Volume 11 , No.1 Winter 2013

Forever Free The current exhibit at the Historical Society is For-ever Free: American Baptist Home Missions in the Vanguard of Liberty. Related to historical com-memorations planned for the June Biennial Con-vention of American Baptist Churches-USA meet-ing in Overland Park, Kansas, For-ever Free shows the role of the Home Mission Societies (ABHMS) follow-ing the Emancipa-tion Proclamation of January 1863. Freedom was already on the minds of African Americans 150 years ago, as word of President Lin-coln’s Emancipa-tion Proclamation of January 1st reached more and more slaves in the Confedera-cy. How that notion of freedom translated into reality was something negotiated by white and black leaders. Among the leaders of this freedom move-ment were missionaries Joanna P. Moore, Solo-mon Peck, and Isaac Brinckerhoff, each of whom rushed to the aid of “contraband”--the slaves who, during the war, stole themselves and ran to Union lines. Much like the “contraband” who stole themselves to freedom by passing through enemy lines, Moore and Peck stole into a war

zone to volunteer their aid in teaching, preaching, and relief work—even before the ABHMS could move to appoint missionaries among the newly freed people. These home missionaries the Ameri-can Baptist Home Mission Society later affirmed with official appointments.

A (very) young Moore began as a relief worker, teach-ing literacy to for-mer slaves. She ar-gued against those afraid of extending freedom to their “black brothers,” whom she pictured as reasonable in wanting to be “free, like other men, free to vote, to hold of-fice, enter public places, stay in any hotel, eat at any lunch house, ride on any street cars, sit in

waiting rooms, worship in any church” (In Christ’s Stead). An older, well-seasoned minister, Solomon Peck also went South to aid former slaves in coastal Carolina. There he organized Sunday Schools and preaching services and advocated government land grants for the newly freed. Isaac Brinckerhoff went to Charleston and Savannah, preaching, teaching, and working with the gov-ernment to write and distribute scripture por-tions and pamphlets for the freed African Ameri-cans.

Continued on page 2

Photo of Joanna P. Moore’s school from her book, In Christ’s Stead.

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The American Baptist Home Mission Socie-ties provided support for dozens more teachers as well as for 26 different institutions. These includ-ed Morehouse and Spelman Colleges, both of which prepared leaders for service as missionar-ies, teachers, and ministers.

Other Anniversaries Another historical emphasis at the biennial will be the 325th anniversary of First Baptist Church, Providence, RI, founded by Roger Wil-liams in support of religious liberty for those who differed from Congregational views. Also to be celebrated will be the bicenten-nial of Adoniram and Ann Judson’s arrival in Burma (Myanmar) and the subsequent organizing of a national body of Baptists in America in sup-port of that mission. The ABHS breakfast will highlight these anniversaries by comparing the mission in Burma with the mission to former slaves. More about these biennial meetings is available at the convention website, www.americanbaptists2013.com.

Younger Award Portfolios Due May 1st

The George D. Younger Award for Excellence in

Local or Regional American Baptist History will

be announced during the 2013 Biennial Conven-

tion in Overland Park, Kansas.

Deadline for submission is May 1, 2013,

and guidelines for nominees are available from

the Historical Society by phone 678-547-6680,

email abhs@abhsarchives.org, or on our website at

www.abhsarchives.org.

Projects eligible for nomination include

church anniversary celebrations, congregational

or regional histories, oral history projects, or other

historical programs that promote Baptist history

in the local community or region.

The judges look for evidence of the impact

on the targeted audience,

with special consideration

given for projects with out-

reach beyond the immediate

Baptist community.

George D. Younger

(1926-2001) was an histori-

an, minister, ecumenical

leader, and lifelong enthusi-

ast for Baptist histo-

ry. Along with his parish

and regional ministry in

New York City and New

Jersey, he served as editor-in

-chief of the ABHS journal, Foundations

(predecessor to the American Baptist Quarterly);

represented the Baptist World Alliance at the

United Nations; and taught Baptist history and

polity at Princeton Theological Seminary, New

Brunswick Theological Seminary, Drew Theologi-

cal School, and Union Theological Seminary.

Dr. Younger stressed the importance of

Baptist history and principles. Seeking to honor

his achievement and to continue his legacy of en-

couraging others to share their own part in Bap-

tist history, the Historical Society created the

George D. Younger Award in 2004.

