Page 8 Portland Observer February 16, 1989
RELIGION
SUMMARY
KNOW ING THE BLACK
CHURCH: W HAT IT IS AND WHY
DR. C. ERIC LINCOLN
PROFESSOR OF RELIGION
AND CULTURE
DUKE UNIVERSITY
C hurch N ews «.
The independent Black church
movement is generally recognized as
the first Black stride toward freedom
and responsibility. The Black Church
as a distinctive com m union traces it
ancestry to the Free African Society
which was formed in Philadelphia in
1787 to escape the segregation and
denigration in the white churches of
that day. The Free African Society
was not itself a church, but a sort of
transitional fellowship designed to
sustain the faith, encourage moral
responsibility and provide mutual aid
for its m em bers until a more satisfac-
tory solution could be found. Two
local churches were eventually spun
off by the society: The African Protes-
tant Episcopal Church of St. Thomas,
and Bethel African M ethodist Episco-
pal Church Both churches were
dedicated in July of 1794. St. Thomas
remained within the existing Anglican
(Episcopalian) communion; Bethel
cient suostantive variation in the
underlying fabric which determines
the basic quality of the Black experi­
ence to precipitate a radical change in
Black religion. The values, interests
and aspirations remain constant
because the index of Black reality is
essentially the same.
Except for the Muslims, the Black
Church has experienced no serious
challenge to the spiritual hegemony it
has enjoyed for almost 200 years.
The Roman Catholic Church and the
United Methodist Church claim by far
the largest segments of “ affiliated
Blacks outside the independent Black
Church, but neither of those com-
munions represent a Black commit-
merit of substantial consequence. The
Presbyterians and the United Church
of Christ are very distant contenders,
Beyond that, the “oecumenical' hopes
that the Black Church would merge
eventually served all connections with itself into mainline white Christianity
become increasingly unrealistic the
the white Methodists and went on to more the dynam ics of religious ex­
become the “ Mother" of the first Black
pectations are understood.
denomination.
W e may safely conclude that in
The Black Church is usually un­
1988 The Black Church was engaged
derstood to mean the historic Black
in doing what it was a hundred years
communions or denom inations which
ago, but with significant new em pha­
are independent of white control, and
ses. The Church has always been a
which maintain their own structures
spiritual refuge with a social conscious­
of governance, finance, ritual, w or­
ness which has at some times and
ship and outreach. e Because
segre­ - places been more Pronounced than
n b en ched?hZ
gation remains an entrencneo pne a( Qthers W hj|e thjs unevenness
nomenon in religion in America, Black
exasperates those who have a one
churches or congregations even when
dimensional perspective of the Black
affiliated with white com m unions are
Church, its inherent genius is that it
with rare exceptions all Black, and the
recognizes man as both spirit and
spiritual and ritual ambience observed
body with a quality of needs which
there is rarely different from the norm
must be addressed, because both
in the independent Black churches. In
are constantly at risk in this society.
consequence, the “ G reater Black
The church is moving to address
C hurch," or the GBC refers to Black
congregations collectively, while “ Black these needs, not with perfect symme-
Church” is reserved for the churches try. but with persistence. Today’s Black
of the historically independently Black Church is struggling for relevance to
communions.
today's Black problems racism, drug
Seven national com m unions of the abuse; child care; health and welfare;
Black Church account for about 84 housing;counseling;unem ploym ent,
percent of the Black Christians in this teenage pregnancy ; and the whole
country. Three of the com m unions tragic malaise with which society in
are Methodist; three are Baptist, and general is burdened. It must address
the other one is Pentecostal, The all these social challenges without
Church of God in Christ. The remain- abandoning its distinctive mandate,
ing 16 percent of Black Christians are
The Black Church, 1989 is an-
distributed among the white Protes- chored in tradition and stretching for
tant and Catholic com m unions and a contem porary relevance trying as it
scattering of smaller independent Black always has to meet the peculiar, the
churches with limited local or provin- diverse, the urgent and pervasive
cial representation. The Islamic needs of its constituency,
com m unions are not included in this
bre a kd o w n of B lack C h ris tia n
churches, but it should not be over­
looked that the Muslims constitute a
growing presence in this country, and
their impact upon the Black estate
and the country at large must be a
consideration wherever religious in­
terests are seriously addressed.
