African-American Passionbearers
The Ancient Faith in African America
When slaves were brought over from Africa, primarily from the West African coast, their existing belief systems proved fertile ground for an intuitive response to Jesus Christ. In spite of the Western “package” that Christ was presented in, millions of slaves grasped the essence of the ancient Orthodox Faith in their hearts, like Melchizedek and the Magi, although they could have no contact with the form of Orthodoxy. Many masters were afraid to teach their slaves about Christ for fear they would realize their equality and demand freedom, but the Holy Spirit provided other ways for them to learn about Him.
Sometimes masters taught them Christian precepts so that they would be obedient and stop stealing. Other times, saintly followers of Christ were sold to new plantations, where they would teach the other slaves. Others secretly learned to read and obtained copies of the Bible, becoming convinced of the truth of its teaching.
As Christians in the early Church had to meet secretly to express the Faith, so too did many slaves. They gathered in so-called “hush harbors” (brush arbors) where they could express their love, praise, and hope in God. For participating in these secret prayer meetings, not a few were severely tortured, and some died as martyrs. Others suffered as confessors and passion bearers.
