WallBuilder ReportAFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY ISSUE 2005

THE

HonoringGodly Heroes

AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH

THE GRANGER COLLECTION, NEW YORK

A frican American HistoryMonth provides an excel-lent opportunity for

WallBuilders to accomplish itsmission of “presenting America’sforgotten history and heroes, withan emphasis on our moral, reli-gious, and constitutional heritage.”

In this year’s issue, WallBuilderswill highlight three notable (butoften forgotten)ministers whowere active beforeand during thenational revivalknown as theSecond GreatAwakening (1795-1845). These blackministers laboredalongside whiteChristians andpreached to bothwhite and blackcongregations.

This should not seem unusual,however, for truly mature followersof Christ in all eras have longrecognized that there are not sev-eral races but only two: the believerand the nonbeliever (Galatians 3:28& Colossians 3:11). The stories ofthese three ministers are inspiringand are characterized by sacrificeand Christian courage.

African American poet JamesWeldon Johnson (1871-1938)properly said of these ministers:

The old-time Negro preacherhas not yet been given the nichein which he properly belongs. . . .It was through him that thepeople of diverse languages andcustoms, who were brought herefrom diverse parts of Africa and

thrown intoslavery, weregiven their firstsense of unityand solidarity.He was the firstshepherd of thebewildered flock.His power forgood or ill wasvery great. It wasthe old-timepreacher who forgenerations wasthe mainspring

of hope and inspiration for theNegro in America.

The Rev. Andrew Bryan1737-1812

Andrew Bryan was born in sla-very and grew up as a slave on aplantation in South Carolina. In1782, Andrew and his wifeHannah became Christians un-

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The WallBuilder Report (issn 1073-1512) is published by WallBuilder Presentations, Inc.For the first six months, this newsletter is provided free to all who request it. How-ever, to continue receiving The WallBuilder Report beyond that period, we need tohear from you in some manner (e.g., a letter, call, contribution, purchase of materials,etc.). Through such communications, we can be sure of your continued interest andpartnership with us. Contributions to WallBuilder Presentations are tax deductible.Call or write WallBuilders, P.O. Box 397, Aledo, tx 76008-0397, (817) 441-6044.Internet Locate us on the Internet at www.wallbuilders.com.Design Lincoln-Jackson, 454 Arcadian Way, Orange, va 22960, 540-661-0048.

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der the preaching of the Rev.George Liele (1752 - 1828), anAfrican American born intoslavery who ministered the Gos-pel to other slaves. (Liele was thefirst African American ordainedas a Baptist preacher.) Only ninemonths after his conversion,Andrew – still a slave – waspreaching to both black andwhite congregations. He evange-lized slaves on neighboring plan-tations and erected a crudewooden church; his congregationgrew rapidly, attended by bothblacks and whites. On January20, 1788, Bryan was ordained as aBaptist minister.

As a result of the rapid growthof his church, persecution wasinitiated by nearby slave ownerswho feared a revolt if slaves heardthe message of freedom in theGospel. Hundreds of convertedslaves not only were denied waterbaptism by their masters but also

were forbidden to attend Bryan’sservices. Many who did attendwere flogged and severely pun-ished, and even Andrew waswhipped, beaten, and imprisoned(much like Paul and Silas in Acts16:19-25), and his church wasseized. (Andrew’s master, whosupported his ministry, helpedarrange his release from jail.)

Was Andrew bitter at this unjusttreatment? Not at all. Instead, just

Rev. Andrew Bryan

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as Jesus had instructed in Mat-thew 5, Andrew exulted in hispersecution, proclaiming that “herejoiced not only to be whippedbut would freely suffer death forthe cause of Jesus Christ;” he alsoprayed for the men who had perse-cuted him. This Christ-like behav-ior in Andrew won the respect ofmany observers.

Upon the death of his “master”in 1790, Andrew purchased hisfreedom and that of his wife. In1794, several influential whiteshelped him raise the money topurchase property upon which tobuild a new church – the BryanStreet African Baptist Church(the first black Baptist church in

America). Andrew then pur-chased a lot near the church uponwhich to build his home.

Within six years, the churchhad grown to almost 700 mem-bers (a large church at any time, itdefinitely was a mega-church inthat era). In 1800, the church wasreorganized as the First AfricanBaptist Church of Savannah, andone of its ministries was a blackSabbath school – the first in thecity. However, because Andrew’sgoal was not simply to have alarge congregation and an impres-sive church, in 1802 he deliber-ately split the congregation andplanted a new church: the SecondAfrican Baptist Church of Savan-nah (its pastor, Henry Francis,started a school in the church toeducate black children). Thechurch growth continued, and in1803 Andrew split the churchagain, forming the Third AfricanBaptist Church of Savannah. Asthese churches grew, their congre-gations pioneered churches inother parts of the State.

