to be saved because you are a sinner. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

Second, understand that a horrible punishment eternal Hell awaits those who are not saved. In Matthew 25:41, Jesus Christ said that God will say to those who are not saved, “depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”

Third, realize that God loves you very much and wants to save you from Hell. John 3:16 says, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

If you want to be saved from Hell and be guaranteed a home in Heaven, simply believe in Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose from the dead for your sins, and then call upon the Lord in prayer and ask Him to save your soul. And believe me, He will.

Romans 10:9-13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you do that today, then you can truly sing in the words of the Old Negro spiritual: Free at last, Free at last, Thank God Almighty I’m free at last.

Until next time, may God richly bless you.

The History of Black Americans and the Black Church Episode #81

Gospel Light Society Podcasts · The History of Black Americans and the Black Church Episode #81

This is Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International, with episode #81 of the The History of Black Americans and the Black Church podcast.

Our Scripture Verse for today is Matthew 6:24 which reads: “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

Our History of Black Americans and the Black Church quote for today is from Lee June, a professor at Michigan State University and the author of the book, “Yet With A Steady Beat: The Black Church through a Psychological and Biblical Lens.” He writes, “We see this serving of two masters when one experiences no conflict with two obviously contradictory lifestyles. Such persons can earn money in a profession that would have historically been called sin and at the same time be highly praised in the church community. Such persons can engage in questionable activities and feel no real sense of remorse and are even open about this in the “Christian” community. Persons, for example, who win the lottery, even within some church communities will often boldly proclaim that it is a “blessing” from God. We see this serving of two masters when recent converts who are celebrities become instant religious experts. One has to wonder along with Karl Menninger and also ask the question: “Whatever became of sin?””

In this podcast, we are using as our texts: From Slavery to Freedom, by John Hope Franklin, The Negro Church in America by E. Franklin Frazier, and The Black Church In The U.S. by William A. Banks.

Our first topic for today is titled “Colonial Slavery, Part 14: Blacks in Colonial New England, Part 2” from the book, “From Slavery to Freedom” by John Hope Franklin.

New England slavery needed little legal recognition for its growth and development. When the codes emerged late in the seventeenth century, slavery had already become well established. In 1670 Massachusetts enacted a law providing that the children of slaves could be sold into bondage, and ten years later it began to enact measures restricting the movement of blacks. In 1660 Connecticut barred blacks from military service, and thirty years later it restrained them from going beyond the limits of the town without a pass. The restrictions against the education of slaves were not as great as in other regions, and frequently blacks learned to read and write.

Since the number of slaves in New England remained relatively small throughout the colonial period, there was little fear of insurrections. Nevertheless, many slaves indicated their dislike of the institution by running away. Others attacked their masters and even murdered them. Still others plotted to rebel. In 1658 some blacks and Indians in Hartford decided to make a bid for their freedom by destroying several houses of their masters. In the eighteenth century there were a number of conspiracies to rebel in Boston and other towns in Massachusetts. The situation became so serious in Boston in 1723 that the selectmen found it necessary to take precautionary measures by forbidding slaves to be on the streets at night and to be “idling or lurking together.”

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

_______________

Our second topic for today is “The Negro Church and Assimilation, Part 2: The Walls Came Tumbling Down, Part 2” from “The Negro Church in America” by E. Franklin Frazier.

However, as the racial barriers are broken down and Negroes increasingly enter into the mainstream of American life, the traditional organization of Negro life is constantly being undermined. The so-called process of integration, which is only an initial stage in the assimilation of Negroes into American society, does not have the same effect on all parts of the social structure of the Negro community. The extent and the nature of the participation of Negroes in the wider American community is determined first by their class position. Negroes in the Black Belt or rural counties in the South where they constitute 50 per cent or more of the population are still almost completely isolated from the main currents of American culture. Although lower-class Negroes in cities, who include those engaged in domestic and personal services and those employed as unskilled labourers, have more contacts with American life, they are still more or less confined to the Negro community. As Negro workers acquire skills and become members of labour unions, they begin to enter into the mainstream of American life. This is, of course, more characteristic of Negro workers in the North than of those in the South. Many Negroes in the North who are employed as white-collar workers and in technical and professional occupations enter even more fully into the main currents of American society. Not only does their work enable them to share more fully in American culture but they associate more freely with their white fellow workers than any other section of the Negro population.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

_______________

Our third and final topic for today is from “The Black Church in the U.S.: Its Origin, Growth, Contributions, and Outlook” by Dr. William A. Banks.

