Hattie Huszagh & Katie Walker
Abstract
Both growing up in nonreligious households, we were motivated to focus on religion with this ethnography as a way to understand what we do not currently know. Upon doing research of churches in the Savannah’s downtown area, we honed in on the First African Baptist Church after reading about its history. As outsiders, we wanted to get an idea of the church community from an insider’s perspective as well as understand the significance of its history. We decided that interviewing a range of people attending Sunday’s service would be a good way for us to learn more about the experience the church provides. As a result, we found that the history makes for a more meaningful sermon. The physical surroundings also provide a historical aspect such as the church’s stained glass, original lighting, pews, balconies, and pipe organ. Through this experience we learned how inclusive this church community is.
Background
Savannah is a town rooted in history. Everyday we unknowingly walk past things that played a pivotal role in history. The First African Baptist church is one of those locations. Unlike other churches with the word “first” in their title, this church truly was the first black Baptist congregation, founded in 1773. The church was officially constituted as a body of members in 1777. The construction of the church itself was completed in 1859.
This church was also a safe place for underground railroad, symbolized by the Nine Patch Quilt design the ceiling has. Beneath the lower auditorium floor, there is 4 feet of space which was where the slaves were hidden. There are breathing holes in the floor boards of the auditorium in the shape of Congolese Cosmogram which is an African prayer symbol.
Being the oldest black church in North America, it draws in new members by displaying an in depth website online to the public. They offer some features that include livestreaming of their bible studies and Sunday services. It also draws in new members by reaching out to local college students to join their college ministry.
Interviews
We interviewed various congregation members and visitors after their Sunday one hour Worship Experience in order to get an idea of what they take away from this church.
What initially drew us in to our first interviewee was how well dressed she was. She was conversing with her friends outside of the church after service. Upon talking with her, we learned that she has a long history with this town and this church specifically. She has lived in Savannah and attended the church since 1963, which is a long 54 years. When asked how she would compare this church to others in the area, she said, “Well I wouldn’t compare them, it’s just that this is the church that I grew up in and [the one] I love.” Her distaste for the concept of ‘comparing’ churches demonstrates that the most important aspect in her eyes is a sense of belonging for the individual. It is not a hierarchy of churches, it is merely about who feels comfortable where.
We then approached two women who are friends due to their dynamic. The first woman of the two friends we interviewed is black and has been living in Savannah for three years, and has been attending almost the entire time since moving. She was born into the Baptist religion and attends service weekly. When asked how her experience here is different from other churches she has attended in the past, she explained, “At other churches I got the word and the meaning, but I just felt like I belonged here.” This is a feeling every church wants to instill in its members: a feeling of homeliness. We were particularly curious as to first, if the long standing history of the church adds to the experience and if so, how. To which she responded, “Yes, because by attending, you’re becoming part of that history. My people were under there,” she added, in reference to it being a hiding place for runaway slaves via the Underground Railroad. The concept of viewing history as a continuum was particularly interesting. Instead of viewing her church attendance as simply being in a historic location, she recognizes that she is becoming a part of its ongoing history.
The second of the two women is white, has been living in Savannah for a year and a half, and has been attending the church the entire time. She was previously Protestant but has since converted to being a Baptist. She attends weekly as well her friend, and says that her love for this church stems from the amazing pastor and people. “I believe we are all one people,” she revealed and she believes that if she had been alive during the period of slavery, she would have supported the underground railroad.
Her first woman lightheartedly mentioned that her friend being white made her answers different, which held truth to it. The first friend we interviewed expressed how the history hit home for her because the church played a significant role in helping her ancestors, while her friend (right) used the history as an outlet to discuss the value of unity. This demonstrates that the African American distinction in the church’s name does not make it racially exclusive, but invites anyone who respects and appreciates their heritage and ways of worship. After interviewing both of the women, one friend (left) asked excitedly, “Do you want a picture of both of us since we’re besties?” before striking a pose with her friend.
We noticed we were gravitating more towards women and chose to interview this young man on the left. The man told us that he was originally from New York and that his family was Catholic when they lived there, but after moving to Florida they became Baptist. Prior to vacationing in Savannah, his mother researched and saw this church as the best fit, which prompted him to attend this church’s Sunday service for the first time. He said his mother loves the history behind it but he was unaware of the background until after service ended. Despite not having previous knowledge of the history, he felt as though they encompassed its spirit in the service. He has visited many different churches in his lifetime, and when questioned about how this one differs, he said, “They’re truthful. Most churches are trying to keep their people inside so they stretch the truth a bit, but this church doesn’t abuse their leadership roles.” We can only assume that by this he means they preach with no intent other than to spread the word of God amongst their attendees, and have no ulterior motives.
Conclusion
During this process, we made an attempt to interview various people of the church, be it longtimers, newcomers, or people just passing through (Respectively). Based on the interviews we conducted, we have a better understanding of how much of a role the history plays in this church. If given more time we would expand the ethnography to include interviews with more people involved such as the pastor, youth groups, people who attend church on the weekdays, and the longest attending members. Much of the architecture’s importance lies inside the chapel, but due to prohibited camera usage within, we were only able to capture what one could see from the exterior. If we were to continue this project, we would have asked permission to photograph the interior prior to service. This would have allowed us to do a more in depth analysis of the church. We would also attend the different bible studies they offer, as well as the college ministry to understand the different generations of people who attend.
