Blog 24 Full Draft

Nagerrah Ingram

Eng 3029

Dr. Sally Chandler

April 29, 2014

The Growth of African American Churches

The African American church is a place where many find refuge. It has been around for centuries. The church has grown from secret meeting places to actual buildings. African Americans from all walks of life are accepted in the church. The African American church is a part of a culture that is adopted by African Americans. There are many behaviors, rituals, and lexis that the African American church has within the community. There are practices and beliefs that have shifted over the years. Many of the churches will not open up to the changes that are taking place in the African American church. In this essay I will analyze old behaviors of the church, and also the new behaviors that have grown. Beverly J. Moss completed a study on the African American church as a community in itself titled “A Community Text Arises.”

            In many traditional churches, specifically Pentecostal and Baptist churches, women are viewed as just members of the congregation. If the women are active in they are usually nurses. They get water, mints, or a towel for the preacher. It is very rare in these traditional churches for women to stand behind the pulpit and deliver the word of God. The women are to be seen and not heard. It even gets down to the attire they are allowed to wear. Women are not allowed to wear pants in the sanctuary, their hair must be covered, and they cannot wear clothing that is sleeveless. In this essay I will examine the roles of women in traditional African American churches from a woman’s point of view. I will examine the growth and how and if things have changed over the years.

Literary Review

            The study done by Beverly J. Moss discovered many findings about the African American church. Even though there are some denominational barriers that can be seen as a separation of the church, the African American church is still a growing community. Many influences rise out of the African American church. The study says “traditional black church is the oldest and perhaps still the most powerful and influential black institution.”(p. 18). The inspiration of the African American church goes beyond the four walls of the sanctuary. In the text, it talks about the church being the heart of black culture. In many homes, the African American church is no mystery; the church is a part of everyday life.

            Even during slavery, it was the African church that people found as a safe haven. This was a community for them. They would sneak off and have church in private places so no one would know. They would sing songs and preach the word of God. The church became a community for the Africans when they would go to their secret meetings. (p.21). As the book says, they had their own world, which translates as a community. The African American churches were all around the south. The communities in the south were classified by the church they attended.

The church also plays a role in many aspects of the surrounding communities. The book describes it like this “The African American church plays a role in shaping, maintaining, and enhancing social order and communal solidarity.”  With that being said, this means that the community of the church continues to grow today. It grows not only in numbers, but in the way things are handled.  The way that women are viewed changed, the way the sermons come forth changed, and eve the songs that are sang.

Furthermore, the role of the minister is important. Their role is important first because they deliver the word of God and two because they are influential. The ministers are the central leaders in the churches. The minister is not only the heads of ministries, but they are the people who have to approve what happens in the church. They are the first person people see when they are observing the church. If a church has a minister that preaches well, then people want to be part of the ministry.

Also, the pastor engages in a certain lexis that is understood by the church. When the minister says certain things, it is already understood. The book uses a loaded term when it says the preacher must “sound black.” Many question rise because they want to know what that term means. With all the questions that may come up one thing is true, it is a part of developing a community. The minister uses his or her rhetorical skills to reach the people. Sounding black is important because it assures the audience that the minister is still one of them.

 

 

Methods

The subject of this study is a female pastor. She has been preaching for 13 years, but she has been a pastor for nearly a year. She has a BA in Christian Counseling and is currently pursuing a PhD in the Counseling as well. I have known the subject for a long time and I have watched her ministry grow. She has experienced a lot as a minister and I chose her because she will help me to examine gender roles.

I will refer to the subject as PG in this interview. Interviewing PG was a difficult experience. To start, it was hard to get in touch with her because she is a very busy woman. I interviewed her after church. It was a little difficult interviewing her there because people would stop to hug her or even want to have a conversation.

After while it slowed down, but because we have time constraints and the church isn’t our own building. I was a little bit nervous in speaking with her at first. I wasn’t sure that she would open up as she did. I didn’t sense initially that PG was nervous in speaking with me. She was open and seemed comfortable.

 

The second interview was a lot better. We were sitting at a table with nothing, but a little classical music to keep her focused. I will admit it; I needed to calm my nervousness down. PG was more comfortable because we were at one of the church elder’s house. It was easier to talk to her this time because she was more focused and not drained from the morning service.

Data Analysis

The process of the interview was difficult. In the interview with pastor PG, it was uncomfortable. You can tell by the scattered conversation. G thought it would be different interviewing a female pastor, but it wasn’t easier to converse with her. It was probably because she is somewhat common because she is seen in the pulpit preaching on Sunday mornings. More conversation was added, with small conversations. It is hard to interview someone with a higher stature and also a large platform. She has preached all over, many people recognize who she is. It was a different experience because I have watched her preach and lay hands on people. I needed to find a way to be a comfortable with her place in ministry.

G: Hello how was your day?

PG:  Hello, my day is just getting started. Off to a pretty good start. I’m a little sleepy, but hey what’s new.

G: It’s nothing new really. School, that’s all. I’m just trying to keep my grades up.

PG: That’s always a good thing. What’s your GPA?

G: Yeah, I’m trying. My GPA is a 3.1. I’m trying to get it higher.

PG: Just work hard. You can do it. What did you want to talk to be about?

           

When G asked the relationship with the choir it seemed like the interview sped up. The response to the choir about PG’s relationship with the choir her answer was loaded.

G: I just would like to talk to you about your relationship as pastor, with the choir. Is that alright?

