While church leadership is often gendered male in our memory, women have always
been fundamental to the success of the black church as an institution. While women may
not have been the individuals that people saw speaking at the pulpit or on anyone's
deacon board, the church would not have happened (and STILL would not) if it were not
for the contributions of black women.
Though these individuals are often masked behind the charisma, strong personalities and
social hierarchy that benefited male leaders, women in the black church have ushered,
tithed, taught Sunday and vacation Bible schools and contributed to the building fund of
nearly every church. If black men were the individuals steering the church’s wheel, black
women have always been the engine that made it run. And of course, if you do not have
an engine, you are not going anywhere.
As we can see, historically women have upheld the institution of the church through
filling the very real needs of every congregation, even though their influence was often
overshadowed if not completely silenced by patriarchy. While there were indeed masses
of nameless women who contributed to each church’s practical needs and who received
no recognition, there were in fact many bold female leaders who left a legacy of strength
that black women still benefit from and even hold to today. Here are some profiles, words
and portraits of some of these influential women in the development of the black church
as an institution, the black freedom struggle as a movement and the continual push for the
black woman’s liberation from her dual-oppression in American society.
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1)The woman who perhaps illustrates this point best is Sojourner Truth in her “Ain’t I A
Woman” speech. The content of this speech is somewhat of a construction in the sense
that the author who “documented” this piece, Frances Dana Gage, was doing so with the
intending to add to Truth’s legend rather than to strictly preserve historical fact. Even so,
the character and strength of the Truth that our collective memory recalls is no doubt
apparent in her words.
That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and
lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever
helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place!
And ain't I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and
planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a
woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man - when I could
get it - and bear the lash as well! And ain't I a woman? I have borne
thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried
out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain't I a
woman?
Click here for a link to the original manuscript of Truth’s speech at the
CONVENTION NAME in contrast to Gage’s construction.
http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~ulrich/RHE309/truth/
2)An accomplished writer and orator after the death of her husband in 1829, Maria
Stewart studied works such as <U>David Walker’s Appeal</U> and developed a fervent
passion for the abolitionist cause. Compelled to speak out for the justice of the cause, and
because black men in Boston were too restrained to do so, Stewart stormed the
abolitionist cause
I believe that for wise and holy purposes best known to himself, he hath unloosed
my tongue and put his word into my mouth, in order to confound and put all those to
shame that have rose up against me. For he hath clothed my face with steel, and lined my
forehead with brass, He hath put his testimony within me, and engraven his seal upon my
forehead. And with these weapons I have indeed set the fiends of earth and hell at
defiance.
What if I am a woman; is not the God of ancient times the God of these modern days?
Did he not raise up Deborah, to be a mother, and a judge in Israel? Did not queen Esther
save the lives of the Jews? And Mary Magdelene first declare the resurrection of Christ
from the dead? Come, said the woman of Samaria, and see a man that hath told me all
things that I ever did, is not this the Christ?…Again, holy women ministered unto Christ
and the apostles; and women of refinement in all ages, more or less, have had a voice in
moral , religious and political subjects.”
3) Born a slave in 1837, Amanda Berry Smith’s life represented the true depth of black
women’s contributions to the black church and the construction of the body of Christ,
worldwide. As a traveling evangelist, her reach spanned the globe sending her to places
as diverse as Africa, India, England, Ireland and Scotland, beginning in 1878. The only
aspect of her life more thrilling than her scope was her beautiful contralto voice which
would captivate any audience and won her the title of “the Singing Pilgrim”. After
returning the states, she would continue to sing, open an orphanage for young black girls
in 1899 and maintain her fight against sexism and the ordination of women in African
Methodist Episcopal (AME) churches. Smith died on February 24, 1915. The following
passage is a part of her autobiography published in 1893.
If ever the Lord did help me, He helped me that day. And the Spirit of the
Lord seemed to fall on all the people. The preachers got happy. They wept
and shouted "Amen!" "Praise the Lord!" At the close a number of them
came to me and shook hands, and said, "God bless you, sister. Where did
you come from? I would like to have you come on my charge." Another
would say, "Look here, sister, when are you going home? God bless you. I
would like to have you come to my place." And so it went. So that after
that many of my brethren believed in me, especially as the question of
ordination of women never was mooted in the Conference. (204)
But how they have advanced since then. Most of them believe in the ordination of
women, and I believe some have been ordained. But I am satisfied with the ordination
that the Lord has given me. Praise His name!
An Autobiography. The Story of the Lord's Dealings with Mrs. Amanda Smith
the Colored Evangelist; Containing an Account of Her Life Work of Faith, and Her
Travels in America, England, Ireland, Scotland, India, and Africa, as an Independent
Missionary: Electronic Edition. Amanda Smith, 1837-1915
Funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities
supported the electronic publication of this title.
Text scanned (OCR) by Sarah Reuning
Images scanned by Sarah Reuning
Text encoded by Carlene Hempel and Natalia Smith
First edition, 1999
ca. 1.5MB
Academic Affairs Library, UNC-CH
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
1999.
4)Jarena Lee
I now told him, that the Lord had revealed it to me, that must preach the
gospel. He replied, by asking, in what sphere I wished to move in? I said,
among the Methodists. He then replied, that a Mrs. Cook, a Methodist
lady, had also some time before requested the same privilege; who, it was
believed, had done much good in the way of exhortation, and holding
prayer meetings; and who had been permitted to do so by the verbal
licence of the preacher in charge at the time. But as to women preaching,
he said that our Discipline knew nothing at all about it-- that it did not call
for women preachers. This I was glad to hear, because it removed the fear
of the cross-- but no sooner did this feeling cross my mind, than I found
that a love of souls had in measure departed from me; that holy energy
which burned within me, as a fire, began to be smothered. This I soon
perceived.
O how careful ought we to be, lest through our by-laws of church
government and discipline, we bring into disrepute even the word of life.
For as unseemly as it may appear now-a-days for a woman to preach, it
should be remembered that nothing is impossible, with God. And why
should it be thought impossible, heterodox, or improper for a woman to
preach? seeing the Saviour died for the woman as well as for the man.
If the man may preach, because the Saviour died for him, why not the
woman? seeing he died for her also. Is he not a whole Saviour, instead of a
half one? as those who hold it wrong for a woman to preach, would seem
to make it appear.