Today we are looking at part 23 of Chapter 5: “Radicalism: 1915 – 1953”

The Black Muslims
“Black” Preferred: It is said that “colored” is passe, and used only by the older generation. “African” was the title preferred by the first freed slaves in this country. “Afro-American” never really caught on and is considered too unwieldy. “Negro,” which means black in Spanish, is now considered Establishment by the militants; supposedly it is used only by the over-thirty age group. Some Whites still offend with their lower case “negro.” Whether used as a noun or an adjective, the word Negro should be capitalized. So what is left? “Black.” Formerly a descriptive adjective of contempt, today its use as a noun and adjective is preferred, almost demanded, by the under thirty age group.

At one Black Muslim meeting, the minister said, “Everybody here who’s proud he’s Black, stand up!” Every Muslim and would-be Muslim and sympathizer jumped up like quall taking off in a field. I remained seated. The minister then fixed his eyes upon me and, with scorn in his voice, asked me if I wanted to be white. I sat there. Then he proceeded to call out different colors, including “techni-color,” to see which one I would be proud to own, which one would bring me to my feet. I thought: How ridiculous! God made me the color I am. Is skin color something to be proud of? Or ashamed of? If I’m proud I’m black, does it mean the Caucasian is to be pitied and despised because his skin is white? Because of my defiant attitude I was politely but firmly asked to leave the mosque.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

—

Let’s have a word of prayer.

In closing, allow me to say that like many of you, I grew up in a very religious and church-going family, and during that time, I often heard the phrase “Being Saved.” Now, much of what the church people whom I grew up around said “being saved” was I now know is wrong according to the Bible. For example, joining the church, being baptized, doing good things, or being a good person does not mean you are saved. I wrote an article about this matter titled “On ‘Being Saved’ in Black America” which is available for you to read free of charge on our website, gospellightsociety.com. Right now, I want to share with you very briefly what the Bible says “being saved” really is.

First, understand that you need to be saved because you are a sinner. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

Second, understand that a horrible punishment eternal Hell awaits those who are not saved. In Matthew 25:41, Jesus Christ said that God will say to those who are not saved, “depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”

Third, realize that God loves you very much and wants to save you from Hell. John 3:16 says, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

If you want to be saved from Hell and be guaranteed a home in Heaven, simply believe in Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose from the dead for your sins, and then call upon the Lord in prayer and ask Him to save your soul. And believe me, He will.

Romans 10:9-13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you do that today, then you can truly sing in the words of the Old Negro spiritual: Free at last, Free at last, Thank God Almighty I’m free at last.

Until next time, may God richly bless you.

The History of Black Americans and the Black Church #80

Gospel Light Society Podcasts · The History of Black Americans and the Black Church #80

This is Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International, with episode #80 of the The History of Black Americans and the Black Church podcast.

Our Scripture Verse for today is Luke 4:8 which reads: “And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”

Our History of Black Americans and the Black Church quote for today is from Lee June, a professor at Michigan State University and the author of the book, “Yet With A Steady Beat: The Black Church through a Psychological and Biblical Lens.” He writes, “The church community, under such circumstances, becomes a necessary link to a historical past but a modern-day pacifier or in some cases a mere “entertainment center.” This phenomenon is something that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. warned against in the sermon “Guidelines for a Constructive Church” (Carson and Holloron, 1998). Though the church is still the most powerful institution in our community as the statistics and other data suggest, it is losing some of its grip and, in many instances, is more irrelevant to the “deeper” lives of the people than was the case in the past. For many, it has become the “sear” of an authentic religious conscious. For others, it is a way to appease a religious conscience.”

In this podcast, we are using as our texts: From Slavery to Freedom, by John Hope Franklin, The Negro Church in America by E. Franklin Frazier, and The Black Church In The U.S. by William A. Banks.

Our first topic for today is titled “Colonial Slavery, Part 13: Blacks in Colonial New England, Part 1” from the book, “From Slavery to Freedom” by John Hope Franklin.

Although New England’s primary interest in slavery was in the trade of blacks, some were early introduced into Massachusetts and Connecticut. In 1638 a Salem ship unloaded several Africans in Boston, and in the following year there were blacks in Hartford. Before a decade had passed, blacks were used in the construction of houses and forts in Connecticut. By the middle of the century the refugees who founded Rhode Island were using blacks to help establish that colony. While the status of these early New England blacks was rather uncertain, it gradually became clear in all New England colonies that slavery was a legitimate institution.

Whether slaves landing in New England were to be settled there or shipped to other colonies, they became important to the commercial life of the New England colonies. New England slave traders competed in the trade, although they were at a serious disadvantage compared to the powerful European trading companies. After England secured a monopoly of the slave trade to the New World in 1713, it welcomed New England merchants since there was more than enough for its own traders. In the first half of the eighteenth century New England traders thrived. Boston, Salem, Providence, and New London bustled with activity as outgoing ships were loaded with rum, fish, and dairy products, and as Africans, molasses, and sugar were unloaded from incoming ships. Up until the War for Independence the slave trade was vital to the economic life of New England.

