Black Baptist Churches Seek Revival: 40,000 Expected at Convention in Detroit

"It inspires me," Pough said after services Sunday. "It uplifts me, and keeps me going throughout the whole week."

For Pough and millions of African Americans in metro Detroit and nationwide, the Baptist church is a cornerstone of their lives and history.

But can the black Baptist church remain vital in years to come?

It can -- with some adjustments, say supporters and experts, who note that Baptists are still by far the largest denomination among African Americans.

Beginning Monday, up to 40,000 people are expected to attend a five-day gathering across Detroit of the National Baptist Convention USA, the biggest black religious group in the United States.

"The African-American church ... is always wrestling with the question of relevance," said the Rev. E.L. Branch, pastor at Third New Hope, host church for the convention. Yet, he added, it "remains one of the key anchors."

The denomination faces challenges as its influence wanes

Worshippers on their feet, the music director leaned into the microphone as his hands rolled across the keyboard.

"Lord ... come and abide in this place," Bill Moss Jr., 40, preached Sunday morning inside Third New Hope Baptist Church in Detroit. "Embrace us in the comfort of your love."

Similar scenes play out every week inside black Baptist churches across Detroit, where they play a major role in congregants' lives. But the Baptist denomination faces challenges it will have to deal with in coming years, ministers and experts say.

Some congregants who were raised Baptist are leaving for nondenominational and Pentecostal churches. Others have moved out to the suburbs and no longer identify with the traditional urban Baptist church. And the decline of the auto industry and manufacturing has crimped church development.

Meanwhile, Baptist leaders must now compete for attention with a diverse range of power centers within the African-American community.

Decades ago, black Baptist churches were a major source of social services, political activity and support within the community. While their role still is big, experts say their influence has diminished.

"The black church's leadership no longer has a monopoly," said Aldon Morris, professor of sociology at Northwestern University who has studied the black Baptist church.

In a way, the church is partly a victim of its own success.

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and some other Baptist leaders played a key role in the civil rights movement. Because of their efforts, African Americans established themselves in leadership roles in the worlds of politics and business, and so they don't have to now rely solely on the church. The election of President Barack Obama is the most notable example.

Still, Morris said, "there is no doubt the black church remains the most important and fundamental institution within the black community."

Starting Monday, up to 40,000 Baptists from across the United States are expected to be in Detroit for the annual Congress of Christian Education by the National Baptist Convention USA, a group with roots that go back to the 19th Century. More than 350 churches in metro Detroit are active members of the group, and many more are official members, said the Rev. E.L. Branch, pastor of Third New Hope, which is the host church for the event.

There are reported to be anywhere from 5 million to 8 million individual members nationally, making it what some say is the largest African-American group. During the civil rights struggles, the National Baptists had somewhat of a conservative reputation and opposed the nonviolent protest movement led by King.

That resulted in King and other civil rights leaders breaking off to form the Progressive Baptist National Convention, which preached a prophetic message that pushed for social change.

But over the decades, that split narrowed as both groups -- and other black Baptist denominations -- forged common ground on fighting for justice. In recent years, for example, the four major black Baptist groups issued joint statements against the Iraq war.

Still, divides remain. Some churches such as Third New Hope have embraced women preachers and are open to gay members, while others are opposed to both.

The wide range of views is what makes the Baptist tradition so rich, ministers say. Baptists don't have a national hierarchy, which allows each individual church to chart its own course.

"The Baptist church is built on freedom," Branch said. "It has a tremendous history and is an anchor, but at the same time, provides the freedom to allow a diversity of ideas."

Located on Plymouth Road on Detroit's west side, Third New Hope is an example of Baptist churches in Detroit that sprang up as thousands of southern blacks moved north for better jobs during the 20th Century. It started 53 years ago with only 20 members, but now has 3,000 members and a variety of ministries.

Like other Baptist churches in Detroit, Third New Hope strives to combine inspirational teachings that help people in their everyday lives with social activism and community building.

Branch told the worshippers Sunday about a job counseling service the church was hosting and urged them to spread the word. Politics also was on the agenda.

Branch warmly introduced Charles Pugh, the Fox TV reporter who is the first openly gay man to run for Detroit City Council. After Pugh made some remarks, Branch said:

"We love the city of Detroit. ... But we also know that if Detroit keeps doing what Detroit been doing, Detroit will keep getting what Detroit has been getting."

At Greater New Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church, just east of Woodward Avenue, the Rev. Kenneth Flowers also preaches within the prophetic tradition: "To be relevant, we must reach out to the larger society and not be afraid to talk to those who are different than us ... to the Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs."

To sustain the Baptist faith, Flowers added, "we have to make sure our young people don't forget that heritage" of freedom.

SOURCE: Freep