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.