Church Historian, Rev. Neil Jones, Lower Provi-dence Baptist Church , Eagleville, PA, accepted the Younger Award in 2011.

“Old Union troop barracks where classes were held in the early days of Spelman College, Atlanta, GA” From An Era of Pro-gress and Promise edited by W. N. Hartshorn, page 77.

Forever Free Continued from page 1

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Thanks for Your Generosity

The American Baptist Historical Society thanks all those listed below for their generosity in 2012 to-wards our ministry of memory. Thanks also to the many who supported this vital mission of preserv-ing and sharing Baptist history with smaller amounts throughout the year. “Without those friends, we would not be able to preserve and share Baptist history with researchers from around the world,” said Executive Director Dr. Deborah B. Van Broekhoven. Every gift is important. We understand the de-mands on everyone’s budget, and we know that every dollar represents your conviction that Baptist history matters!”

GOLD: $1000-$5000

Garth & Karen Brokaw

John Carter, Colgate University John Douhan Shirley Fair

Lester & Pearl Gardner Louise Johnson

Tom & Gail Litwiler T. J. Litwiler

Oakhurst Baptist Church, Decatur, GA Peoples Baptist Church, Boston, MA

Wesley Roberts San Leandro Community Church,

San Leandro, CA Dayle Scott

Norman & Carolyn Taylor Dodie Younger

Harold & Deborah Van Broekhoven

SILVER: $500-$999 Jim & Ginny Beck

Kent Berghuis Adam Bond

Brewster Baptist Church, Brewster, MA Allen & Beverly Carlson

Charles & Barbara Chicks Andy & Beverly Davison Ralph & Virginia Elliott

First Baptist Church, Dayton, OH First Chinese Baptist Church, San Francisco, CA

Vernette Fulop Leroy & Sharon Gilbert Everett & Jane Goodwin

David Laubach

Ken & Genevieve Peterson William & Ruth Pitts

Joe & Jane Stoner

Bronze: $100-$499 Jan Ballard

Louis Barbarin Ron Barlow

Wayne & Alice Bartee Bill & Gloria Belli

Stephen & Myra Bingham Timothy T. Boddie

Frederick J. Boehlke, Jr. Anthea D. Butler

Calvary Baptist Church, Norristown, PA Alan Chandler

Vernon Chartier Pamela L. Claassen

Ruth Cramer George & Liz Daniels

Delores Davis James & Edith Davison Marty & Tracy Dexter

Donald & Dorcas Diaz-Shaner Ken & Sally Dodgson

Jake Dorn Carlisle Driggers

Blaine & Joy Dunn Marilyn Emerson

James & Martha Fairfield Sharon Farral

Robert & Laurena Fisher Geraldine Forbes Marlene Francis

Ruth Gates Ken George

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BRONZE: $100—$499

(Continued)