At that time in America’s his-tory, Georgia was one of the moststridently pro-slavery states inAmerica. Thomas Jefferson (whoin 1783 proposed the first anti-slavery law in America) noted

Bryan and those who attended hischurch were whipped and persecuted.

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that it was the influence of Geor-gia, North Carolina, and SouthCarolina that kept the nationalanti-slavery law from passing inCongress. Georgia had even beenunable to provide its share ofsoldiers for the American Revolu-tion because its citizens fearedthat if they left their plantationsto fight for American indepen-dence, their slaves would escape.Clearly, slavery was strongly em-braced in Georgia, so Andrewlabored in a region of the countryin which ministry by – or to –African Americans was excep-tionally difficult.

Nevertheless, upon Andrew’sdeath in 1812, the Savannah Bap-tist Association (comprised of thewhite Baptists of the city), praised

Bryan’s work, proclaiming:

The Association is sensiblyaffected by the death of theRev. Andrew Bryan, a man ofcolor, and pastor of the FirstColored Church in Savannah.This son of Africa, after suffer-ing inexpressible persecutionsin the cause of his divine Mas-ter, was at length permitted todischarge the duties of theministry among his coloredfriends in peace and quiet,hundreds of whom, through hisinstrumentality, were broughtto knowledge of the truth as “itis in Jesus.”

The ministry of AndrewBryan brought thousands inGeorgia to a personal relation-ship with God through Christ.

The Rev. “Black Harry” Hoosier(or Hosier) 1750-1810

Harry Hoosier was born a slavein North Carolina, but towardthe end of the American Revolu-tion he obtained his freedom,converted to Methodism, andbecame a preacher. In 1781, hedelivered a sermon in Virginiaentitled “The Barren Fig Tree” –the first recorded Methodistsermon by an African American.

The first black Baptist Church inAmerica (above) was built by the Rev.Andrew Bryan.

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Despite the fact that Hoosier wasilliterate, he became famous as atraveling evangelist and wasconsidered one of the mostpopular preachers of his era. Infact, after hearing Harry preachin and around Philadelphia, Dr.Benjamin Rush (1745-1813), asigner of the Declaration ofIndependence and an evangelicalChristian, declared that account-ing for his illiteracy, Hoosier was“the greatest orator in America.”

Early in his ministry, Harrybecame a close associate ofBishop Francis Asbury (1745-1816), the “Founding Father of

the American MethodistChurch.”

(In 1771, Asbury – an English-man – heard an appeal from JohnWesley for preachers to go toAmerica to “spread the Word.”Asbury responded, and duringthe next four decades hepreached almost 20,000 sermonsand rode over a quarter of a mil-lion miles across America – onhorseback! When Asbury firstarrived, there were only 550Methodists in America, but bythe time of his death in 1816,there were 250,000 – and 700ordained Methodist ministers. In1924 when a statue of BishopAsbury was erected in Washing-ton, dc, President CalvinCoolidge declared of Asbury that“He is entitled to rank as one ofthe builders of our nation.”)

Hoosier and Bishop Asburytraveled and preached together,but Bishop Asbury (who drewhuge crowds) remarked thatHarry drew even larger crowdsthan he did! In fact, the Rev.Henry Boehm (1775-1875) re-ported: “Harry. . . . was so illiteratehe could not read a word [but h]ewould repeat the hymn as if read-ing it, and quote his text withgreat accuracy. His voice was

Rev. Harry Hoosier

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musical, and his tongue as the penof a ready writer. He wasunboundedly popular, and manywould rather hear him than thebishops.” Harry also traveled andpreached with other popularbishops of that era, including theRev. Richard Whatcoat (1736-1806), the Rev. FreebornGarretson (1752-1827), and theRev. Thomas Coke (1747-1814).The Rev. Coke said of Asburythat, “I really believe he is one ofthe best preachers in the world.There is such an amazing powerthat attends his preaching . . . and

he is one of the humblest crea-tures I ever saw.”