The black population in New England grew slowly. In 1700, when the total population of the entire region was approximately 90,000, there were only 1,000 blacks. In the eighteenth century growth was more rapid. Massachusetts led with 2,000 blacks in 1715 and 5,249 by 1776. Connecticut was second with 1,500 blacks in 1715 and 3,587 by 1756. The largest percentage of blacks was to be found in Rhode Island, where in 1774 there were 3,761 blacks to 54,435 whites. The number in New Hampshire remained negligible all during the colonial period.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

_______________

Our second topic for today is “The Negro Church and Assimilation, Part 1: The Walls Came Tumbling Down, Part 1” from “The Negro Church in America” by E. Franklin Frazier.

In the last chapter we have studied the transformations which have occurred in the Negro church and in the religion of Negroes as the result of urbanization. We have seen how the migrations of Negroes to cities have tended to uproot the traditional organization of the Negro community and changed the outlook of Negroes. As the result of the social disorganization of Negro life there has been a reorganization of life on a different basis in order to meet the demands of the city. Life in the cities of the North has brought a larger measure of freedom from racial prejudice and discriminations which had characterized race relations in the South. This new freedom has enabled Negroes to enter more into the mainstream of American life. Since this new freedom has been due partly to broad changes in the economic and social organization of American life, the Negro in the South benefited from these changes. The success which Negroes have achieved in breaking down racial barriers has been due partly to their own efforts. They have carried on a constant struggle in the courts and they have influenced to some extent public opinion. As the mid-century drew to a close a distinguished white woman, who had been associated with their struggle, could look back at the success which Negroes had made in breaking through racial barriers and say in the words of the well-known Negro spiritual, ‘the walls came tumbling down’.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

_______________

Our third and final topic for today is from “The Black Church in the U.S.: Its Origin, Growth, Contributions, and Outlook” by Dr. William A. Banks.

Today we are looking at part 22 of Chapter 5: “Radicalism: 1915 – 1953”

A Social Gospeler’s Lack of Spiritual Discernment
On September 28, 1968, on the Woodmont estate, Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, Father Divine’s mausoleum shrine, costing between $250,000 and $300,000, was dedicated. The Reverend Leon H. Sullivan said,

“Peace Father, Peace Mother, Peace everyone: I want all of you to know how moved I have been and how moved I am now. It is truly wonderful. And to see how the Spirit of Father yet abounds in our midst and in the world!…when first I came to Philadelphia…one…of the first wonderful and glorious experiences I had…was…the great Privilege and Honor of being in the presence of Father…whenever I was faced with problems of perplexity, and wanted to try to do something to help my community, I would seek an appointment and council with Father.

I think there is nothing that I have been involved with trying to do that Father did not know about–and I would come to Father and…I would talk about something I’d want to do and I would ask him about it, and then I would say, “Well, now will you help me?” and he would say, “Yes, I will help you.”

And there was never a meeting, a public meeting that I did not always somehow reach Father to ask him to pray for its success. I will never forget him. He will always be with me like he is with you. In my labors and in my work as I strive to bring Peace, alleviate poverty and help to eradicate prejudice, I should want Father to know, and you, Mother, to know, that if any success comes to my work, I want you to know, and I mean this profoundly–that if any success comes to my work, that Father is in that success too! Peace! Peace Everyone!”

Such blasphemy indicates the delusion of our age. Walter Martin closes the case against Father Divine:

Father Divine, or George Baker, has irrevocably committed the sin of blasphemy against the only true God. Moreover, he has claimed to be what his own soul knows he is not, and it is as certain as the rising of the sun that he must some day answer for the terrible delusions he has foisted on the minds of over a million persons.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

—

Let’s have a word of prayer.

In closing, allow me to say that like many of you, I grew up in a very religious and church-going family, and during that time, I often heard the phrase “Being Saved.” Now, much of what the church people whom I grew up around said “being saved” was I now know is wrong according to the Bible. For example, joining the church, being baptized, doing good things, or being a good person does not mean you are saved. I wrote an article about this matter titled “On ‘Being Saved’ in Black America” which is available for you to read free of charge on our website, gospellightsociety.com. Right now, I want to share with you very briefly what the Bible says “being saved” really is.

First, understand that you need to be saved because you are a sinner. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

Second, understand that a horrible punishment eternal Hell awaits those who are not saved. In Matthew 25:41, Jesus Christ said that God will say to those who are not saved, “depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”

Third, realize that God loves you very much and wants to save you from Hell. John 3:16 says, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

If you want to be saved from Hell and be guaranteed a home in Heaven, simply believe in Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose from the dead for your sins, and then call upon the Lord in prayer and ask Him to save your soul. And believe me, He will.