PG: My relationship with the choir is a fairly decent relationship. I understand the importance of the choir in relation to the delivery of the message from God. I believe the choir has first contact with the congregants in relation to preparing their hearts to receive the message. Therefore, they need to be in tune with the flow of the service to ensure they are aligned with what needs to be shared with the people on that day. I believe my ministry and that of the choir walks side by side because the choir can minister a song that will be right on target of where the Lord is leading and it will help to facilitate a life changing moment for someone.

G thought the interview would get better. The questions that were prepared seemed like the interview would be solely about her relationship with the choir. The questions that were prepared were in expectation of the choir being the focus.

G: In all of your years of ministry, how relevant is the choir during your sermons?

PG: I can honestly say in my ministry the choir hasn’t played that large of a role in sermon delivery.

 G: In all of your years of ministry, how relevant is the choir during your sermons?

PG: I can honestly say in my ministry the choir hasn’t played that large of a role in sermon delivery.

G: Does song selection matter?

PG: Song selection and flexibility I key in the flow of any worship service.

 

The replies from PG were slow.  The replies weren’t what G expected. At this point G was the dominant in the interview. G tried to get the focus questioned answered. The focus question was, to analyze the relationship between the pastor with sermons and the choir. However, as the interview continues the question is far from being answered. G had to think of something that would escalate the conversation. So she asked about PG’s experiences as a minister of the gospel. PG had more to say. The level of comfort was better. 

Her experiences as a preacher overall didn’t revolve around what the choir sang. She had one experience where the choir sang a song that changed her sermon. She listened to the voice of God that changed her message. The choir sang a song about praise and God gave her a message about praise.

PG: I recall preaching at Citadel Of Hope and the choir sang a song, Send up Judah and immediately God impressed upon my heart to share a message titled, Send Judah(Praise) first.

            After PG began to share her experiences as a minister, she was comfortable. She said that her level of comfortability is more with the youth and young adults. She said how her ministry changed. At this point of the interview she became the dominant person in the interview. She gave her experiences with a traditional pastor and congregation. She talked about how uncomfortable she was.

 

PG: My experiences with preaching have been a journey, one of stretching and growing, a very rewarding journey. Since, I first came to realize the call of servant hood in the capacity of preaching at a young age I had the struggle of growing in life and God at the same time, a challenge in and of itself. One example of a challenging yet rewarding experience was being a young lady newly licensed in ministry and coming in contact with a gentleman that did not “believe” in women preachers. He was very vocal and starch with his opinions, and made no attempt to hide his thoughts. This particular Sunday I am on schedule to deliver that morning’s message. He openly said, “ I did not come here to hear a woman, the Lord said women are to be silent” I immediately started feeling all types of emotions, fear, anger, intimidation to say the least. I remember standing in the pulpit and looking over towards that man and praying that God would just have his way in me.

 

I sense that at that point PG felt how G felt at the beginning of this conversation. She was a new and young preacher and had to speak in front of a congregation that didn’t like to or wasn’t use to hearing a young woman preacher. They were not use to seeing a woman behind the pulpit. At this point she began to pray for herself.

So I shared the message from Ps. 23_ “ Will you be my Entourage” In reference to Grace and Mercy following us all the days of our life. I stayed focused and on target about what my assignment was on that day. I made it through the message at the end of the service this gentleman approached me and said,” I must shake your hand, I don’t have a liking for women preachers but I must say the hand of God is on your life and you preached a very good message today” Those that know this man including his brother was floored. They shared with me that he NEVER compliments a female preacher. 

 

 

            The questions changed, as well as the focus. My focus question is now how it is difficult to interview a person of stature. As you may notice in the excerpts, the beginning was a little rough. The interviewer and interviewee were to a rough start. After PG got comfortable or found something that she wanted to talk about, their conversation became easier to flow.

Furthermore, the second interview was a complete success. In this interview, PG shared more information about the African American church. After we got xover the priliminaries of the interview, we were able to have a good conversation.

G: How would you describe your experiences as a member of an African American church?

PG: I would describe it as a journey. I was say I had a lot of both good and bad experiences.

G: Bad experiences?

PG: Yes, bad. Just there other week I had to preach at a church, traditional black, of course, and they sat me in the back of the church. See I’m not the type of person that will throw around my title, so I stay there. The service started, everyone was singing, dancing, and clapping their hands, but when they asked for the preacher I raised my hand, from the back of the church.

G: Wow that really happened? Is that the first time that happened?

PG: No it isn’t the first time. That was one of many times that has happened to me.

G: Do you know why that happens?

PG: My guess is as good as yours. But I honestly think it’s of my age. I started preaching when I was 19 years old. I have very young features and the older church don’t feel that young people hear from God.

 

As fore stated, PG was more comfortable. She has a lot of experience with the features of the African American church. She had no problem sharing. She was comfortable and she even used a little humor.

 

 

 

Conclusion

In conclusion, the interview with PG and the book by Beverly J. Moss I noticed a lot about the African American church. Even though Beverly J. Moss' finding were more rural, her findings were relevant in my observations as well. The African American church has developed over the years. It has developed from secret meetings to a church building. It developed from only male preachers to female preachers. There was a journey beginning with African churches to African American churches. There was even a journey with PG in her ministry. She went from being a young preacher who was intimidated by a man, to being a pastor of a congregation. My subject was an example of how women are discriminated against and even age. Everyone is welcome in the African American church, but there are so many things that aren’t understood. I have been in the African American church all my life, but until this study was done, I would not have known about the roles women in the church.