Hoosier ministered widelyalong the American frontier andis described by historians as “arenowned camp meeting ex-horter, the most widely knownblack preacher of his time, andarguably the greatest circuit riderof his day.” However, he wasunpopular in the South for tworeasons: first, frontier Methodistssuch as Hoosier tended to leanArminian in their theology, con-trasted with the denominationsof the South that were largelyCalvinistic (e.g., Presbyterians,Reformed, Episcopalians, Bap-tists, etc. – yes, the Baptists ofthat day were largely Calvinis-tic!); second, Methodists wereoutspoken against slaverywhereas the majority of theSouth supported slavery. There-fore, southern groups such as theVirginia Baptists came to use theterm “Hoosiers” as an insultingterm of derision that they appliedto Methodists like Black HarryHoosier, meaning that they wereanti-slavery in belief andArminian in theology.

Fisk University history profes-sor William Piersen believes thatthis is the source of the term

The Rev. Asbury preached before hugecrowds, but Harry’s were even larger.

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“Hoosier” that was applied to theinhabitants of Indiana. Piersenexplains, “Such an etymologywould offer Indiana a plausibleand worthy first Hoosier – ‘BlackHarry’ Hoosier – the greatestpreacher of his day, a man whorejected slavery and stood up formorality and the common man.”

Noted African Americanhistorian Carter Woodson re-ported the words of early Meth-odist historian John Ledman indescribing the closing chapter ofHarry Hoosier’s life:

After he had moved on the tideof popularity for a number ofyears . . . he fell by wine – one of

the strong enemies of bothministers and people. And now,alas! this popular preacher was adrunken ragpicker in the streetsof Philadelphia. But we will notleave him here. One evening,Harry . . . determined to remainthere until his backslidings werehealed. Under a tree he wrestledwith God in prayer. Sometimethat night, God restored to himthe joys of his salvation [Psalm51:12]. . . . About the year 1810,Harry finished his course. . . .An unusually large number ofpeople, both white and colored,followed his body to its lastresting place, in a free buryingground in Kensington [nearPhiladelphia].

The Rev. Harry Hoosier wasused by God to draw thousandsof Americans to Christ duringthe early decades of the SecondGreat Awakening.

The Rev. John Marrant1755-1791

John Marrant was born in NewYork in 1755. His father died earlyin John’s life; and in 1766 whenJohn was eleven, his mother senthim to Charleston, South Caro-lina, to live with an older sisterand learn a trade. After arriving

Historian Carter Woodson

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in Charleston, John had a changeof plans; as he explained: “I hadpassed by a school and heardmusic and dancing, which tookmy fancy very much; and I felt astrong inclination to learn themusic. I went home and in-formed my sister that I wouldrather learn music than go to atrade.” John therefore undertookthe study of music and becameskilled with both the violin andthe French horn. According toJohn, within two years (while hewas only thirteen years of age):“I was invited to all the balls andassemblies that were held in thetown, and met with general ap-plause of the inhabitants. I was astranger to want, being suppliedwith as much money as I had anyoccasion for.”

On his way to play at one ofthose musical events, John and afriend passed a crowded meet-inghouse. John noticed that thelarge crowd was gathered around“a crazy man halloing there.”The “crazy man” was the Rev.George Whitefield, and theassembly was one of many reli-gious meetings that occurredduring the First Great Awaken-ing – a national spiritual revivalthat lasted from 1730-1770.

(The Rev. George Whitefield(1714-1770) has been called thegreatest evangelist of all time.Born in England, he became amissionary to America, makingseven separate trips and spendingnine years preaching across thecountry. It is estimated that hepreached to nearly ten millionindividuals in his lifetime, withcrowds of 20,000 being commonand reaching as high as 100,000(of course, there was no soundamplification then, and it wasreported that Whitefield’s naturalvoice could be heard up to onemile away, thus easily accommo-dating such crowds). Whitefieldpreached some 18,000 sermons in

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his life – an average of 500 a year,and 10 each week. Often, up to500 hearers at a time would fallto the ground and lie prostrateunder the power of his sermons.)

John’s friend who was accom-panying him, wanting to disruptWhitefield’s event, dared John totake his French horn and “blow[it] among them.” Marrant ac-cepted the challenge; raising thehorn to his lips and preparing toblow, Whitefield suddenly lookeddirectly at John, pointed hisfinger at him, and announced,“Prepare to meet thy God, OIsrael!” Marrant immediately fellprostrate as though struck down

(c.f., John 18:6 & Revelation 1:17),remaining motionless for almosthalf an hour. When John recov-ered, Whitefield ministered tothe young boy and spent timewith him. On the third day,Marrant committed his life toChrist and dedicated himself toGospel ministry. (Marrant’sconversion occurred onWhitefield’s final missionaryjourney to America.)