Romans 10:9-13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you do that today, then you can truly sing in the words of the Old Negro spiritual: Free at last, Free at last, Thank God Almighty I’m free at last.

Until next time, may God richly bless you.

The Destiny of the Wicked, Part 4 (Theology of Eternal Damnation in Hell Episode #45)

Gospel Light Society Podcasts · The History of Black Americans and the Black Church Episode #79

This is Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International, with episode #79 of the The History of Black Americans and the Black Church podcast.

Our Scripture Verse for today is Ephesians 2:8-9 which reads: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Our History of Black Americans and the Black Church quote for today is from Lee June, a professor at Michigan State University and the author of the book, “Yet With A Steady Beat: The Black Church through a Psychological and Biblical Lens.” He writes, “Pitfall Two: Serving Two Masters. Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” James said, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”

Seemingly, some Christians are trying to serve two masters. With the rich religious heritage that Blacks have; with the desire to maintain some semblance of that heritage; with increased opportunities for self-expressions, particularly for the more formally educated and trained; and with Christianity becoming less taught, expected, and practiced as a way of life—the Black Christian is increasingly experiencing split loyalties. Jobs, occupations, and careers are not seen or taught as ministries but simply as ways of making money. Under such a scenario, attending church services can thus become merely weekly rituals and ways to satisfy a religious conscience.”

In this podcast, we are using as our texts: From Slavery to Freedom, by John Hope Franklin, The Negro Church in America by E. Franklin Frazier, and The Black Church In The U.S. by William A. Banks.

Our first topic for today is titled “Colonial Slavery, Part 12: The Middle Colonies, Part 3” from the book, “From Slavery to Freedom” by John Hope Franklin.

In Pennsylvania there was some respect for blacks as human beings, and this attitude led to an early movement for manumission. Even those to whom the institution was acceptable shrank from the wholesale and indiscriminate enslavement of black people simply because it was possible to do so. Pennsylvania was not only relatively free from violence and interracial strife, but the blacks there made strides toward genuine accommodation to their new environment. The lines of communication between blacks and whites were not altogether closed, and the former gained much through these contacts. Schools and churches were a part of the lives of blacks, the institution of marriage was generally respected, and the black family achieved a stability unlike that reached by blacks in most English colonies.

Meanwhile, as early as 1636 slavery existed on the right bank of the Delaware. Since Delaware was a part of Pennsylvania until 1703, the laws of the latter colony applied to Delaware. After that date Delaware was on its own, and the slave population increased at a somewhat more rapid rate than it did in Pennsylvania. As this occurred, Delaware drifted away from the parent colony and became more closely identified with the interests of the neighboring colonies to the south.

Slavery was never really successful in the Middle colonies. Their predominantly commercial economy, supplemented by subsistence agriculture, did not encourage the large-scale employment of slave labor, and many of the slaves that cleared through New York and Pennsylvania ports were later sent into the Southern colonies. Even where there were extensive agricultural enterprises there was no desire for slaves, for the Dutch, Swedes, and Germans cultivated their farms with meticulous care and seemed to prefer to do it themselves. There were those, moreover, who had moral scruples against using slaves. Thus, many in the Middle colonies welcomed the arguments against slavery that became more pronounced during the Revolutionary period.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

_______________

Our second topic for today is “Negro Religion in the City, Part 27: Negro Cults in the City, Part 13” from “The Negro Church in America” by E. Franklin Frazier.

The Moorish Science Temple represents the most radical secularization of Negro religion or of the Negro church in the city. While the regular denominations have increasingly focused attention upon the solution of the Negro’s problems or his salvation in this world, they have the essentials of traditional Negro religion. Likewise, in the ‘storefront’ churches, there is an attempt among the lower class to re-create in the urban environment a type of religious organization in which they can find warm and sympathetic association and status. In a sense these changes in the traditional religious life of the Negro are an attempt to escape from the hard conditions under which Negroes live in the cities and to find a meaning for living. This escape is most marked in those cults in which the Negro becomes a new person, as in the cult of the Black Jews and the Moorish Science Temple. This latter cult is especially important both because it provides the Negro with a kind of national identification and because of its extremely secular outlook. This secular outlook is becoming common among the masses who are without church affiliation and scorn the saying which was once popular among the humble masses: ‘Take the world and give me Jesus.’ It is also evident among those who though still affiliated with churches do not trust to the Providence of God alone, but hope that the ‘numbers,’ or chance, will bring them security or fortune. Among those who depend upon chance there are many who have a purely hedonistic outlook on life and organize their lives around ‘good-timing’. But most of them aspire to middle-class ideals and want to ‘get ahead’. All of this is the result of the uprooting of the Negro from his traditional social organization in which the Negro church was the most important institution and set the patterns of behaviour and thought and the values for the majority of Negroes.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

_______________

Our third and final topic for today is from “The Black Church in the U.S.: Its Origin, Growth, Contributions, and Outlook” by Dr. William A. Banks.

