The
Black Preacher
The African American
preacher is arguable the most important figure in African American
culture. Within the church the preacher
is expected to provide leadership and spiritual guidance. He must be a great orator and is expected to
study the bible thoroughly in order to deliver sermons that explain God’s message to the people.
The preacher is God’s representative on earth
and is generally said to have God speak through him. As a result the sermons are usually delivered
with high emotion as the preacher becomes filled with the holy spirit of God.
Click
here for an audio excerpt from "The Drum Major Instinct",
a sermon by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., 1968.
Outside of the pulpit the
African American preacher is a staple to African American families as he is
called upon to participate in nearly all important family events. He is called upon to perform weddings and
funerals, to bless new born children, visit the sick, console the grieving,
council the confused, and is expected to be available at anytime to his
congregants.
Due to his high visibility
and influence on his community, the African American Preacher is often called
upon to provide leadership outside of the church. Other preachers use the influence of the
church to provide programs for social change, others join alliances with other
congregations for similar reasons.
Preachers also take active roles in politics, running for office or
influencing their congregation to support a candidate who will best serve the
churches interests.
Examples of The
Black Preacher:
The First leader of an all
Black Denomination
The major African American
denomination, The African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church was formed under the
leadership of Richard Allen
in 1816 at Mother Bethel
in
Portrait of Richard Allen: taken from Africans in
America Part 3 http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part3/3h98.html
Civil Rights
Leaders:
Politicians:
Musicians
Other African
American Preachers of Importance:
