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ts-wicked-wonders · 23 hours ago

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Dr. Charles Colcock Jones and How to Make a Negro Christian: The Weaponization of Religion in Slavery

Throughout history, religion has been used both as a force of liberation and a tool of oppression. One of the most glaring examples of its manipulation for control is the work of Dr. Charles Colcock Jones, a 19th-century Presbyterian minister and slaveholder, who wrote How to Make a Negro Christian. His book, published in the 1830s, was not just a theological guide but a strategic blueprint for ensuring that enslaved Africans remained subservient through the selective use of Christianity.

Jones’ teachings were a product of his time, yet their impact extended beyond the antebellum South, shaping the racialized structure of American Christianity well into the modern era. To fully understand his work, we must examine the broader historical context of religious instruction in slavery, the resistance of enslaved Africans, and the long-term effects of his ideology.

Who Was Dr. Charles Colcock Jones?

Dr. Charles Colcock Jones (1804–1863) was a Southern Presbyterian minister, theologian, and plantation owner from Georgia, deeply invested in the religious instruction of enslaved people. A product of the American South’s elite, he was educated at Princeton Theological Seminary, where he was influenced by the growing evangelical movement. Unlike some of his Northern contemporaries who leaned toward abolitionism, Jones developed a religious framework that justified slavery as divinely sanctioned.

Jones saw himself as a missionary to enslaved Africans, but his mission was not about freedom or justice—it was about control. He believed that Christianity could be used to “civilize” Black people, reinforcing the racist ideology that they were inherently inferior and needed white guidance. His approach aligned with the broader Southern religious philosophy that sought to harmonize Christian teachings with the economic and social realities of slavery.

The Purpose of How to Make a Negro Christian

Published during the height of slavery, How to Make a Negro Christian was a manual designed to aid slaveowners and clergy in converting enslaved Africans while ensuring that their faith did not lead to rebellion or demands for equality. The book promoted several key ideas:

1. Selective Christianity

Jones advocated for teaching a version of Christianity that emphasized obedience, humility, and submission. He instructed slaveowners and ministers to avoid biblical passages that spoke of freedom, justice, or God’s wrath against oppressors. Instead, they were to focus on scriptures like:

• Ephesians 6:5: “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.”

• Colossians 3:22: “Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything…”

While these verses were emphasized, others—such as Exodus 9:1, where Moses demands Pharaoh to “Let my people go”—were ignored or forbidden.

2. Religion as a Tool for Social Control

Jones believed that a properly indoctrinated enslaved population would be more docile and less likely to resist their condition. He promoted church services where white ministers reinforced the idea that slavery was God’s will and that rebellion was a sin.

3. White Supervision Over Black Worship

One of Jones’ biggest fears was that unsupervised Black worship could lead to resistance. He insisted that all religious instruction be conducted under white oversight, ensuring that enslaved people did not develop independent theological interpretations that could inspire insurrection.

4. Justification of Slavery as a Moral Good

Jones argued that slavery was not only biblically justified but beneficial for Black people, claiming that Christianizing them was an act of mercy. This belief was common among pro-slavery theologians, who framed slavery as part of a divine plan to uplift so-called “heathens.”

The Broader Historical Context: Religion, Slavery, and Resistance

While Jones’ ideas were influential, they were not universally accepted. Religion was a battleground between the oppressors and the oppressed.

How Slaveholders Used Christianity to Justify Slavery

From the colonial period onward, European colonizers and American slaveholders struggled with the question of whether enslaved Africans could be converted to Christianity. In the early 18th century, some slaveholders resisted Christianizing enslaved people, fearing that baptism might require them to grant them freedom. However, by the 19th century, Southern theologians developed doctrines to reconcile Christianity with slavery, arguing that slavery was part of God’s order.

Churches in the South became deeply complicit in slavery, with major denominations��including the Southern Baptist Convention (founded in 1845)—splitting from their Northern counterparts over the issue. Jones’ work reinforced this theological framework, cementing Christianity as a pillar of the slave system.

Enslaved Africans’ Resistance and Reinterpretation of Christianity

Despite the efforts of Jones and other pro-slavery theologians, enslaved Africans did not passively accept this manipulated version of Christianity. Instead, they reinterpreted biblical stories to reflect their own struggle for freedom.

• The Exodus story: Enslaved people saw themselves as the Israelites and slaveholders as Pharaoh. The story of Moses leading his people out of bondage became a source of inspiration, fueling revolts and escape attempts.

• Jesus as a Liberator: While Jones framed Jesus as a figure who encouraged submission, enslaved preachers saw him as a revolutionary who stood against oppression.