Today we are looking at part 21 of Chapter 5: “Radicalism: 1915 – 1953”

The Philadelphia Evening Bulletin editorialized, he

has achieved what many more formally organized denominations cry for–that the followers give up all that they have and commit themselves to the faith without stint. The cult has been, too, especially in its earlier days in the Depression, a sort of private war on poverty. It lifted people out of poverty, got them higher wages, gave them country estates…A New York alderman in 1939 estimated that Father Divine was saving the city 2 million dollars a year in relief payments alone…The honesty, obedience to law and diligence of his followers became a trade mark. And long before racial integration became a national issue he made it seem as natural and innocent as life in Eden…The Philadelphia area has lost one of its most memorable men.

The organization’s attorney said, “No matter what any body says, he has done a lot of good.” W. Martin replies,

One of the most common objections raised by many erstwhile do-gooders, who are almost totally ignorant of Biblical theology, is that Father Divine, while certainly in error, or mentally unbalanced regarding his obsession of his “deity,” has apparently done many wonderful works for others. Therefore these persons maintain that he is doing, in a sense, the works of God, ignorant though he may be of their origin and operation. To this apparently reasonable objection the Scriptures offer a complete refutation, for it was the Lord Jesus Himself who, when asked by the Jews, “What shall we do, that we might work the words of God?”, replied, “This is the work of God, that you believe on him whom he hath sent”. All of Father Divine’s good works are not the work of God, which is believing in and living for Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. This work in turn results in works that God reckons good, because they are done through Him, and not through the selfish motive of self-justification or personal glory.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

—

Let’s have a word of prayer.

In closing, allow me to say that like many of you, I grew up in a very religious and church-going family, and during that time, I often heard the phrase “Being Saved.” Now, much of what the church people whom I grew up around said “being saved” was I now know is wrong according to the Bible. For example, joining the church, being baptized, doing good things, or being a good person does not mean you are saved. I wrote an article about this matter titled “On ‘Being Saved’ in Black America” which is available for you to read free of charge on our website, gospellightsociety.com. Right now, I want to share with you very briefly what the Bible says “being saved” really is.

First, understand that you need to be saved because you are a sinner. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

Second, understand that a horrible punishment eternal Hell awaits those who are not saved. In Matthew 25:41, Jesus Christ said that God will say to those who are not saved, “depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”

Third, realize that God loves you very much and wants to save you from Hell. John 3:16 says, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

If you want to be saved from Hell and be guaranteed a home in Heaven, simply believe in Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose from the dead for your sins, and then call upon the Lord in prayer and ask Him to save your soul. And believe me, He will.

Romans 10:9-13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you do that today, then you can truly sing in the words of the Old Negro spiritual: Free at last, Free at last, Thank God Almighty I’m free at last.

Until next time, may God richly bless you.

History of Black Americans and the Black Church Episode #78

Gospel Light Society Podcasts · History of Black Americans and the Black Church Episode #78

This is Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International, with episode #78 of the The History of Black Americans and the Black Church podcast.

Our Scripture Verse for today is Galatians 2:20 which reads: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Our History of Black Americans and the Black Church quote for today is from Lee June, a professor at Michigan State University and the author of the book, “Yet With A Steady Beat: The Black Church through a Psychological and Biblical Lens.” He writes, “THREE PITFALLS TO AVOID: Pitfall One: The Functional Autonomy of Christianity. In observing what is occurring in some circles today, could one say that many churchgoers are searching for a “religious” experience devoid of the historical biblical expectation and expected commitment to Christ? That is, it seems that for some there is an awareness of the deep and rich faith heritage of our fore-parents, a concomitant desire to continue that heritage, but without replicating the historically deep commitment.

Where this happens, one finds only the symbols of Christianity, the trappings of Christianity, the aura of Christianity, the sounds of Christianity, the dress of Christianity, the words of Christianity, the beat of Christianity, and the “entertainment” of Christianity. One thus finds as an old TV commercial once highlighted “Parkay, but no butter.” I will describe the phenomenon as the functional autonomy of Christianity. Where this happens, the result is that the maximum benefits of Christianity have moved outside of the “Black Church.” When this happens, church attendance and membership may still be high, offerings may be higher, and the songs at first glance may sound the same, but upon closer scrutiny they are devoid of the deeper meanings and feelings. The pastor may still say the same things, but the words may produce different results. When this happens, the church has lost some of its grip on the people—or the salt still looks like salt but has lost its savor. When this happens, the church has lost its ability to be the healing community.

