Far from the South, today in Indianapolis is the inaugural gathering of the State Convention of the Colored People of Indiana. Many Baptists are among those present. Delegates note that the Declaration of Independence “declares life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness as “inalienable rights of all men,” rights for which colored men “have fought,…
By the war years, white Baptists’ profession of belief in a literal Bible has become the norm throughout the South. As such, critics of a literal biblical interpretation, whether they be Christian or not, are often refuted and scoffed at by Southern Baptist divines. Many such critics are abolitionists, while others are learned individuals who…
On this last night of the year, free black Baptist congregations throughout the United States and Union-controlled areas of the South observe the January 1 anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation with a “watchnight” service of celebration and prayer for God-granted freedom. There is certainly much to celebrate. Tens of thousands of blacks have been emancipated…