• The Invisible Church: Since official church services were often controlled by white overseers, enslaved Africans formed secret gatherings, known as the “invisible church,” where they worshipped in their own way—often in hush arbors deep in the woods. These meetings became centers of resistance and community strength.

The Long-Term Impact of Jones’ Teachings

Jones’ work did not disappear with the end of slavery. The ideology of a submissive, obedient Black Christian persisted in the form of:

• Post-Reconstruction religious racism: After the Civil War, white-dominated churches continued to push teachings that emphasized Black subservience.

• The rise of the Black Church as a counterforce: In response, African Americans built their own churches, which became centers for social activism, leading to movements like the Civil Rights Movement.

• Modern echoes in white evangelicalism: Even today, some strands of American Christianity reflect Jones’ legacy, as certain theological arguments are used to discourage political activism among Black communities.

Legacy and Modern Reflections

Dr. Charles Colcock Jones represents the darkest side of religious manipulation—how faith, when controlled by oppressors, can be used to reinforce systemic injustice. However, his efforts ultimately failed in their intended goal. Instead of pacifying enslaved people, Christianity became a tool of resistance.

From Nat Turner’s rebellion to the leadership of Martin Luther King Jr., Black Christians have continually reclaimed their faith, transforming it into a source of strength and liberation rather than submission.

Understanding Jones’ work is crucial because it sheds light on how religion has been used to justify oppression—and how those oppressed have always found ways to resist. His book may have been titled How to Make a Negro Christian, but history shows that enslaved Africans and their descendants made Christianity their own, using it to fight for justice, dignity, and freedom.

Final Thoughts

Dr. Charles Colcock Jones’ teachings are a cautionary tale about the power of religious narratives. They remind us that faith, when distorted, can serve as a weapon of oppression. But more importantly, they also demonstrate the resilience of those who refuse to let their spiritual beliefs be used against them.

Blog by Tandra Jones

What to read more blogs, newsletters etc. go subscribe to be a wicked subscriber: www.Tswickedwonders.com

What are your thoughts on Jones’ impact? How do you see the legacy of religious control playing out today? Let’s continue this conversation in the comments.

#black history #black history month #black tumblr #black americans #african america history #american history

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lboogie1906 · 10 months ago

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Lucy Craft Laney (April 13, 1854 - October 23, 1923) educator, school founder, and civil rights activist was born in Macon, Georgia to free parents Louisa and David Laney. David Laney, a Presbyterian minister and skilled carpenter, had purchased his freedom approximately twenty years before her birth. He purchased Louisa’s freedom after they were married. She learned to read and write by the age of four, and by the time she was twelve, she was able to translate difficult passages in Latin, including Julius Caesar’s Commentaries on the Gallic War.

She joined Atlanta University’s first class, she graduated from the teacher’s training program. After teaching for ten years in Macon, Savannah, Milledgeville, and Augusta, she opened her school in the basement of Christ Presbyterian Church in Augusta in 1883. Originally intended only for girls, when several boys appeared, she accepted them as pupils as well. By the end of the second year, over 200 African American children were pupils at her school. Three years after the founding of the school, the state-licensed it as Haines Normal and Industrial Institute. The school was named after Francine E.H. Haines, a lifetime benefactor of the school who donated $10,000 to establish the institute. In the 1890s, the Haines Institute was the first school to offer a kindergarten class for African American children in Georgia. By 1912 it employed thirty-four teachers and had over nine hundred students enrolled. The most prominent graduate of Haines Institute was Frank Yerby, the noted author.

She helped to found the Augusta branch of the NAACP. She was active in the Interracial Commission, the National Association of Colored Women, and the Niagara Movement. She helped to integrate the community work of the YMCA and YWCA. She served as the director of the cultural center for Augusta’s African American community.

She was one of the first African Americans to have her portrait displayed in the Georgia state capital in Atlanta. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

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johnhardinsawyer · 19 days ago

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Straight from the Heart

John Sawyer

Bedford Presbyterian Church

1 / 26 / 25 – Third Sunday after Epiphany

Luke 4:14-21

Nehemiah 8:1-10

“Straight from the Heart”

(Fulfilling the Scriptures)

This past week, snow fell on Macon, Georgia – my hometown – for the first time in a long time. One of our family friends in Macon said that his grandchildren were seeing snow for the first time in their lives. Now, for those of us who live in New Hampshire, snow is a fairly regular occurrence, but snow in Macon, Georgia is a rarity. I lived in Macon for eighteen years and can only remember one or two snowfalls that amounted to more than flurries. So, this week, Amy and I were curious how our friends and family back home were doing during Snowmaggeddon 2025, so we checked with Channel 13 WMAZ. [“Straight from the Heart”].