Many Christians and congregations do not fit the above descriptions. Such are still deeply committed, authentic, and providing the benefits of a healing community. Jesus Christ and the full spiritual and psychological benefits for them are still in the church. But even for those who are authentic and committed, it becomes increasingly difficult to reap and enjoy the full benefits of the healing community within this overall new environment.”

In this podcast, we are using as our texts: From Slavery to Freedom, by John Hope Franklin, The Negro Church in America by E. Franklin Frazier, and The Black Church In The U.S. by William A. Banks.

Our first topic for today is titled “Colonial Slavery, Part 12: The Middle Colonies, Part 3” from the book, “From Slavery to Freedom” by John Hope Franklin.

In Pennsylania there was some respect for blacks as human beings, and this attitude led to an early movement for manumission. Even those to whom the institution was acceptable shrank from the wholesale and indiscriminate enslavement of black people simply because it was possible to do so. Pennsylvania was not only relatively free from violence and interracial strife, but the blacks there made strides toward genuine accommodation to their new environment. The lines of communication between blacks and whites were not altogether closed, and the former gained much through these contacts. Schools and churches were a part of the lives of blacks, the institution of marriage was generally respected, and the black family achieved a stability unlike that reached by blacks in most English colonies.

Meanwhile, as early as 1636 slavery existed on the right bank of the Delaware. Since Delaware was a part of Pennsylvania until 1703, the laws of the latter colony applied to Delaware. After that date Delaware was on its own, and the slave population increased at a somewhat more rapid rate than it did in Pennsylvania. As this occurred, Delaware drifted away from the parent colony and became more closely identified with the interests of the neighboring colonies to the south.

Slavery was never really successful in the Middle colonies. Their predominantly commercial economy, supplemented by subsistence agriculture, did not encourage the large-scale employment of slave labor, and many of the slaves that cleared through New York and Pennsylvania ports were later sent into the Southern colonies. Even where there were extensive agricultural enterprises there was no desire for slaves, for the Dutch, Swedes, and Germans cultivated their farms with meticulous care and seemed to prefer to do it themselves. There were those, moreover, who had moral scruples against using slaves. Thus, many in the Middle colonies welcomed the arguments against slavery that became more pronounced during the Revolutionary period.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

_______________

Our second topic for today is “Negro Religion in the City, Part 27: Negro Cults in the City, Part 13” from “The Negro Church in America” by E. Franklin Frazier.

The Moorish Science Temple represents the most radical secularization of Negro religion or of the Negro church in the city. While the regular denominations have increasingly focused attention upon the solution of the Negro’s problems or his salvation in this world, they have the essentials of traditional Negro religion. Likewise, in the ‘storefront’ churches, there is an attempt among the lower class to re-create in the urban environment a type of religious organization in which they can find warm and sympathetic association and status. In a sense these changes in the traditional religious life of the Negro are an attempt to escape from the hard conditions under which Negroes live in the cities and to find a meaning for living. This escape is most marked in those cults in which the Negro becomes a new person, as in the cult of the Black Jews and the Moorish Science Temple. This latter cult is especially important both because it provides the Negro with a kind of national identification and because of its extremely secular outlook. This secular outlook is becoming common among the masses who are without church affiliation and scorn the saying which was once popular among the humble masses: ‘Take the world and give me Jesus.’ It is also evident among those who though still affiliated with churches do not trust to the Providence of God alone, but hope that the ‘numbers,’ or chance, will bring them security or fortune. Among those who depend upon chance there are many who have a purely hedonistic outlook on life and organize their lives around ‘good-timing’. But most of them aspire to middle-class ideals and want to ‘get ahead’. All of this is the result of the uprooting of the Negro from his traditional social organization in which the Negro church was the most important institution and set the patterns of behaviour and thought and the values for the majority of Negroes.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

_______________

Our third and final topic for today is from “The Black Church in the U.S.: Its Origin, Growth, Contributions, and Outlook” by Dr. William A. Banks.

Today we are looking at part 21 of Chapter 5: “Radicalism: 1915 – 1953”

The Philadelphia Evening Bulletin editorialized, he

has achieved what many more formally organized denominations cry for–that the followers give up all that they have and commit themselves to the faith without stint. The cult has been, too, especially in its earlier days in the Depression, a sort of private war on poverty. It lifted people out of poverty, got them higher wages, gave them country estates…A New York alderman in 1939 estimated that Father Divine was saving the city 2 million dollars a year in relief payments alone…The honesty, obedience to law and diligence of his followers became a trade mark. And long before racial integration became a national issue he made it seem as natural and innocent as life in Eden…The Philadelphia area has lost one of its most memorable men.