Melva Gray George Grisevich

Haddock Baptist Church, Haddock, GA Stephen Handy

Rick & Anne Harris Audrey Hexdall

Henry & Lynda Hosek Robert & Patricia Holmen

Eric & Virginia Holmstrom Heidi Holmstrom

Mitch Homma Jerry Hopkins

Dick Huber Bob Hudson Rosa James

Neil & Ruth Jones Margaret Jump Richard Kahoe

Lloyd & Betty Kenyon William & Gail Key

Jean Kim Lake Ave Memorial Baptist Church,

Rochester, NY Glenn Loafmann

Lower Providence Baptist Church, Eagleville, PA Bobby Lovett

Jim & Betty Layton Bill & Mary Beth Mankin

Market Street Baptist Church, Zanesville, OH Carl Marquette, Jr. Trinette McCray

Roy & Pat Medley Henry Mitchell Carole Moore

Harry & Dot Moore Eric Ohlmann

Spencer Parsons Zelma Payne

Pennepack Baptist Church, Philadelphia, PA Dick & Charlene Pierard

David Plath Jack Preston

Primera Iglesia Bautista de Rio Piedras, San Juan, PR

Don & Ginny Rasmussen Ron & Pat Schlosser

Mac & LaVerne Shotwell Ray Schooler

Bob & Pearl Seymour Tai Shigaki

Vergie Spiker David & Frances Stone David & Beth Sullivan

Carol Sutton Olive Tiller

Joan Thatcher Eugene & Mary Ellen Ton George & Connie Tooze

Dorothy Trasker Jim & Sue Trent Roger Velasquez

Dick & Carol Visser Chuck & Linda Weber John & Penny Webster

Gary & Shirley Wall Lee Westrate

Package from India

New materials for the collections arrive daily. This pack-age from India contained programs created for the 75th an-niversary celebration last November of the Sarah E. White Memorial Hostel in Guwahati, India. Included was a thank you from Mrs. Bendangla Jamir, Chaplain and Su-perintendent of this hostel work for women. Mrs. Ben-dangla used documents supplied by ABHS from the Board

of International Ministries’ biographical file on missionary Marion Grace Burn-ham (service 1937-49; 1953-1958) to provide more history of the hostel, a “home away from home” for women attending school in Guwahati. The program will be added to the Society’s research collections.

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From the Archives

This rare pamphlet, Schools for Colored Preachers (1870), promotes giv-ing in support of education for freed people. Pages reproduced here encouraged small gifts in support of individual students and larger gifts for institutional support. This pamphlet is one of several ABHS holdings about education for freed people as necessary for real eman-cipation. Other pamphlets served as catechisms, manuals, and text-books for students recently liberated from slavery. Schools for Colored Preachers answers critics of education for “colored” by stressing the Christian, “not sectional” nature of the instruction and quoting South-ern white pastors. Leading Richmond pastor Dr. W. A. Montgomery is quoted as advocating “elevation of the Freedman” as a mission, and a mission which might facilitate reconciliation of Northern and Southern Baptists.

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Post this page on your bulletin board. And when you use information from “From the Archives” remember to give credit to the American Baptist Historical Society.

More pages from School for Colored Preachers.

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Wish List

Equipment that will make it easier for researchers to work with the collection and for staff to work with researchers and process new collections:

PastPerfect Cataloguing Software Upgrade $515 Laptop computers: Three needed, loaded with Windows 7 professional software. $1500 each Café Chair: For researchers checking databases on the reading room computer. $150 Summer Processing Intern: To assist with pro-cessing archival and photograph collections. $3000 Reading Room Lamps: Four needed. $100 each Reading Room Chairs: For conference table (8 chairs). $2400 Shelving: Units needed for processing. $500 - $3000 The following items will allow ABHS to expand our edu-cational program: Exhibit Cases: From vitrines and stands to fine se-cure exhibit cabinetry for use in the atrium outside the ABHS office. $100 - $50,000 Baptist Heroes Coloring Book: Update and repub-lish this popular ABHS publication. $5000 Photograph Display System: Permanent wall track system for displaying enlarged collections photo-graphs in the reading room. Cost includes first ex-hibit. $3000 Museum gallery protective posts and belts. $100

CONTACT US E-mail: abhsoffice@abhsarchives.org Website: www.abhsarchives.org www.judson200.org Phone: 678/547-6680 Research appointments, collection donations, reference desk, general questions Phone: 610/768-2269 ABHS donations, Ameri-can Baptist Quarterly subscriptions Mail: 3001 Mercer University Drive, Atlanta, GA 30341 Physical Address: 2930 Flowers Road South, Suite 150, Atlanta, GA 30341

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INSIDE

Thanks to our many

friends, and donors

The next issue of Primary Source will give high-lights of the January tour to Burma led by Deb-orah Van Broekhoven and Rosalie Hunt. Imag-es from this tour, which visited many Judson-related sites and churches, can be seen on the website www. Judson200.org.

Biennial Breakfast “Freedom & Mission”

Sunday, June 23, 7:45 a.m. Overland KS, Convention Center

Commemorating the bicentennial of the

Judsons’ arrival in Burma and the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proc-lamation, Dr. Deborah Van Broekhoven will compare foreign missions in Burma and home missions among the newly freed people. Tickets are $17 and may be

reserved by calling ABHS at 678-547-6680 or by registering at the Mission Summit/Biennial website www.americanbaptists2013.com.

Tour group poses in front of the Judson Memorial Church with the pastor Saw Seelah. The church is at Aungbinle, site of the second Judson prison.