If you’re not familiar with 13 WMAZ [“Straight from the Heart”] it’s basically the WMUR of Middle Georgia – the most popular local TV news station. So, if you want to know what’s going on in middle Georgia, 13 WMAZ [“Straight from the Heart”] is the place to go to get the news. We’ve been gone from middle Georgia for twelve winters, as of this year, but we know that if we need some local news, we go to 13 WMAZ [“Straight from the Heart”].

Oh, and did I mention that, for years, 13 WMAZ [“Straight from the Heart”], had a little song that they used to remind everyone that they did their work of local news, weather, and sports in the heart of Georgia and they did this work straight from their hearts, with love and dedication.

When we talk about the heart in a literal sense, we are talking, yes, about the amazing organ made of muscle that resides in our chest which beats 100,000 times a day and pumps blood, and oxygen, and nutrients throughout our bodies from before the time we are born until we draw our final breath. But when we talk about the heart, we are also talking, in a figurative sense, about that which is central and essential to who we are. Even though, scientifically, we know and feel things with our brains and our physical hearts do not have the capacity to think or feel, we will often say that we know or feel something in our hearts. In addition, to talk about “the heart” could also mean something which is central and essential to something that we know or believe. For example, years ago, there was a popular song on Christian radio called “The Heart of Worship” which was about how the true heart of worship (and all that we do, here) is Jesus.[1]

If I were to ask you to say what you believe the heart of the Christian faith is, or what the heart of the gospel is, or what the heart of the Bible is, and if you were to speak straight from the heart, I wonder what you might say. I wonder if there is something – some guiding verse of scripture, some guiding principle or theological doctrine – that you trust to be truein your heart about God, or about your faith, that you hold so deeply and it gives your life meaning, and purpose, and connection. The Bible is so rich and full of meaning for so many people. It’s fascinating, though – and maybe not surprising – different people tend to latch on to different parts.

So, if someone tells you, “I believe in the Bible,” it would be wise to ask, “In what ways does the Bible speak clearly to you, and define your belief system, and world view? What is the heart of the Bible for you?” There are some who aredrawn, especially, to the blood and suffering of Jesus. There are others who concentrate, primarily, on the legalistic side of things when it comes to personal purity. There are others who will focus on God’s call for justice to the oppressed. And others, still, who focus largely on the teachings of Jesus. There are some, at present, who are making a big deal out of being subject to the will of the governing authorities from Romans 13. And there are others, who are making a big deal, about not doing this – following after the example of prophets, apostles, and even Jesus, himself, speaking truth to power.

For all kinds of reasons, our hearts are drawn to different aspects of who God is and what the Bible has to say. Maybe this is due to how we were raised, or what we learned in school, or our life’s experience, or maybe just our personal preferences. Years ago, I was amazed to learn that Thomas Jefferson had a Bible with all of the miraculous parts cut out. Jefferson did this, at first, with a razor blade and glue, so that he could just read the moral and ethical aspects of Jesus’ teachings.[2] He felt that he didn’t need to bother with the rest.

So, what is the heart of the good news – the heart of the Bible, the heart of God’s message to all humankind? Well, it can be so simple and so complicated. In today’s two scripture readings, we find an example of each.

In our scripture reading from Nehemiah this morning, we find the people of Judah, back in the heart of their homeland after fifty years of exile. They have been seeking to rebuild the city of Jerusalem, and it’s been hard work – building a huge wall in fifty-two days.[3] But the work is still full of so much joy and hope, because for fifty years, they have been longing for good news from their homeland, and now finally, they are able to see some good news taking shape by the sweat of their brows, the work of their hands, and – most importantly – the blessing of God. So, everyone has been working hard to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. And, on a day of rest from all of this hard labor, Ezra, the scribe, has gathered all of the people together – all of the elders and priests, with beautiful names that sound a little strange to our ears, and everyone else, too.

This meeting of all the people is a moment of unity and connection, gathered around a common source of knowledge, and history, and guidelines and expectations for the building up of a faithful community of people. For the people of Judah, the ancient Law of Moses was something that they all held in common. The law, which reminded them that there is, but one, God, and that this God is to be loved and worshiped above all else, and that the way the people treat one another truly matters, was something that tied them together. It reminded them of God’s promise from centuries before: I will be your God and you will be my people.[4] In today’s story, this promise draws them together as one. And being reminded of this after so many years of hardship is a deeply emotional thing for everyone who had been away from home for so long. This is why, as today’s story goes, after the reading of the law, all of the people begin to weep.[5] They are moved in their hearts and rededicate their lives to the holy and hard work of rebuilding, with God’s help.

