Established in 1841, the First Colored Baptist Church of Nashville consisted of slave members of the white-led First Baptist Church. From that point until the Civil War, the church functioned under the legally-required supervision of white Baptist leaders. Nelson G. Merry, a former mulatto slave, served as the church’s first pastor. With Merry as pastor…
Born a slave in Virginia in 1802, Wilkes B. Flagg learned the blacksmith trade in Georgia. His owners also allowed him to learn to read and write. With extra money earned from blacksmithing, Flagg purchased his freedom and that of his family. By 1850, Flagg had become a Baptist minister while he continued his blacksmithing.…
The Van Wert Baptist Church of Paulding County, Georgia closed its doors in late 1864 due to the battles raging in and around Atlanta. Reassembling in January 1865, the congregation since has struggled. The minutes of a church conference (business meeting) held this day refer to post-war realities. “After the opening of conference as usual,…