Boston's Peoples Baptist Church Celebrates
200 Years By Jane Lampman:
Source: Christian Science Monitor (Boston,
MA) (10-19-05)
As the morning light streams gently through stained glass windows, the
congregation lifts its hands and hearts in praise to God, singing "bless the
Rock of my salvation." Moments later, attendees move around the pews, greeting
each other with hugs and handshakes.
In this first of two Sunday
services, members of the Peoples Baptist Church in Boston celebrate their faith
and commitment to community. The Rev. Wesley Roberts is preaching on "Why We
Need Each Other," as the church begins a new campaign of spiritual fellowship
and community service.
This month also marks another celebration: the
church's 200th anniversary.
In 1805, free blacks on Boston's Beacon Hill
started First African Baptist Church, the first independent black Baptist church
in the North, and the first free black church of any denomination in New
England.
It has since had an uninterrupted history (through several name
changes), symbolizing both the black church's strong cultural influence and
African-Americans' exceptional devotion to spiritual matters.In almost any
survey of religious attitudes or behavior in the US today, African-Americans
stand out as the most religiously involved, the most prayerful, the most
spiritually focused among America's faithful.
Beatrice Busby, a native
Bostonian, was baptized at Peoples Baptist back in May 1925, and her spiritual
journey covers almost half the church's history.
"One thing I remember
very clearly from my childhood is [the pastor] always saying, 'Talk to that man
upstairs. No matter what happens, talk to Him and trust Him,' " the lively
octogenarian says in an interview. "There are times when your back is against
the wall and you wonder if God cares. But then the door opens, and it opens
wide. I could write a book about what He has done for me."