In today’s first scripture, reading, we hear the story of a different gathering – one that ends, not in unity, but in division. Jesus enters the synagogue in his hometown of Nazareth. He has been away – getting baptized, and tempted in the wilderness, and calling some disciples – but now he has returned. He is surrounded by his home congregation. He doesn’t need a nametag. Everyone knows him. And he asks to read a portion of the Prophet Isaiah – the part of Isaiah that was written close to the time that today’s reading from Nehemiah took place: a time of great need for God’s help and restoration.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. (Luke 4:18)[6]

These ancient words are like an inaugural address for Jesus. They are the heart of his message and lay out all that he has come to do. Jesus finishes reading, and then boldly says, “Today, this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (4:21). Just so you know, Jesus says these words before he actually goes and does any of these things. But, a few short chapters – and a bunch of miracles – later, when John the Baptizer’s disciples come and ask Jesus, “Are you the Messiah?” Jesus tells them,

Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them. (7:22)

Now, we don’t really have time to get into the full response of the hometown crowd, today, except to say that they are not pleased. In their minds, Jesus has said something blasphemous – speaking with the voice of a prophet and saying that he has fulfilled these prophetic words about caring for the poor and oppressed. Jesus goes on to talk about God treating foreign outsiders with mercy instead of insiders.[7] And it really makes people mad. He was not the first to get in trouble for talking like this and he wasn’t the last, either.

The town of Nazareth is built into the side of a pretty steep hill and folks actually grab Jesus and try to throw him off of a cliff. Thankfully, he passes through them and goes on his determined way.[8]

But it this story does raise the question: Is the heart of the Bible, the heart of the good news, the heart of God’s message to us, something that brings us comfort or challenge or both? If we are comforted, I hope that we don’t get too comfortable to be open to something new that God might do in our midst, or too comfortable to offer ourselves in love and service. If we are challenged – and I hope that we all are, no matter who we are – then I hope we are challenged in ways that help us grow and make us more open to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

One last thing: if there is anything that both comforts and challenges me, it is the loving promise of God that is offered in our baptism. In baptism, God is saying to us, “I love you. You are my child. I am pleased with you.” This good news comes straight from God’s heart. And, it would seem that, in baptism, we are become part of God’s heart.

This is so comforting, because all who are baptized belong to God in a deep and abiding way. And it is so challenging, because God calls us to live up to and live into our belovedness. There is no way that we can live up to this challenge but there is good news: God is so loving and so full of mercy.

For me, and for so many, God’s love and mercy is the heart of the good news. There are so many ways that we can interpret this good news and share it with all the world – ways that bring comfort and challenge.

May we do so as humble vessels of grace, and healing, and peace, and justice, and wholeness, and hope – straight from the heart.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gljs4N7ZoD4.

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Bible.

[3] See Nehemiah 6:15.

[4] See Genesis 17:7, Exodus 6:7, Ezekiel 34:24, and Jeremiah 32:38, among other places.

[5] See Nehemiah 8:9.

[6] See Isaiah 61:1-2 and 58:6

[7] See Luke 4:24-27.

[8] See Luke 4:29-30.

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radioeuroextasis · 24 days ago

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Save Your Soul (ft. PreacherMan) - PTtheGospelSpitter

Independent Artist Christian Music Association‐winning singer, rapper,songwriter Ashante P.T. Stokes aka PTtheGospelSpitter started as a backing vocalist in R&B and Hip Hop and has gone on to become a rising gospel artist. Who Is PTtheGospelSpitter? Early releases like “Understanding God” and “God is Love” established his appeal to R&B and Gospel fans. His most recent radio single, "Kingdom" is PT's first Mediabase Top 40 charting single. The pop charting also contributed to PT's first CCM charting Top 20 with both Christian Voice Magazine and Cashbox. "Kingdom" peaked at #11 in USA Christian/Gospel iTunes sales over a 5 week chart run. His visual music praise/worship version of "Kingdom" won Best Music and Sound at the Experimental, Dance and Music Film Festival. His "Kingdom (Dance Therapy)" version debuted as #40 all genres, iTunes Top100 and as of this writing has been top of the Christian and Gospel chart in several countries, most notably Turkey (14 weeks and counting on the chart)where it has peaked at #3 on Apple Music. It also charted on Spotify's Local Pulse charts for NYC and Houston. South to the North. PT is from Atlanta, Georgia where he was raised as a youth chanter at Wheat Street Baptist Church and playing hand bells at Hillside Presbyterian Church. His mother sang in the Gospel choir which traveled in the US and abroad often with PT in tow. He began singing for talent shows at schools and at Christian work camps supported by the Presbyterian Church the family attended. His music of choice was R & B. The Ohio Valley He accepted a track scholarship to Ohio University in Athens. PT still competed in talent shows and performed during artist showcases on campus. He also accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior and was baptized, joining the local Church of Christ. Welcome (Home) to Atlanta PT returned to Atlanta after graduation. Upon his return from IMMERSE PT has had the opportunity to work with classical Soprano, Maria Clark. Read the full article

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newmusicradionetwork · 3 months ago

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Independent Artist Christian Music Associationwinning singer, rapper, songwriter Ashante P.T. Stokes aka PTtheGospelSpitter started as a backing vocalist in R&B and Hip Hop and has gone on to become a rising gospel artist. Who Is PTtheGospelSpitter? Early releases like “Understanding God” and “God is Love” established his appeal to R&B and Gospel fans. His most recent radio single, “Kingdom” is PT’s first MediaBase Top 40 charting single. The pop charting also contributed to PT’s first CCM charting Top 20 with both Christian Voice Magazine and Cashbox. “Kingdom” peaked at #11 in USA Christian/Gospel iTunes sales over a 5 week chart run. His visual music praise/worship version of “Kingdom” won Best Music and Sound at the Experimental, Dance and Music Film Festival. His “Kingdom (Dance Therapy)” version debuted as #40 all genres, iTunes Top 100 and as of this writing has been top of the Christian and Gospel chart in several countries, most notably Turkey (14 weeks and counting on the chart) where it has peaked at #3 on Apple Music. It also charted on Spotify’s Local Pulse charts for NYC and Houston. South to the North PT is from Atlanta, Georgia where he was raised as a youth chanter at Wheat Street Baptist Church and playing hand bells at Hillside Presbyterian Church. His mother sang in the Gospel choir which traveled in the US and abroad often with PT in tow. He began singing for talent shows at schools and at Christian work camps supported by the Presbyterian Church the family attended. His music of choice was R & B. The Ohio Valley He accepted a track scholarship to Ohio University in Athens. PT still competed in talent shows and performed during artist showcases on campus. He also accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior and was baptized, joining the local Church of Christ. Welcome (Home) to Atlanta PT returned to Atlanta after graduation. Upon his return from IMMERSE PT has had the opportunity to work with classical Soprano, Maria Clark as his vocal coach and a series of professional engineers and producers. The rest he is proclaiming Lord willing, of course as history in the making! Additional Artist/Song Information: Artist Name: PTtheGospelSpitter w/PreacherMan Song Title: Save Your Soul Publishing: Ashante E. Stokes Music Publishing Affiliation: Publishing 2: Jesatpeace Publishing/Serving The Peace Album Title: Save Your Soul Record Label: Serving The Peace Record Label: Serving The Peace Thomas E Stokes III 7702379286 [email protected] Radio Promotion: Loggins Promotion Paul Loggins 310-325-2800 Contact LP Publicity/PR: Loggins Promotion Paul Loggins 310-325-2800 Contact LP Read the full article

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newmusicweekly · 3 months ago

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spinstrackingsystem · 3 months ago

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cannibalanimals · 3 months ago

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Track List: Eugene McDaniels - A Love Letter to America SAULT - Scary Times Dead Prez - Walk Like a Warrior feat. Krayzie Bone Meshell Ndegeocello - Trouble* groundsound - Losing My Mind…Decolonial Beat Oyoubi - Laraaji DJ Manny & TCJ - The Lost Highway Fela Kuti - Colonial Mentality June Jordan, 1991 Gabe Nandez x Preservation - Dirge* Eugene McDaniels - Cherrystones Menahan Street Band - Make the Road by Walking Group Home - Up Against the Wall (Getaway Car Mix) Ice Cube - Bird in the Hand Toni Morrison - Interview with Jana Wendt for Toni Morrison: Uncensored, 1998 Living Colour - Cult of Personality Erykah Badu - Soldier Dr. Joy James - (New Bones) Abolition and Revolutionary Love @ First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn, 2024 Camille Yarbrough - All Hid James Baldwin - Meeting The Man: James Baldwin in Paris, 1970 Darryn Jones - Revolution duendita - born with power Nick Holder - The Power Structure Stevie Wonder - It’s Wrong (Apartheid) Sticky Dub - Trample the Beast Black Rave Culture - If I Must Die* Staceyann Chin - Raise the Roof** Georgia Anne Muldrow - Blam Boukman Eksperyans - Imamou Lele Outkast - Liberation

#USElection

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battleforgodstruth · 1 year ago

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The American Mind in 1776 Pt 5/6 - Joe Morecraft Lecture on American History

