Robert E. Davis, Sr.

Worship and Sacred Actions Throughout the Year in the National Baptist Convention of America

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Observance of the Christian year has greatly increased in the National Baptist Convention of America, Inc. during the past twenty years. A growing number of well-trained pastors, educational resources offered by the denomination, and innovative use of art forms have all been instrumental in overcoming the historic Baptist resistance to such observance.

Historically, the traditional church calendar has not been a primary concern of pastors and member churches in the National Baptist Convention of America, Incorporated, even though many of the festivals of the Christian year are now celebrated. The Baptist church has always focused upon freedom, autonomy, and the proclamation of the Word, especially the black Baptist churches. These hallmarks of Baptist heritage have tended to isolate Baptist churches from the mainstream Protestant liturgical churches. Baptists have traditionally regarded the Christian year commemorations as strictures to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and intense study of the Word.

However, during the first seventy years of the denomination’s existence, member churches have systematically observed a large segment of the Christian year—Christmas, Holy Week (especially Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday), and Easter. They also observe Thanksgiving Day and Thanksgiving Sunday. These days are not among the festive days of the traditional Christian year, but Baptists have always considered them appropriate expressions of gratitude to God for all his benefits. Moreover, New Year’s Day or New Year’s Sunday are also observed in acts of worship to express gratitude to God and to invoke his blessings for the new calendar year.

Expanded Observance

Within the last twenty years, member churches of the National Baptist Convention of America, Incorporated, have embraced Advent, Epiphany, Ascension Day, Pentecost Sunday, Trinity Sunday, and All Saints’ Day. The expansion to include these additional observances can be attributed to improved leadership from better-educated pastors and from directors of Christian education who have raised the teaching ministry of the church to a new level that surpasses by far that of the traditional church school (Sunday school).

Lent, Palm Sunday, and Holy or Passion Week emerged as periods of the Christian year to be celebrated because of their proximity to Easter, and because of an emphasis on Bible study focusing on the events in the life of Christ immediately preceding Easter or Resurrection Day, as it is referred to in the member churches. Intensive Bible study during Holy Week is often supported by the ministry of music when choral groups render cantatas on Maundy Thursday or Good Friday. Also on Good Friday, worship services are conducted from twelve noon to three o’clock in the afternoon and include brief sermons on each of the seven last words of Christ from the cross.

Change through Education

The practical axiom that attitudes can be changed through teaching has been demonstrated in many member churches of the denomination fortunate to have pastors with college and/or seminary training who have successfully communicated the significance of the Christian year.

There are still some member churches of the denomination that have not been convinced that observance of the Christian year is beneficial to the worship experience. Attitudes in the rural churches are particularly difficult to influence, due to a lack of education and support from informed pastors. The denomination, through the National Baptist Congress of Christian Workers, has organized the National Convention at Study, which addressed this problem by offering short courses for churches and pastors on church history and Christian worship. The National Convention at Study convenes for a week in June of each year. Leadership skills and general pastoral functions are also included in the curriculum.

In addition to the National Convention at Study focus, seminars and workshops are conducted by curriculum specialists and Christian educators in the denomination throughout the year at the Baptist associations and state convention levels. Participation by pastors and churches in the interdenominational alliances throughout the United States, special workshops and seminars conducted by the Convention’s Liaison Office, and the Convention’s participation and membership in the professional religious organizations like the Congress of National Black Churches have also promoted the use of the festive days of the Christian year, even among the more reluctant rural churches.

Even with all of these efforts, the Christian year is not fully implemented even in the urban and suburban churches. But when congregations, rural and urban/suburban, have had the opportunity to participate in a teaching ministry that explores the meaning and uses of the Christian year, the results have usually been positive.

Drama and dance in worship have in recent years been introduced to the member churches of the denomination. These two art forms have served as highly creative and effective means of exploring the meaning of the Christian year. The response from congregants has been very favorable.

These trends in education and the use of drama and dance suggest that member churches of the denomination will continue to incorporate greater use of the Christian year.

Worship and Sacred Actions Throughout the Year in National Baptist Convention, USA

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The worship calendar in most congregations of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. combines important days of the Christian year with numerous annual days—memorial observations and celebrations of various functions and organizations in congregational life and the black community. These days were established primarily because of economic and social needs rather than scriptural mandates. The number of annual days has declined in recent years, and a new emphasis on Christian education as the basis for giving is emerging.

Originally black Baptist worship took place in segregated settings controlled by whites. From these origins, two major influences on the development of the worship calendar that churches of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. would follow can be seen. First, during their worship in the segregated section of the church of the masters, black worshipers absorbed the custom of observing major Christian yearly dates in a manner similar to that of most white Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches.

Second, in the struggle to build churches independent of white control, importance was attached to fundraising and establishing the church as an autonomous center for black community life that would later result in the observance of days to honor and sustain these efforts.

The Value of Independent Churches

Before establishing independent churches, black Baptists held their own church or camp meetings in any accommodations available. Segregated from yet still under the control of the main body of the white church, black members began to make plans to purchase property of their own and saved pennies toward that end. This had to be done covertly because of considerable opposition from white slave masters and white preachers who controlled the worship of the pre-liberated and early post-slavery black church. As the black community became more stable after slavery, the importance of maintaining permanent church meeting places became deeply instilled.

Thus, observance of the local church’s anniversary and the pastor’s anniversary share prominence along with Christmas and Easter among the more important annual days celebrated in most congregations of the National Baptist Convention USA, Inc. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are two other dates from the Christian year most frequently included among the annual days observed by these congregations.

Adding Annual Days

As churches became more permanent and more affluent, more days were added to celebrate other functions and organizations of the local church fellowship. Among these were Watch Night service, New Year’s Day, Auxiliary Anniversaries, Choir Day, Women’s Day, Usher Board Day, Men’s Day, Sunday School Day, Promotion Day, Nurses Guild Day, Homecoming, Founder’s Day, and Thanksgiving Day. Other regular events on the church calendar included revivals, social hours, and General Fellowship Days exchanged between churches. Later, most National Baptist Convention USA, Inc. churches added commemorations of black history and Martin Luther King’s birthday, as well as workshops, seminars, dances, and social hours.

Because the church historically was the only institution “owned” by black people, the worship calendar in black churches has revolved around these social and religious activities.

Because of the restricted opportunities in secular areas of employment, the black church has historically attracted many of the most productive minds from the community, and these individuals have produced programs of great ingenuity and imagination for worship and financial participation.

Consolidating Annual Days

The events celebrated by churches in the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. have remained relatively constant over the past fifty years. Almost without exception, those events of the Christian year perceived as major, such as Easter and Christmas, continue to be celebrated in all-black churches. However, in recent years, the number of afternoon and evening programs to honor auxiliaries or celebrate events to which members are willing to commit their time is showing a marked decline in all areas of the country.

Many larger churches, rather than having an annual day for each group or auxiliary such as Choir, Usher’s, Nurses’, Women’s, and Men’s Days, are combining all “Annual Days” into one fundraising event. Pastors often introduce this concentrated yearly program of tithing and increased financial conscientiousness to offset the perceived loss of revenue from not having as many annual days.

In the next twenty years, we will probably see an increased emphasis on Christian education, which will mean that the Christian year for the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. will focus on reading through the Bible annually with an added emphasis on the fellowship of spirit rather than afternoon financial programs. Teaching the Bible during the Sunday morning service will help congregations grow spiritually and increase their level of giving. Once people understand giving as taught in the New Testament, they will give more to the support of the church.