The Negro's church,.

24

The Negro's Church

to be given before a Negro could be baptized. From the first, the
colored members constituted something of a problem. In 1826,
the sexton, presumably a white man, was given authority as a
deacon to watch over the Negroes of the church and was encouraged to hold special meetings for them.
After the great revival of 1831, when many Negroes were received, a committee of seven of the older colored members were
appointed to the task formerly assigned to the sexton. It was
frankly said that the white members could not exercise intelligently the necessary church discipline. The next year an effort
was made to segregate the colored members. Later, when Doctor
Jett succeeded in organizing the First African Church, a committee was appointed, to act with one from the First in supervising, as required by law, the preaching at the African Church.
Encouragement was also given such of the Negroes as desired to
join the new congregation. Finally, it became evident, that the
best results were not being accomplished and a resolution was
passed not to receive other colored members except in unusual
cases. Mrs. M. 0. Roper's Harriett and a worthy man, Richard
Balentine, were later regarded as exceptions and were admitted.
After much discussion, the Negro members were finally organized as the Second African Baptist Church, and, on February 1,
1846, forty-three males and fourteen females were dismissed.
The church stood sponsor for the Second African Baptist; but
apparently did not have to assume any financial liability. Annually until the close of the war between the states, a committee of
the church was in general charge of the Negro congregation,
attended its services, and gave counsel. When freedom came to
the colored members and they threw off the tie that bound them
the Second African had 1,100 members. In 1866 the committee
headed by Jackson B. Wood, made a final report that contained
this interesting observation: c... in our opinion, the organization which was formerly adopted is the very best which can
possibly be carried out for the good government of the colored
churches as well as for their promotion in piety." 4
'Taken from the "Ideal" (Bound Volume) 1921-23 Volume 5 of the
Second Baptist Church (white).