The organization’s attorney said, “No matter what any body says, he has done a lot of good.” W. Martin replies,

One of the most common objections raised by many erstwhile do-gooders, who are almost totally ignorant of Biblical theology, is that Father Divine, while certainly in error, or mentally unbalanced regarding his obsession of his “deity,” has apparently done many wonderful works for others. Therefore these persons maintain that he is doing, in a sense, the works of God, ignorant though he may be of their origin and operation. To this apparently reasonable objection the Scriptures offer a complete refutation, for it was the Lord Jesus Himself who, when asked by the Jews, “What shall we do, that we might work the words of God?”, replied, “This is the work of God, that you believe on him whom he hath sent”. All of Father Divine’s good works are not the work of God, which is believing in and living for Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. This work in turn results in works that God reckons good, because they are done through Him, and not through the selfish motive of self-justification or personal glory.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

—

Let’s have a word of prayer.

In closing, allow me to say that like many of you, I grew up in a very religious and church-going family, and during that time, I often heard the phrase “Being Saved.” Now, much of what the church people whom I grew up around said “being saved” was I now know is wrong according to the Bible. For example, joining the church, being baptized, doing good things, or being a good person does not mean you are saved. I wrote an article about this matter titled “On ‘Being Saved’ in Black America” which is available for you to read free of charge on our website, gospellightsociety.com. Right now, I want to share with you very briefly what the Bible says “being saved” really is.

First, understand that you need to be saved because you are a sinner. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

Second, understand that a horrible punishment eternal Hell awaits those who are not saved. In Matthew 25:41, Jesus Christ said that God will say to those who are not saved, “depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”

Third, realize that God loves you very much and wants to save you from Hell. John 3:16 says, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

If you want to be saved from Hell and be guaranteed a home in Heaven, simply believe in Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose from the dead for your sins, and then call upon the Lord in prayer and ask Him to save your soul. And believe me, He will.

Romans 10:9-13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you do that today, then you can truly sing in the words of the Old Negro spiritual: Free at last, Free at last, Thank God Almighty I’m free at last.

Until next time, may God richly bless you.

The History of Black Americans and the Black Church Episode #77

Gospel Light Society Podcasts · The History of Black Americans and the Black Church Episode #77

This is Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International, with episode #77 of the The History of Black Americans and the Black Church podcast.

Our Scripture Verse for today is Galatians 3:28 which reads: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Our History of Black Americans and the Black Church quote for today is from Lee June, a professor at Michigan State University and the author of the book, “Yet With A Steady Beat: The Black Church through a Psychological and Biblical Lens.” He writes, “Why is Islam very attractive to African American males and what must be done to make Christianity more attractive? In reference to this question, Lincoln and Mamiya suggested that the symbols of manhood projected by such prominent Muslims as Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali are factors. While this is undoubtedly true, Islam is also more aggressive in its outreach to males, particularly in the prison environment.”

In this podcast, we are using as our texts: From Slavery to Freedom, by John Hope Franklin, The Negro Church in America by E. Franklin Frazier, and The Black Church In The U.S. by William A. Banks.

Our first topic for today is titled “Colonial Slavery, Part 11: The Middle Colonies, Part 2” from the book, “From Slavery to Freedom” by John Hope Franklin.

The concentration of an increasing number of slaves in the city of New York brought with it increased dangers to the white population. Blacks defied authority and disobeyed the laws. In 1712 the ungovernable temper of New York blacks flared up into a fully organized insurrection in which twenty-three slaves armed with guns and knives met in an orchard and set fire to a slaveholder’s house. During the melee that followed nine whites were killed and six were injured. In the ensuing trial of the accused blacks twenty-one were found guilty and executed.

Almost thirty years later, in 1741, there was a rumor of an even larger insurrection. After a series of fires, the rumor spread that blacks and poor whites were conspiring to destroy law and order in the city and to seize control. After the city offered generous rewards for the apprehension of the conspirators, almost 200 whites and blacks were arrested and prosecuted. At least 100 blacks were convicted, 18 of whom were hanged, 13 burned alive,and 70 banished. Four whites, including 2 women, were hanged. There were no more serious outbursts during the colonial period, and by the time of the Revolution, New York had begun to recognize the moral and economic undesirability of holding human beings in bondage.

