In the days when they called themselves “colored,” the African-American Baptists of Southside Virginia decided that they needed to organize a new district association. Hasadiah Baptist Association was so large that it covered 200 miles across 21 counties and included over 150 churches. The leaders maintained that “our white Baptist brethren” in the Baptist General Association of Virginia had 22 district associations ranging from 14 to 55 churches in membership. The argument concluded, “If they, with their experience, wealth and intelligence, find it inexpedient to have such a large association as the Hasadiah, it certainly is to us, who lack in wealth and experience, also inexpedient.” An added argument was that such a large association meant that only the larger town churches could entertain the annual gatherings, thereby excluding the country churches.
Fred Anderson
It really did not take much convincing. In an age of horse and buggy, it made sense. In 1881, the new association, to be known as the Bethany, was formed. It included churches “east of the Richmond & Danville Railroad, south of the James River, west of the Elizabeth River and north of North Carolina.” Its purpose was “for the promotion of the cause of Christ and His gospel.”
Even the new association covered a large territory considering poor transportation and communication. It included churches in Amelia, Brunswick, Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Greensville, Isle of Wight, Nansemond, Nottoway, Prince George, Southampton, Surry and Sussex counties. It began with 57 churches which were served by some 29 pastors. There were over 16,500 Baptists in those scattered churches. By the way, most of those pastors were paid around $100 a year. The highest paid minister was the pastor of the large Gilfield Church in Petersburg. With a congregation of some 2,300 members, it was able to pay the pastor $1,000 annually.
In 1892 Bethany held its annual meeting at Poplar Lawn Church in Nottoway. The host church had about 400 members, yet it was among those who paid its pastor, Henry Madison, no more than $100. Its clerk recorded that the host churches and its sister churches in the county “except one, seemed to take pleasure in doing all in their power to generously extend Christian entertainment.” Which one was not taking pleasure would be difficult to determine. Some sources say that there were 11 African-American Baptist churches in Nottoway and at least five were members of the association.
The year before a minister had been requested to prepare a sermon for the 1892 meeting. He was given the topic of “the Distinctive Principles of the Baptists.” He failed to show.
Moderator Guy Powell of Franklin would not be defeated. He determined that in place of the assigned sermon there would be “a free discussion concerning such principles.” At noon the association assembled for the discussion. At least five of the brethren spoke extemporaneously on the subject.
It is remarkable that these “colored” Baptists, of whom many had been in slavery scarcely three decades earlier, had such a ready and reasonable presentation of the basic Baptist distinctives and principles. Of course, blacks, slave and free, had been members of Baptist churches from the earliest years of the Baptist presence in Virginia. Surely there were blacks in old Nottoway Church, constituted in 1769. Located about five miles from Burkeville, it was the mother church for many Southside churches. At one time, it was the largest church in Virginia. Nottoway County itself, perhaps as early as the 1790s, had an independent black Baptist church led by a remarkable preacher named Uncle Jack. It existed until the Nat Turner rebellion. Across the wide territory which became the Bethany, there were numerous black churches which had come out of formerly mixed congregations in the days before the War. In all of those church experiences, the blacks had learned, accepted and heartily endorsed “the Baptist way.”
How did the Bethany Baptists define the Baptist identity? They mentioned the following: “[Baptists] believe that immersion or dipping, is the only baptism, as taught by Christ and His Apostles. They believe that the only fit subjects for baptism are those who have a saving faith, believers in Christ, and are born again. That unconscious infants are not fit subjects for baptism…”
“[Baptists] believe that the only persons fit for church membership are those who have been born again …. They believe that the Lord's Supper is to be partaken of by regenerated and baptized members of the church alone, walking in the faith and fellowship of the Gospel.”
“They believe that churches governed by a Pope, Bishops, Synods, Presbyteries, Conferences, or in any other way than by the members, directly or exclusively, of a church, are not as the primitive churches … having as the Head and lawgiver Jesus Christ.”
“Baptists believe that the only scriptural officers in a church are the pastor and deacons. Two offices and no more. Baptists believe that the Holy Bible, the Scriptures, is the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds and opinions of men are to be tried. That the Bible is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, and that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. That the New Testament is the Constitution of the Churches.”
The clerk summarized the discussion with its “unflinching advocacy of Baptist doctrine, practice, discipline, officiary, etc.” and added: “The brethren showed that they are not prepared to sell their Baptist birthright for a mess of pottage, clothes, books, groceries, etc., but to stand fast in the liberty wherein Christ hath set them free.”
Fred Anderson is executive director of the Virginia Baptist Historical Society and the Center for Baptist Heritage and Studies. He may be contacted at [email protected] or at P.O. Box 34, University of Richmond, VA 23173.