An overjoyed Marrant re-turned to his family to share hisnewfound experience with them,but they rejected him. LikeMoses of old (Exodus 2:15), Johnfled to the wilderness. There he

The Rev. George Whitefield, considered one of the greatest evangelists of alltime, led John Marrant to Christ and helped him enter the ministry.

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met a Cherokee warrior and theyspent ten weeks together, hunt-ing and becoming fast friends.When they eventually returnedto the Indian’s camp, Marrantwas made a prisoner (the Chero-kees at this time were often atwar with the settlers; it was clearto the Cherokees that the blackMarrant was not an Indian, so hetherefore was an enemy settler).

When the Cherokee chieftainthreatened John with death, Johnaddressed the Cherokees in theirown language and shared withthem the Gospel of Christ. Ac-cording to Marrant, “The king[the chief ] himself was awak-ened, and the others set at [spiri-tual] liberty. A great change tookplace among the people; theKing’s house became God’shouse; the soldiers were orderedaway; and the poor condemnedprisoner [Marrant] had perfectliberty and was treated like aprince. Now the Lord made allmy enemies become my greatfriends.” Thus being released fromhis captivity, the chief grantedMarrant permission to evangelizeamong the Cherokee – which hedid for the next nine weeks, alsoevangelizing among theMuskogees. As noted by African

American historian ArthurSchomburg (1874-1938), Marrantwas: “A Negro in America [like]the Jesuits of old, who spread theseed of Christianity among theAmerican Indians before thebirth of the American Republic.”

Following his success with hismissionary endeavors, Marrantreturned to his family; but theyagain rejected him because theynow considered him too much ofan Indian. Ironically, throughouthis life Marrant was often facedwith rejection which he overcameon each occasion: first, his familyrejected his calling toward theGospel ministry (yet he perse-vered and entered anyway); next,the Cherokees rejected him be-cause he was a settler (again heovercame and evangelized amongthem); then, when he returned tohis family, they rejected him asbeing too much of “a savage” in“the Indian style” (once more hepersisted until he broke throughthe rejection and was finallyreunited with his family).

Following these evangelisticefforts, Marrant agreed to workas a carpenter on a plantationnear Charleston; and whileworking there, he evangelizedamong the slaves. As he ex-

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plained, “During this time, I sawmy call to the ministry fuller andclearer – had a feeling of concernfor the salvation of my country-men.” Sadly, however, when themistress of the plantation foundthe slaves at prayer, she alertedher husband, who rounded up aposse and raided the prayermeeting. According to Marrant,“As the poor creatures came out,they caught them and tied themtogether with cords till the nextmorning, when all they caught –men, women, and children –were stripped naked and tied(their feet to a stake, their handsto the arm of a tree) and so se-verely flogged that the blood ranfrom their backs and sides to the

floor, to make them promise theywould leave off praying.”

All of this activity occurredbefore the American Revolu-tion; and when the Revolutiondid commence, Marrant wasimpressed by the British intothe navy. Following the war, hesettled in England, and on May15, 1785, was ordained as aChristian minister by the Cal-vinistic Methodists, a groupstarted by George Whitefield.(Whitefield and the Wesleysworked together in forming theMethodist church, but theWesleys became moreArminian in theology whereasWhitefield remained moreCalvinistic and thus headed the

Marrant evangelized successfully among Indians as well as among slaves.

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Calvinistic Methodists.)Marrant continued his ministryefforts, preaching in England,then Canada, and then back inthe United States. While inAmerica, he became ill, andbeing in poor health, he desiredto return to England to see hisfriends there. He died shortlythereafter at the age of thirty-six. Despite the apparent short-ness of his life, Marrant never-theless accomplished much, andwas among the first AfricanAmericans to evangelize suc-cessfully among the AmericanIndians.

SummaryThese three famous ministers(the Rev. Andrew Bryan, theRev. Harry Hoosier, and theRev. John Marrant) were allwell-known and even nationally-known ministers in their day; allwere extremely effective; allcontributed greatly to thegrowth of American Christian-ity in particular and America ingeneral. These three are just afew examples of the forgottenheroes and history that Wall-Builders is proud to reintroduceto this generation of Americans!■

Marrant conducted prayer meetings among slaves, and even though thosewho attended were beaten, they still continued in prayer.

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