The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

SERVICE IN A NEGRO BAPTIST CHURCH

I WENT TO THE SUNDAY SERVICE WITH A FRIEND, ERNESTENE
STEPHENS, WHOSE FATHER, JASPER STEPHENS, IS ONE OF THE
PREACHERS OF THE CHURCH. BEFORE THE SERVICE BEGAN,
A WOMAN SEATED NEXT TO ME, AFTER SHE DISCOVERED THAT
I WAS A STRANGER, WELCOMED ME WARMLY.
THE SERVICE BEGAN WITH THE PROCESSION OF THE CHOIR
TO THEIR SEATS, WHICH WERE LOCATED DIRECTLY BEHIND
THE PULPUT.
THERE WERE SEVERAL SPEAKERS. AFTER EVERY PHRASE OF THE
SPEAKER, PEOPLE IN THE CONGREGATION, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN,
SHOUT "YES, LORD," "HAVE MERCY" OR SOMETHING SIMILAR,
OR ELSE THEY REPEAT THE LAST WORDS THE PREACHER HAS JUST
SAID. THUS THERE IS ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF THE
PEOPLE IN THE SERVICE.
THE ORGAN IS CONTINUALLY PLAYED SOFTLY DURING THE
SPEAKING. THE SPEAKER HIMSELF STARTS OUT IN A NORMAL
VOICE AND MANNER. AS HE PROGRESSES HE GETS LOUDER,
MORE INVOLVED AND MORE EMPHATIC. SOON HIS WORDS
SOUND LIKE AN IMPROMPTU PRAYER TO THE LORD. HE IS
INTENSE, AND CHANTS HIS WORDS, LINE FOR LINE. AND
AS HE GETS LOUDER AND MORE INVOLVED, SO DOES THE
CONGREGATION BECOME LOUDER AND MORE INVOLVED. AFTER
THE SPEAKER FINISHED, THE CHOIR IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO
SING. THE ORGANIST HAD ALREADY BEEN PLAYING THEIR
INTRODUCTION DURING THE PREACHING.
I NOTICED THAT THE CONGREGATION WAS SEATED, IN THIS
CHURCH, AROUND THE PREACHER IN A PARTIAL CIRCLE. THE
USHERS, WHO WERE WOMEN, WERE DRESSED IN DARK UNIFORMS
(NAVY) AND WHITE GLOVES. THEY DIRECTED PEOPLE TO SEATS
AND PASSED THE COLLECTION BOWLS DOWN THE PEWS. FOR
THE FIRST COLLECTION, THE MISSION GIVING, MOSTLY COINS
WERE COLLECTED.
BEFORE THIS OFFERING A SECOND SPEAKER HAD SPOKEN AND THE
PEOPLE ANSWERED, "AMEN" TO HIS "I'M HAPPY NOW." A THIRD
SPEAKER AROSE AND OFFERED A PRAYER.
AFTER HIM, A SOLOIST STARTED TO SING "I HAVE A LONG WAY
TO GO," (TO BE LIKE HIM (CAPITAL H) WITH BACKGROUND
ACCOMPANIMENT BY THE CHOIR. SHE SANG OUT WITH MUCH
FEELING. IN FACT, SHE GOT SO INVOLVED SHE BECAME
HYSTERICAL (OR AS SOME SAY, SHE GOT "HAPPY"). SHE
CONTINUALLY REPEATED "YES, LORD," "YES, LORD," VERY
INTENSELY. WHILE A FELLOW CHOIR MEMBER CALMED HER
DOWN, THE CHOIR STARTED SINGING.
THE FOURTH SPEAKER, WHO WAS NOT THE PASTOR BUT WHO
SEEMED TO HAVE SOME AUTHORITY, MADE SEVERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
ASKED THE VISITORS IN THE CONGREGATION TO STAND UP
AND WELCOMED THEM. HE INTRODUCED THE NEXT SPEAKER,
DR. GREEN, WHO REVEALED THAT HE WAS 83 YEARS OLD,
ALTHOUGH HE CERTAINLY DIDN'T LOOK IT. HE IS QUITE
AN ACTIVE MAN, ESPECIALLY IN THE CHURCH, WHO TRAVELS
AROUND THE COUNTRY.
THE NEXT COLLECTION, THE GENERAL OFFERING , WAS THE BIG
ONE. DOLLAR BILLS AND ENVELOPES WERE PUT INTO THE BOWL
THIS TIME. SOME OF THE CONGREGATION, HOWEVER, WENT UP
TO THE FRONT, IN FRONT OF THE PULPIT, TO HAND IN THEIR
OFFERINGS.
AFTER THE NEXT SPEAKER, WHO TALKED WHILE THE CHOIR SANG,
THE CONGREGATION SANG A HYMN. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY
WERE SINGING, IF ANYTHING. I COULDN'T DISTINGUISH ANY
WORDS. THE HYMN SOUNDED LIKE A CHANTING GROAN,
ALTHOUGH EVERYONE CHANTED THE SAME NOTES AS EVERYONE
ELSE AT THE SAME TIME.
THE NEXT SPEAKER, JASPER STEVENS, TALKED ABOUT
"SLEEPING CHRISTIANS," IN A TROUBLED WORLD. HE COMPARED
US TO JONAH (WHO) SLEPT ON BOARD THE SHIP HE WAS ON,
TRYING TO RUN AWAY FROM GOD'S COMMAND TO PREACH TO
NINEVE (NINEVAH). HE RECALLED THE ENTIRE STORY OF JONAH,
BUT HE MADE IT MORE PERSONAL AND MORE ALIVE AND MORE
RELEVANT TO THE LIVES OF HIS LISTENERS. HE USED MUCH
VIVID DESCRIPTION. HE ALSO BECAME INVOLVED AND
STARTED CHANTING.
A WOMAN IN THE CONGREGATION BECAME, LIKE THE SOLOIST,
EARLIER, MUCH INVOLVED. SHE REPEATED "YES, LORD,"
WHILE A NURSE APPEARED TO CALM HER DOWN. I WAS
SURPRISED AT THE PRESENCE OF THE NURSE. APPARENTLY,
THE CHURCH HAS ONE AT THE SERVICES FOR THE SPECIFIC
PURPOSE OF CALMING PEOPLE DOWN. I WOULD TELL THAT
MANY PEOPLE BECAME INTENSELY INVOLVED BECAUSE, ALTHOUGH
I FELT COLD, THEY WERE FANNING THEMSELVES AS THOUGH
THEY FELT HOT.
AT THE LAST OFFERING, THE CONSECRATION OFFERING, COINS
AGAIN WERE COLLECTED.
TOWARDS THE END OF THE SERVICE, EVERYONE IN THE PEWS
SHOOK HANDS. TO ME, THIS SEEMED VERY MUCH LIKE THE
KISS OF PEACE IN CATHOLIC CHURCHES.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Date learned: 09-24-1967