The American Mind in 1776 Pt 5/6 – Joe Morecraft Lecture on American History Joe Morecraft is a preacher of the gospel (https://heritagepresbyterianchurch.com/) and a noted lecturer on contemporary political and historical trends in the United States. Joe was born in 1944 and is a native of Madison, West Virginia. Joe Morecraft earned a Bachelor degree in history from King College in Bristol,…

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#Christian #christian lecture #CHRISTIAN LECTURES #Christianity #christianity in america #God #Jesus Christ #pastor #preacher #Presbyterian #presbyterian authors #presbyterian church #presbyterian church Georgia #presbyterian pastors #Presbyterians #reformed presbyterians

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logginspromotion · 4 months ago

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todieforimages · 2 years ago

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Mars Hill School-Acworth, Georgia

Built in 1873 by the Mars Hill Presbyterian Church, the school was deeded to Cobb County schools in 1902. It was used for public education until 1938.

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#Acworth #Cobb County #Georgia #schoolhouse

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atlantaartisticweddings · 6 months ago

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Map of Historic Places of Worship and Wedding Venues in Atlanta

As an Atlanta wedding photographer I have always enjoyed visiting some of the great historic places of worship. Some of the oldest and examples of grand Atlanta architecture are found in these historic churches and temples. Let’s explore some of Atlanta’s greatest landmarks and wedding venues.

One of my favorites is Christ the King. The parish was formed in 1936 during the great depression. Today it is thriving pillar of the community with 5,000 families. When the building was completed in 1939 it was officially declared by Architectural Record Magazine as “the most beautiful building in Atlanta”. It is in the heart of Buckhead on Peachtree Street. You enter through the grand entrance in the front with a large staircase leading to double doors that are adorned with two tall spheres with a stained glass window at the top. It has tall stained glass windows down the sanctuary with a handmade organ in the back. On the second floor under the sanctuary they have a huge Bridal room to handle any size bridal party. Many people use this church for its beauty and central location to other Atlanta reception halls. If you are getting married their wedding guild members are some of the most seasoned professionals in Atlanta doing sometimes hundreds of weddings a year.

Catholic Shrine of the Immaculate Conception dates back to the 1840s, making it the oldest church in north Georgia and Atlanta's first Catholic church. Construction on the building at Central Avenue and MLK, Jr. Drive, just south of Underground Atlanta, commenced following the Civil War and finished in 1873. Heavily damaged in a fire in 1982, the building was reconstructed to the original design by W. H. Parkins. The details within the church are stunning. There is stained glass in the balcony surrounded by the magnificent pipe organ which gives your wedding a feeling of grandeur. The sanctuary has large arches that rise to the tall ceiling. The staff are so gracious! I have worked with Monsignor Henry Gracz on several weddings. He is so thoughtful and accommodating.

The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral was started in 1905. The congregation first started meeting on the second floor of a sporting goods store. Its members then relocated to a Presbyterian Church and then a Jewish Temple until they raised enough funds to build their own facility on Clairmont Road. The church is based on the Byzantine style of architecture. There are two sanctuaries: a small intimate sanctuary located next to the business offices and a large sanctuary which you see from the road also connected to the reception area and kitchen, where they make all the goodies for the Greek Festival they have there every year. The larger sanctuary has a hand painted ceiling and walls with beautiful stained glass accents.

The Temple, established in 1860 to serve the needs of the German-Jewish immigrants, is the only non-Christian historic house of worship in Midtown. The neoclassical Temple was designed by noted Atlanta classicist Philip Trammell Shutze in 1931. While dramatically scaled back from the pre-Depression plans, the sanctuary takes cues from Venetian churches Shutze saw while studying in Rome. During the 1950’s and 1960’s, The Temple was a center for civil rights advocacy. Its civil rights role was one of the central themes in the movie Driving Miss Daisy.

Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, founded in 1905 was the first sanctuary of the congregation located downtown. It started out as a mission congregation. The present location in Midtown, built of Tennessee quartzite and Indiana limestone, is a quasi-Gothic sanctuary featuring sleek lines and almost Art Deco massing that belies its 1952 completion. It is a beautiful church that is centrally located next to the Georgian Terrace, where your out of town guest can stay, and right across the street from the Fox Theatre, where you can hold your reception. It is a large church with many opportunities for wedding photos inside and out.

Historic Places of Worship in Atlanta

Ebenezer Baptist

The Temple

First United Methodist Church

Central Presbyterian Church

Cathedral of St. Philip

St. Luke's

The Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

Conception | Atlanta (catholicshrineatlanta.org)

Christ the King

The Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation

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lboogie1906 · 3 months ago

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1st Lieutenant Dr. Lionel Hodge Newsom (November 11, 1919 - January 2, 1991) Educator, HBCU President, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity President was born in Wichita Falls, Texas to Lawson and Georgia (McCullough) Newsom. He enrolled at Lincoln University, Missouri where he became a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. He graduated with an AB and earned an MA in Sociology from the University of Michigan. He enlisted in the Army as a private and served in China, Burma, and India before being honorably discharged as a 1st Lieutenant. He helped to establish a wartime Alpha chapter, at Fort Benning, that at one point comprised 65 men.