The Black Church is by all odds the
dominant symbol of the African
presence in The United States, and
were it to suddenly suffer eclipse, it
would be extrem ely difficult to gather
convincing identifying marks of that
presence from the void. It was the
Black Church which was the nurturing
mother of Black freedom, Black pride,
Black ambition, music, education,
oratory, politics and self-respect. Out
of it cam e the first Black fraternal
orders, savings institutions, insurance
companies, educational institutions,
and the first glim m er of hope that
tomorrow could be better than
'yesterday; and that tom orrow begins
where today makes it decisions. In
the midst of its com petitiveness the
Black Church has been the matrix of
Black solidarity.
Am erica is experiencing a m as­
sive restructuring of spiritual values,
and inspirations that reflect new needs
and new insights as we confront a
post-war world with a bewildering
spectrum of new experiences. It is
precisely on the understanding of this
principle that the predictions of the
rapid dem ise of the Black Church
have foundered. The Black Church is
thriving because the traditional Black
experience is essentially intact. The
holding tenacity of the Black Church
suggests that there has been insuffi-
Shouts OfTriump
When we attend the basketball games
and the football games we SHOUT! and
YELL! When we are pleased with what
our team is doing. The pass is completed,
the crowd stands to its feet and clap their
hands for joy.
Now, we have to justify the clapping
of hands in worship of our Savior and
God. AMEN! alone is sometimes not
adequate enough. We must learn to
extol the greatness of God. (Psalms. 41)
When you begin to pray in the spirit
and clap your hands, you break the walls
of evil down. We must lift up the blood
of Jesus. There is something about the
power of praise.
Hasn’t God done anything for you
lately? Aren’t you still alive? Can’t you
walk? Can’t you talk? How do you get
back and forth from work everyday?
You got it! GOD.
You should raise your hands and
just praise his Holy Name.
So many people applaud for absolutely
any reason but we believers have the
power to bind the evil ones and the evil
doers by praising Him! If you are in the
hospital, Praise Him! If you are in
prison, praise Him! (Psalms 149.)
Give God the praise. Right now! As
you sit, stand or walk, praise Him. Take
time out of your busy day to give praise
and honor to the master of us all.
lord will give us songs of deliverance.
Songs lifted unto the Lord push out the
evil ones. (Acts 16, Jude 20, Romans
8:26)
The scripture is chocked full of the
Lord’s handy work. He can do anything
but fail.
If you are singing, SHOUT! If you
cannot preach, CLAP your hands. But,
whatever you do, give praise.honor and
glory to the Almighty God our Father
who made us and the heavens and the
earth beneath us.
Remember the words to this song...
When you can’t see your way,
When you think that you have gone
astray,
Doing all you know to do.
God has not forgotten you!
Hold your head up and he will see you
through.
God will open doors for you.
You can fight on through the darkest
days
Even though you’re heavy laden and
you can’t see your way
God will open doors for you.
Praise Him in the noon day, in the
morning, at night or at any time
Just praise Him!
PORTLAND OBSERVER
'The Eyes and Ears ot the Community
288-0033
S cripture
of the
W eek :
O B IT U A R Y
Almeta Green, bom February 18, 1922
in Texarkana, Arkansas deceased suddenly
February 9, 1989 in Portland, Oregon
alter a long illncss.She moved to Portland
in 1945 and married Jimmie Green in
1949. She was a devoted wife and loving
mother for 39 years. She is survived by
two sons, Steven Cole of Portland and
Phillip Green of Seattle, Washington.
The three daughters are Gail Green of
Los Angeles, California; Donna Green
of Seattle and Debra Green of Portland.
There are also two grandsons and two
grandaughters. There is one surviving
brother,Luther Cole of Portland and
three surviving sisters, Birdie Lee Taylor
of Portland ; Alice Muldrew of Texarkana,
Arkansas and Dorothy Gaddis of Pacoima,
California.
Funeral services were
observed Wednesday, February 15th at
the Chapel of the Chimes with the Rev.
Melvin Kane officiating. Internment
was at Sunset Hills Memorial Park.
zT
Almeta Green,
A New Ministry
Comes To Portland
ttope o f
Q (c ry
B ro a d c a s t
KBM S 1480-AM
SUNDAY
8:30 a.m. to
9:00 a.m.
SS
Motto:
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- - L g i Dial-A-Prayer ... (503) 286-HOPE
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(4673)
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You children of the King are little
rocks that are founded on the BIG rock,
Jesus Christ. The joy and praise of the
saints have strength that can break the
power of Hell, itself.
There is a spiritual language that we
believers should use when the enemy
comes in on us. Let me tell you, that
when it is properly applied the Holy
Spirit comes forth like a wall of water
and just washes away that temptation or
anger or rage or envy. The Lord hasn’t
lost a battle yet. (Acts 2.)
Try God and see what He can do. I
dare you.
Sing unto the Lord a new song. The
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