pastors -

God's Man | Rev Francis Grimke

Carlton Matthews — Fri, 28 Feb 2014 16:00:00 GMT

Photo Credit from http://thelionofanacostia.wordpress.com/

Today I am highlighting the final Pastor from the Faithful Preacher: Recapturing the Vision of Three Pioneering African-American Pastors by Thabiti M. Anyabwile. His name is Rev. Francis James Grimké. He was born to a slave mother, Nancy Weston, in 1850 and her owner, Henry Grimké. The elder Grimké was a well respected Jurist in South Carolina. He helped to draft the Slave codes that I mentioned yesterday in our discussion of Daniel Payne. In Lift Up Thy Voice: The Sarah and Angelina Grimké Family’s Journey from Slaveholders to Civil Rights Leaders by Mark Perry, which highlights the rise of Francis Grimké's older sisters, Sarah recalled her father scolding her harshly for teaching her slave to read. The Grimké Sisters would go on to become leading abolitionists.

When the elder Grimké died Francis and his 2 brothers were given to his half-brother with the "understanding" that they would be regarded as family. This would, for a time, provide them with some level of freedom. After a few years, however, this half-brother attempted to give to his wife as her personal slaves. Francis avoided this by joining the Confederate Army and evading his older half-brother until Emancipation.

From this tumultuous start Francis and his surviving brother Archibold moved to the North (Mass) and were educated. Francis went on to study medicine at Jefferson College in PA where he graduated as Valedictorian in 1870. The following year he began to study Law at Howard University in Washington, DC.

At Howard we felt called to Christian Ministry and he left pursued Theological Studies at Princeton Theological Seminary under Charles Hodge who was the president at the time. Acknowledging God as revealed in the Scriptures he wrote this in his journal in 1936, "I accept, and accept without reservation, the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as God’s Word, sent to Adam’s sinful race and pointing out the only way by which it can be saved. [W]ithout the Holy Scriptures and what they reveal, there is no hope for humanity. To build on anything else is to build on the sand."

After leaving Princeton in 1878 he became the Reverend of the 15th Street Presbyterian Church in DC. He would spend almost all of his 60 years in Christian Ministry at 15th Street. His ministry spanned from Reconstruction to the post-World War I era. While first and foremost to him was his calling to be a Pastor he also served as a Trustee at Howard University, helping to found the NAACP, advocating for suffrage and other public aims.

From his pulpit he continued to train and disciple. His sermon, "The Afro-American Pulpit and Its Relation to Race Elevation" called the African American Churches to move beyond the levity, emotionalism, and frivolity of the day to a high calling of Christian Discipleship and Service. As a counter point his sermon, "Christianity and Race Prejudice" called out the White church of that era for its duplicity on race related issues.

Again this is longer than I intended but I hope that you have been blessed by learning about these Pastors. Rev. Grimké reminds me that the calling to be a Pastor is a serious one and that there is no separation in your life. The Christian should do everything to the Glory of God.

God's Man | Daniel Alexander Payne

Carlton Matthews — Wed, 26 Feb 2014 16:00:00 GMT

Photo Credit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Payne

Today I would like to highlight Bishop Daniel Alexander Payne. Born in 1811 during the height of slavery he and his family were not slaves. His parents were free blacks living in South Carolina. They were also devout members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.By age 10 he had lost both of his parents and was being raised by his Aunt. It was not the practice to educate blacks during this time but Payne was introduced to the Members Moralist Society. This Group, established by free blacks, was committed to “educate orphan or indigent colored children, and also to provide for their necessary wants.”By 1829, at 19, he had opened his first school teaching children and adults alike. This first school failed but he regrouped and started again and by 1835 he was teaching and housing 60 students.In 1835 however this school ended when the South Carolina Legislature passed South Carolina General Assembly passed Act No. 2639, An Act to Amend the Law Relating to Slaves and Free Persons of Color. This act made it illegal to be taught as a slave and also made it illegal to teach slaves. By penalty of fine and the lash.He would go on to founding another school in Philadelphia, become the 6th Bishop of the A.M.E. Church. On becoming the Bishop he noted, "I trembled from head to foot, and wept. I knew that I was unworthy the office, because I had neither the physical strength, the learning, nor the sanctity which makes one fit for such a high, holy, and responsible position. . . . I prayed earnestly that God would take away my life rather than allow me to be put into an office for which I felt myself so utterly unfit." He held the position of Pastor in high esteem.He stressed educating yourself as a high goal. He also felt that theological training was as important. I wish I had more space but I will cap it off with this. He was insistent that we examine those who would accept the high calling of Pastor. It is something that I struggled with and still do. He said this, "Whenever a young man comes forward, and tells us that he is called to the ministry, let us examine him rigidly, according to our excellent discipline and the requisitions of God’s word. It is not enough that he tells us God has called him; let him show the evidences of his call. Some of us are too credulous. If a man tells us that he is called to this work, we believe without proof;without any qualification, we are ready to push him into the sacred office. His say so is not enough." Payne concluded with this, “Some men have gifts, but no graces. Others have graces, but no gifts. Neither of these are wanted in the Christian ministry.”

God's Man | Lemuel Haynes

Carlton Matthews — Mon, 24 Feb 2014 16:00:00 GMT

Photo Credit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemuel_Haynes

Today I am highlighting Rev Lemuel Haynes. He was an African American preacher born in 1753. After being abandoned at 5 months he was raised by a white family as an indentured servant. After his indenture he volunteered as a Minuteman in 1774 and joined the Continental Army in 1776 where he fought for America's independence. He was licensed to preach in 1780 after formal ministry training in Hebrew and Greek. He was ordained in 1785, becoming the first African American ordained by a religious body. In 1804 he was awarded a honorary Master's Degree by Middlebury College which was another first.After being denied a pastorate in Connecticut despite serving faithfully for 5 years Haynes would go on to Pastor the West Parish of Rutland, Vermont for 30 years.He preached 5500 sermons and presided over 1500 sabbath services.At his funeral in 1833 he had these self-penned words read."Here lies the dust of a poor hell-deserving sinner, who ventured into eternity trusting wholly on the merits of Christ for salvation. In the full belief of the great doctrines he preached while on earth, he invites his children and all who read this, to trust their eternal interest on the same foundation”Lemuel Haynes was called the Black Puritan due to the influence of folks like George Whitfield and John Owen.I hope you don't mind this long post. I probably should have blogged it.Much of this information comes from a book that I read shortly before I was ordained called The Faithful Preacher by Thabiti Anybiwile.