He married Alpha Kappa Alpha member Jane Maxine Emerson (1946) and the couple had one daughter. He returned to Lincoln University where he taught History and Sociology. He taught at Southern University and Stowe Teachers’ College. He returned to Southern University and became head of the Sociology department. He received his Ph.D. in Social Pathology/Anthropology from Washington University.

He was associated with Alpha Phi Alpha and was a founding member of the Beta “Boule” (Chapter) of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity. He worked as an advisor, treasurer, chairman, and often the president of numerous additional Alpha chapters and Boules.

He became the Professor of Sociology and the Director of the Woodrow Wilson Scholarship Program at Morehouse College. He served as the seventh President of Barber-Scotia College and associate project director for the Southern Regional Education Board in Atlanta. He was President of Johnson C. Smith University and President of Central State University. The administrative building at Central State and the gym at Barber-Scotia College are both named in his honor.

He served as the Chairman of the Georgia Council of Human Relations and was the 22nd General President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity (1965-68). He was a member of the board of the National Missions Presbyterian Church USA and a lot civilian aide to the Secretary of the Army. He received the Alpha Phi Alpha Award of Merit. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #alphaphialpha #sigmapiphi

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johnhardinsawyer · 3 months ago

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Make it Shareable

John Sawyer

Bedford Presbyterian Church

11 / 3 / 24 – All-Saints Sunday[1]

Psalm 119:1-8

Mark 12:28-34

“Make it Shareable”

(Grace and Gratitude – Week 4)

This past week, we hosted a Red Cross Blood Drive at the church. I was proud to see some of you here, donating blood that will be used in hospitals and other places of need. Now, I know that there are some people who are unable to donate blood, and that’s completely understandable. There’s no shame in it. But if you can donate, I highly recommend it.

When you go to give blood, there is this questionnaire that you take in which you answer questions like, “Have you been out of the country in the last three months?” and “Have you ever had a dura-mater brain-covering graft?” Now, I am bald, but I’d like to think I’d remember whether or not I’ve ever had one of those.

There are plenty of other questions on the questionnaire, but, it’s funny. . . they don’t ask questions like, “Do you want your blood to go only to people who root for the New England Patriots or the Georgia Bulldogs or the Los Angeles Dodgers?” “Do you want your blood to only go to Presbyterians?” or “. . . to people who are left (or right)-handed?” It’s kind of like, how in the hospital, if you’re on the receiving end of a life-saving blood donation, you don’t get to say that you want to only receive blood from a certain kind of person who has certain qualities. You can’t put restrictions on who will receive your life-saving gift or who will give you a life-saving gift, if you need it. Your gift just needs to be shared. . . and received. . . with no restrictions.

You know, there are plenty of restrictions in life – some that we put onto others (or, ourselves) and some that get put onto us. There are portions of the Bible that are full of restrictions – plenty of “thou shalt not’s,” from “thou shalt not kill”[2]to “thou shalt not work on the Sabbath day,”[3] from “thou shalt not eat the rock badger”[4] to “thou shalt not clean mildew off of one’s dwelling without calling a priest to come bless your clean dwelling.”[5] By the way – twenty years as an ordained minister, and I’ve never been called upon to bless a mildew-free bathroom.

All-in-all, the Hebrew Bible contains some 613 laws. Some of these laws are fairly easy of us to understand. Others, not so much, all these years later. At the time in which they were written down, though, these laws sought to promote faithfulness to God and the health and well-being of the community. All these centuries later, there are still many of our Jewish relatives in faith who study these ancient laws and apply them to life, here, in the present day. But even they acknowledge that sometimes, you just need to simplify some things.

In today’s reading from the Gospel of Mark, we find two experts in the law – one of the scribes in Jerusalem and Jesus – both simplifying and intensifying the law as it stood at the time.

You might remember that last week, we heard the story of what happened when Jesus was passing through Jericho on the way to Jerusalem. By this time in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus and his disciples have arrived in Jerusalem.

It is a tense time in the life of the nation. Not only are they living under occupation by a foreign empire – the Romans – but there are so many differing political and religious views. People are worried about the future of the nation, and the future of religion, and so many other things. And now, this Jesus fellow comes to town and causes a stir at the Temple and calls the political and religious leadership into question.