South of New York, the colonies of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware each in its own way subscribed to the institution of slavery. After the English came to dominate New Jersey, they encouraged slavery in every way. Soon, the black population there was growing steadily: 2,581 in 1726, 3,981 in 1738, and 4,606 in 1745 out of a population of 61,000. In Pennsylvania the growth was not so rapid, largely because of the opposition to slavery by the Quakers. In 1688 Germantown Quakers issued their celebrated protest, and in 1693 George Keith remonstrated with Pennsylvanians for holding persons in perpetual bondage. But in 1685 no less a person than William Penn himself expressed the view that African slaves were more satisfactory workers than white servants, and this had the effect of greatly encouraging slavery in some quarters. In 1721 the black population of Pennsylvania was estimated at between 2,500 and 5,000. Thirty years later there were about 11,000 in the colony. In 1790 there were 10,274 blacks, of whom 3,737 were slaves and 6,537 were free.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

_______________

Our second topic for today is “Negro Religion in the City, Part 26: Negro Cults in the City, Part 12” from “The Negro Church in America” by E. Franklin Frazier.

Something needs to be said about the beliefs and ritual and practices of the cult. The members of the various sects which have split off from the parent body live according to the teachings which have been divulged to Noble Drew Ali and are contained in the Holy Koran. Jesus figures largely in the Koran but Allah is God and He ordained his Prophet, Noble Drew Ali, to divulge his secrets to the dark folk of America. The charter of the Moorish Science Temple is supposed to have come from the ‘great capital empire of Egypt’. Negro (black) signifies death and coloured something painted. Therefore, the term Moorish-American must be used. In their religious services, which meet promptly and are dismissed promptly, the contents of the Holy Koran are expounded to the members. During the services, which are extremely quiet, men and women are segregated. ‘”Christmas” is observed on January fifth, the anniversary of the day when the prophet, Noble Drew Ali, was reincarnated.’ Members greet each other, the right hand up-raised and the palm turned out, with the words ‘Peace’ and ‘Islam’. There are a number of taboos, including the prohibition of the use of meat and eggs, the use of intoxicants, attendance at European games and the straightening of the hair.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

_______________

Our third and final topic for today is from “The Black Church in the U.S.: Its Origin, Growth, Contributions, and Outlook” by Dr. William A. Banks.

Today we are looking at part 20 of Chapter 5: “Radicalism: 1915 – 1953”

The Death of God: Father Divine died on September 10, 1965, leaving behind a million deluded followers. Mother Divine, pointing out that his death involved only the physical body, said, “Like Jesus, although his body is gone, he is still with us.” Much praise from various sources was given Father Divine upon his death. The Philadelphia Inquirer headlined: “Negro Leaders Grieve at Father Divine’s Death.” The article said,

Leaders of the Philadelphia Negro community expressed grief at the death of Father Divine on Friday and offered praise for the influence the Negro evangelist exerted on his followers. “I was deeply grieved to learn of his passing,” said the Rev. Leon H. Sullivan, founder of the O.I.C. and pastor of the Zion Baptist Church. “…In my opinion, he was the forerunner…of much that we see in the practical aspects of religion today. While many people were talking about what religion could do about integration and self-determination and human dignity, he was practicing it.”

Father Divine was called a “force for good and stability in the community” by U.S. Representative Robert N.C. Nix (D., Phila). Nix said Father Divine’s followers “were taught a high degree of morality…paid their bills…were good constructive citizens.” Father Divine’s death was described as a “great loss,” by Cecil B. Moore, president of the Philadelphia branch of the NAACP. “We think he lived and demonstrated by his life, principles we are fighting for.”

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

—

Let’s have a word of prayer.

In closing, allow me to say that like many of you, I grew up in a very religious and church-going family, and during that time, I often heard the phrase “Being Saved.” Now, much of what the church people whom I grew up around said “being saved” was I now know is wrong according to the Bible. For example, joining the church, being baptized, doing good things, or being a good person does not mean you are saved. I wrote an article about this matter titled “On ‘Being Saved’ in Black America” which is available for you to read free of charge on our website, gospellightsociety.com. Right now, I want to share with you very briefly what the Bible says “being saved” really is.

First, understand that you need to be saved because you are a sinner. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

Second, understand that a horrible punishment eternal Hell awaits those who are not saved. In Matthew 25:41, Jesus Christ said that God will say to those who are not saved, “depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”

Third, realize that God loves you very much and wants to save you from Hell. John 3:16 says, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

If you want to be saved from Hell and be guaranteed a home in Heaven, simply believe in Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose from the dead for your sins, and then call upon the Lord in prayer and ask Him to save your soul. And believe me, He will.

Romans 10:9-13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you do that today, then you can truly sing in the words of the Old Negro spiritual: Free at last, Free at last, Thank God Almighty I’m free at last.

Until next time, may God richly bless you.