Racial Reconciliation - African American

By Jerry Price - Feb 6, 2006 -

Though much is yet to be done, progress has been made in relationships with African Americans in the Southern Baptist Convention. For example:

  1. Associations have begun to call African Americans to serve as director of missions.
  2. The SBC has elected three African Americans as second vice-president. (Another was elected in 1974.)
  3. The International Mission Board and the North American Mission Board have employed African Americans to serve as a vice president.
  4. Southern Baptist seminaries have increased the number of African American faculty.
  5. Southern Baptist seminaries have increased their focus on African American church studies, even to the point of a doctoral program in African American Church Leadership.
  6. The SBC has accelerated church starting in African American communities.
  7. The number of African American international missionaries has proliferated.
  8. African American denominational workers have organized a national fellowship titled Black Southern Baptist Denominational Servants Network.
  9. Attendance has increased dramatically at Black Church Leadership Week at the Baptist assemblies.
  10. Nineteen African Americans have been elected president of their state convention.
  11. The African American Fellowship of the Southern Baptist Convention has regionalized and expanded into various states.
  12. The SBC in annual session has voted to apologize to African Americans for slavery.
  13. The SBC in annual session has established an arson fund to assist burned churches.
  14. SBC boards and committees have included a dramatic increase in African Americans.
  15. An African American has delivered the annual sermon at the SBC.
  16. Two state conventions have called a man of color to serve as executive director.
  17. Southern Baptist Theological Seminary has employed an African American to serve as vice president of communications.
  18. The SBC established a task force on racial reconciliation.
  19. SBC agencies have opened mainstream management positions to African Americans.
  20. Some (a few) predominately Anglo churches have called an African American to serve as pastor.
  21. Nearly 25 percent of SBC churches have African Americans among their membership today.
  22. Many associations have elected an African American to serve as moderator (including at least one woman).
  23. Numerous state conventions have elected an African American to serve as vice president.
  24. Most SBC agencies have an African American cultural specialty program led by African Americans.
  25. The exponential proliferation of African American churches in the SBC is a contemporary phenomenon in church history.

“Ten Years of Progress in the SBC, 1992-2002,” in The Journal of African American Southern Baptist History (Jacksonville, FL.: Black Southern Baptist Denominational Servants Network, 2003), 12-13.

  • African Americans are approximately twice as likely as are whites to report that they are “searching for meaning and purpose in life” (58 percent to 28 percent, respectively). (2001)
  • African Americans are more likely than average to say that they are “a born again Christians.” A belief held by 57 percent of African Americans compared to 39 percent of adults nationwide. (2001)
  • Twenty-one percent of the African American population is unchurched, compared to 32 percent of whites. (1998)
  • Compared to 66 percent of whites, 83 percent of African Americans say their religious faith is very important in their lives. (2001)
  • Forty-six percent feel that they have a responsibility to tell other people about their religious beliefs; 33 percent of whites feel the same way. (2001)
  • Forty-five percent of African American adults are born again Christians.(2001)
  • African-American adults are less likely than Hispanics or whites to contend that moral truth is absolute. In total, 10 percent of African-Americans believe moral truth is absolute, compared to 15 percent of Hispanics and 26 percent of whites. (2001)
  • Fifty-six percent of African Americans interviewed are absolutely committed to Christianity. (2002).

“Faith,” Barna by Topic: African Americans, www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=Topic&TopicID=1 [Accessed October 4, 2005]

  • Compared to 26 percent of whites, 46 percent of African Americans report that they are “trying to find a few good friends” (2001)
  • Seventy-five percent are “concerned about the future” (2001)
  • Half (51 percent) are “personally struggling with finances” (2001)
  • Seventy-one percent are “concerned about the moral condition of the nation” (2001)
  • Thirty-two percent are “stressed out” (2001)

“Self Descriptions,” Barna by Topic: African Americans, www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=Topic&TopicID=1 [Accessed October 4, 2005]

Further Learning

Learn more about: Citizenship, Racial Reconciliation,