Churches in the South often suffered during the recently-ended Civil War, many closing their doors during the war, in some instances never to open again. Few Baptist churches in the North were so drastically impacted by the war. In the case of abandoned meeting houses, the more typical scenario is that of a congregation moving…
Tensions between Southern white citizens and freedmen show no signs of abating. From Virginia to Texas, a tug of war is unfolding between Northern (American) Baptists who are aiding freedmen, and Southern Baptists who resent the meddling of Northerners. Today in Natchez, Mississippi, four black deacons of the Wall Street Baptist Church petition U.S. President…
John Henry Yates (1828-1897) was born into slavery in Virginia. Although Virginia law forbade the teaching of slaves to read or write, the children of Yates’ master taught a young Yates how to read. The Bible was his favorite book. As a young man he “married” (marriage being informal for slaves, due to state laws)…