The formation of autonomous black Baptist churches in the South continues unabated. Today in the deep South town of Albany, Georgia the Mount Zion Baptist church is established in a blacksmith shop on the corner of State and Jackson streets. The Rev. R. R. Watson is the church’s founding pastor. Within six months a second…
Today the Fourth Baptist Church, an African American congregation, is established in Richmond, Virginia. It is one of hundreds of black Baptist churches formed in the immediate post-war months as freedmen depart white churches, and white supervision, to form their own autonomous congregations. A historical marker tells the church’s story: “Fourth Baptist Church is the…
Today the first Convention of Colored Citizens of the State of Arkansas is gathered in Little Rock. Many Baptists are among those present. The purpose of the convention is to exert the rights of freedmen and ensure that white Southerners respect their freedom. The road thus far has been brutal, and a future of true…