"Amen, Hallelujah, Praise the Lord, Glory, That's right," are a few of the phrases that can be heard every Sunday morning in African-American churches across the land. Several questions come to mind when thinking about the worship experience in an African-American church. Why is church so important in African-American life? Why do African-Americans worship the way they do? What are the differences between African-American churches and White churches?

The Importance of the African-American Church

During the 1800s, Blacks belonged to White churches. There was a big demand for Black churches. In the Black church, African-Americans could enjoy some freedom to do things their way without any interference from White people. This gave Black people dignity. The Black church presented "...a gospel of hope, with an emphasis upon the Loving Father who leads His suffering children through every [aspect] of life and reward them with a glorious life beyond the grave" (Olmstead, 278.)

Black people were considered less than human during slavery time. In the strange environment of slavery, the Negro had to work out a "technique of survival" (Mays, 1.) Some of these survival techniques were smiling and dancing when they would have ordinarily frowned or fought. The Negro also developed a keen sense of humor. The most important technique of survival developed was a religious technique. This technique is represented by the Negro spirituals and early efforts to establish the Negro church.

The creation of spirituals was not by accident. This was a crucial creation so the slave could adjust to the new conditions in the new world. Spirituals are "...expressions of the restrictions and domination which their creators experienced in the world about them. They represent the soul-life of the people" (2.) They symbolize the joy and sorrow, the hope and hopelessness of the newly moved people. Through these songs, the slaves could endure the suffering they were faced with and survive. Negro spirituals are not songs of hate or revenge. They are not songs of war or conquer.

The church is important in African-American life because it is a place where they can go and be someone important. It is relief from the hardships of the world. It is a place where they receive hope.

Worship in the African-American Church

Worship and Self-Realization

To fully understand worship in the African-American church, we must begin with the "thrust for self-realization" (McCall, 70.) African-Americans felt that their last hope was the White church because they were not allowed anywhere else White people were. Black people tried hard to fit in the White churches. "But for more than three hundred years the White church has been more concerned with immunity than community, with disaffiliation than with reconciliation" (70.) African-American people have been denied the right and privilege to participate in the White church. African-American people have been humiliated, embarrassed, harassed, attacked, arrested, and imprisoned for attempting to worship in the White churches of all denominations, historically. It is amazing that African-American people did not abandon Christianity entirely.

The Black church was developed because Black people needed self-realization. They had to leave the White church to be a part of the local body of Christ. There would have been a stunting of the moral and spiritual growth of Black Christians if they had remained in the "...dehumanizing and depersonalizing structure of White American "churchianity"" (Mays, 71.) The only way to achieve Black self-realization was to develop their own place of worship.

Worship and Steadfast Faith

One characteristic of the African-American church is a steadfast faith in God, the absolute sovereign power. "This faith must have been mysteriously and miraculously delivered to Black people" (McCall, 71.) Black people were able to identify with the Hebrew people who had been under the same type of bondage by Pharaoh in Egypt.

The absolute sovereign power of God is the basis for worship in the African-American church. The steadfast faith in this power is the key to worship in the African-American church. When African-American people meet to worship their Lord, it is because they know that He is the only one who can "unify their disconnected, disorganized, and fragmented existence" (73.)

Worship and Spiritual Ingenuity

Another characteristic of worship in the African-American church is spiritual ingenuity. Worship in the African-American church deals with only two truths. God and all people. Black people have always understood that in order to worship God, the neighbor had to be included. The Black church did not have policies denying membership or seating in the church because of race, creed, or color.

Since worship in the Black church includes both God and neighbor, there is a freedom of expression unlike anything in the world. This freedom allows congregations to transcend time, place, and condition. "A White pastor said to a Black pastor, "Why do you hold services so long?" The Black pastor answered: "We wait until the Holy Spirit comes. But you miss the Holy Spirit because you spend more time getting out of church than you do getting in"" (McCall, 74.) Black churches do not have any fixed rules of order. The services consist of singing, praying, preaching, and giving offerings.

"I believe no church has experienced music, instrumentally and otherwise, as [it] is creatively rendered in the Black church" (75.) The musician is creatively looking for the lost chord. The musician can play the congregation into ecstasy. The musicians and singers improve creatively. A song may be sung through two or three times. The chorus may be repeated forever without leading to monotony.

