In visiting a Black church, you may discover many “churches” within those hallowed walls
“No pillar of the African American community has been more central to its history, identity and social justice vision than the Black Church.”
Henry Louis Gates Jr.
By JOE GRIMM
Founder of the MSU School of Journalism Bias Busters
The Black Church really is comprised of many “churches” that do many things. Depending on the size of the community, the walls of a Black Church may be home to congregations that provide job training, child care and schooling, community building, financial help, civic activism and more.
Historically, one primary role has been as a sanctuary. This occurs in times of war and, quite recently, some congregations in the United States have opened their doors to immigrants. But these are not their primary purposes.
Since the beginning of the Black Church—shortly before the formation of the U.S. in 17776—the purpose has always been to freely connect congregants to God, to praise Jesus and to allow for worship—prayer, music and preaching—in beloved styles with a long history in African American communities. Major themes emphasized in Black churches are drawn from Bible stories about God’s defense of the vulnerable, including in the Exodus that led Hebrew slaves to freedom as they left Egypt.
Professor, author and minister Michael Eric Dyson, has called the Black Church “our refuge. It’s our sanctuary, literally. The very nature of the Black Church is what makes it so powerful and yet so vulnerable at the same time.”
Dyson and other leading figures in the Black Church helped our Michigan State University School of Journalism Bias Busters students to research, write and publish 100 Questions and Answers about the Black Church. That book is just one of two-dozen Bias Busters books that help Americans understand more about our neighbors of various ethnicities, races, and religions. We even publish books to help us understand people in often-misunderstood professions, such as police officers and those who have served in our armed forces.
Want to visit a Black Church?
Black History Month is an ideal time to visit a Black Church in your area. Assuming you are respectful in your visit, you will find yourself warmly welcomed. In fact, that’s a Q-and-A in our book:
Q: What is the etiquette for visiting a Black Church?
A: Expect to be approached and to be welcomed. Dress codes vary according to the church, the region and the type of service. It is best to stay on the “Sunday-best” side with women in dresses and men in business or business casual, especially on the first Sunday of the month. Some church websites might give you an idea of how people dress. Non-members are welcome to participate. However, just observe during communion, healings or altar calls, in which congregants come forward and ask God for help.
‘Changing the world for the better’
The Black Church is a pillar of community values for millions of Americans. In our book, the Rev. Dr. Charles Christian Adams writes that leaders of the Black Church “have changed the world for the better and helped humanity to morally progress in labor relations, distribution of resources, education, health care, equal protection under the law, access to opportunity, housing, economic development and social activism.”
Adams endorses this Bias Busters guide as “concise but in no way superfluous. So when you encounter the efficacy of the African American worship tradition or if you seek it out, you will be well prepared. Even if you just want to know enough to increase your understanding, you will enjoy this offering.”
Care to read more about the Black Church’s involvement in community development? To mark Black History Month 2025, we also are publishing a historical column, headlined, Black History Month highlight: The Heart of the African-American Labor Movement Beat in a Landmark Detroit Church
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