Amidst the war, the First African Baptist Church of Savannah, Georgia continues to thrive. Many African Baptists prefer to attend all-black congregations, although even then white ministers maintain a hand in overseeing the operations of such congregations in the South. Savannah’s First African Baptist congregation is comprised of both enslaved and free Africans. The church…
For white citizens, New Year’s Day in Augusta, Georgia is filled with hope for the coming months. Augusta, a large and important city in the state, is also the birthplace of the Southern Baptist Convention. The SBC had been founded in 1845 in the city’s First Baptist Church, at a south-wide convention called by leading…
In the deep South, Union forces now have a secure hold on the South Carolina coast. Beaufort is under control of the 100th Pennsylvania Regiment, the men of whom are convinced they are following the directive of God in ensuring the welfare of the freedmen under their protection, following a victorious fall campaign against Confederate…