The most important part of worship in the African-American church is preaching. "There is absolutely nothing in heaven or on earth like a Black preacher" (75.) He is not merely a man saying nothing. He is a minister appointed to preach the lost people in to Heaven.

When Black slaves could not congregate in groups, the Black preacher devised ways of preaching to the slaves. He would have the water boy announce the service by singing through the fields the words from the Negro spiritual: "Steal Away." All the slaves knew where to meet for that night's worship. Another slave would be stationed near the big house to make sure that the slave masters could not hear the service. The following morning he would sing "O, I couldn't hear nobody pray," through the fields. The slave preacher gave such a strong description of Jesus' life. The slaves knew he could not read, so they asked him, "Were you there when they crucified my Lord?" (76.)

"It is said that on one Easter morning, he [Rev. John Jasper] was preaching and demonstrating how Jesus raised Lazarus from the grave. In the balcony was a White student from the Richmond Union Seminary with his son. John Jasper created an almost visible grave as he had Jesus bring Lazarus forth. Several times he said, "Jesus said to Lazarus, Come forth!" The student's little boy said, "Daddy, come, let's go." The student and the congregation were transfixed as Jasper had Jesus bring Lazarus forth. Finally, the son got up and said, "Daddy, let's go before he makes the man get up"" (76.)

Ingenuity is woven into the total religious experience of the African-American church. This can be seen in funeral services. Sad songs are not sung. There are no soulless eulogies. The funeral services would be the same as Sunday morning services, if it were not for the casket and the bereaving family.

At the funeral of a Holiness woman, the congregation had church. They shouted and praised the Lord as if she were in the land of the living. Her daughter was asked why are you so happy she said, "I am happy because my mother has gone home to be with the Lord."

Through spiritual ingenuity in the Black church, Black people can boast as John boasted in 1 John 3:2, "now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be."

Worship as Celebration

The last characteristic of worship in the African-American church is the act of celebration. The call to celebration is unrehearsed joyful enthusiasm. "What is it, you ask, that make Black people so joyful, so supremely happy? Why do they make so much noise over Christ and their newfound joy in their Lord?" (McCall, 78.) African-American people meet in church to celebrate God's sovereignty. When they are shouting and praising the Lord, they are acting as the children of Israel acted when they crossed the Red Sea. That was a time to celebrate, not be quiet. In this celebration, African-American people also renew their commitment to God. When African-Americans are in church they are having a party. At this party, they are celebrating Jesus.

Differences between African-American Churches and White Churches

The first difference between African-American churches and White churches is "the Black church is the church of the oppressed, and the White church is the church of the oppressor" (McCall, 14.) That is not to say that everyone identified with the White church is an oppressor, but it is the institution that the oppressor belongs to (McCall.)

The second difference is that the religion of the African-American church is a theology of survival. The religion is also a carrier of the Black folk culture. "If you want authentic American Black culture you must go to the Black church" (15.) The religion of the White church, with exceptions, has been American culture and racism. The religion of African-American people religion is a theology of hope.

The African-American church has been distinguished by a dynamic and free pulpit. The White church has had a confined pulpit. "The White pastor preaches, wondering if the trustees and deacons will approve. The Black preacher is primarily concerned with whether God will approve" (15-16.)

White churches are not exciting as African-American churches. Historically, few people have shouted and praised the Lord in White churches. White churches are usually quiet. African-American people make plenty of noise, whether they are at a White church or an African-American church. An African-American evangelist ran a revival for a White church. African-Americans came to the revival of course. The pastor of the White church later remarked, "I couldn't hear anything on Sunday night because they (the African-Americans) kept jumping up and down, making noise."

The African-American worship experience is indeed a very special one. It provides several things for the African-American. It provides them with self-realization, spiritual ingenuity, and a means of celebrating the Lord. The African-American worship can be summed up in the lyrics of a song sung by the Alabama State Choir... "It's all about worshipping Him...."

Bibliography

Mays, Benjamin Elijah and Nicholson. The Negro's Church. Arno Press and The New York Times, New York, 1969.

McCall, Emmanuel L. Black Church Life-Styles. Broadman Press, Nashville, Tennessee, 1986.