So people want to know what Jesus – this teacher and healer from the small town of Nazareth –thinks about all sorts of things. They start by asking him about whether people – especially religious people – should pay taxes to Rome or not. There is no religious law against participation in civic life,[6] but I’m sure people have some questions in terms of faithful guidelines for this participation. And so, Jesus says, “Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s and give to God the things that belong to God.” (Mark 12:17) Next, they ask Jesus about the resurrection, trying to trap Jesus into saying something wrong or blasphemous about what supposedly happens after someone dies. Jesus responds, saying something like, “Our God is God of the living, not the dead.” (12:27) In other words, “Love and serve God right now – while you’re alive – and God will sort out whatever happens afterwards.”

And in today’s reading, we have a scribe – a teacher in the law – asking Jesus, “Out of all of the 613, which is the most important?” Now remember, the original intent behind all of the commandments was to promote faithfulness to God and seek the well-being – the wholeness – of the community. So Jesus – who clearly knows his Bible – pulls not from the traditional 10 Commandments in the Book of Exodus, or the lengthy lists of laws that follow, but from two brief passages in Deuteronomy and Leviticus. From Deuteronomy 6: “You shall love the Lord, your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.” (Deuteronomy 6:5). Jesus adapts these words, slightly, saying, “with all your mind, and strength” but essentially, we have a commandment that is all about faithfulness to God – loving God with all that we are and all that we have. And from Leviticus 19: “. . . you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Leviticus 19:18)[7] Here, Jesus is saying that the well-being of the community – the wholeness of our relationships with others – is to be based on the way that we love one another.

In today’s reading, the scribe who asks Jesus about the most important commandment quickly agrees that Jesus has spoken rightly. They basically take all 613 and condense them down – sum them up – into two: Love God. Love your neighbor. Faithfulness to God. Wholeness of community.

It is important to note that these two laws about love are not “proscriptive” – telling us what we should not do. . . restricting our behavior. Instead, these commandments are “prescriptive,” because they describe a way of life that is expected of us by God. These commandments seek to establish a way of life for us. They set us free to love God and neighbor in ways that honor and respect and humbly serve God and neighbor. In the Letter to the Galatians, when Paul describes what this might look like, he lists what he calls the “Fruit of the Spirit”: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” And then he writes, “There is no law against such things.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

In Jesus Christ, we can see, clearly, that God loves us with an everlasting love. There is no law against this love. God shares this love with us again and again as grace upon grace upon grace – a life-changing, life-saving gift. When we come to the Lord’s Supper, Jesus reminds us – again and again – that he is giving himself to us, in love, and that in and through his love, we are mysteriously made one with God and one another and are strengthened – physically and spiritually – to love God and neighbor with all that we are and all that we have.

There are no restrictions on the love that God shares with us – but we do experience this love best when we receive it, through faith, and freely share it. God’s love is imminently and infinitely shareable in and through the gifts we offer to God and neighbor. And just as God places no restrictions on the love that God has for us, we would be wise to follow that example.

Now I know that loving God and loving neighbor are not easy things, especially when God seems so big and mysterious and holy and especially when our neighbors are hard to love, but I would encourage you (and encourage myself) to not hold back, just the same. What if we started small – broke it down into bite-size pieces? The author and pastor Wayne Muller writes,

We only make one choice. Throughout our lives, we do only one thing – again and again, moment by moment, year after year. . . The choice is this: What is the next right thing for us to do? Where, in this moment, shall we choose to place our time and attention? Do we stay or move, speak or keep silent, attend to this person, that task, move in this or that direction?[8]

To which I would ask, what if our choice – choosing the next right thing for us to do – is guided by love. . . Love of God and Love of neighbor? Whether we are choosing how to spend our time, choosing what or to whom our attention should be focused, prayerfully choosing what to write on our estimate of giving card to the church, prayerfully stepping into the voting booth on Tuesday – how do our choices reflect our love for God and our love for our neighbor?

Jesus chooses to share God’s love with us – body and blood, heart and soul. No restrictions. How do we reflect and share God’s love in ways that faithfully share that love with no restrictions? In all that we do, in all that we choose, in all that we love, may we do so as humble followers of Jesus, living the law of love, seeking to be faithful, and giving all that we are and all that we have for the sake of the wholeness of our community, nation, and world. . . for the sake of the kingdom of God.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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[1] Year B, Proper 26.

[2] See Exodus 20:13.

[3] See Exodus 20:8-11.

[4] See Leviticus 11:5.

[5] See Leviticus 14:33-57.

[6] See Romans 13.

[7] Actually, the entire verse, here, is “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”

[8] Wayne Muller. A Life of Being, Having, and Doing Enough (New York: Harmony Books/Three Rivers Press/Random House, Inc., 2010) 27.

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