BHM: the Black church a place for community engagement

DELMARVA – The Black church has been a staple in the black community.

47ABC spoke with local church members at First Baptist Church of Salisbury about their experience and the importance of this sense of community within the black church. Dr. Robert Mock, a church member of the church says church is also a way to get involved and engaged in community activism. Reverend Doctor Lewis Watson, Pastor of the church says the Black church was the happy place for African Americans to come to.

“It has probably been one of the most enduring institutions of our time. Many activities, social events, any type of community engagement has always centered around the black church,” he explains.

Pastor Watson tells of times when the church played a major role in social issues including: Emmett Tills death and civil rights movements where churches were bombed. He explains the church as a safe place for the voiceless.

Dr. Mock remembers a time when his church got involved with the community for change. This was a time when the Black community and law enforcement issues were heightened. He says Pastor Watson brought together the community, local law enforcement, and elected officials to talk about police involvement in the community in a positive way. The church also hosted COVID-19 vaccination clinics and COVID-19 testing sites. Dr. Mock says the church offers life long skills as well.

“The Black church has been very inspirational to me, it helps me grow and develop spiritually but has also helped me become a better leader inside and outside the church,” Dr. Mock says.

With guidance from the church, Dr. Mock has been able to use his skills in other areas. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, all while being the Chief of Staff at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. He says the skills learned in the church manifest themselves.

Describing the Black church, Pastor Watson tells us the church has always been mesmerizing, charismatic, and integrative. A place where, Dr. Mock says many individuals learn to perform, dance, sing and play musical instruments. And when it came to Black preaching the rhythmic and melodic sound would often come from the pastor. Both Pastor Watson and Dr. Mock say one of the key identifiers of the black church is the call and response. That is a mean to engage with the pastor, a gesture of acknowledgement. It can be seen as a waving of the hands, a holy dance or verbally saying amen or hallelujah.

Pastor Watson says at a Baptist Church there is autonomy, where the Pastor is the Bishop, rather than answering to a superintendent. The Pastor operates with the deacons and officers in the church to assist effectively. Pastor Watson says the black church was the only place Black people could go years ago, there were no other venues other than the Black church.