Despite 200 years of change in Baptist worship, focus is still on God

Editor’s note: This is one of a series of articles commemorating the 200^th anniversary of the Georgia Baptist Convention, which will hold an annual meeting Nov. 13-15 at Warren Baptist Church in Augusta.  Congregations can register for the annual meeting here.

“Brethren we have met to worship, and to adore the Lord our God.”

For more than 250 years Georgia Baptists have gathered to worship and adore the Lord our God. From outdoor services beside creeks and rivers, gatherings in homes, mills, schools and barns. In time, gathering in hand-hewn log meeting houses, clapboard meeting houses, storefront buildings, and brick meeting houses. Today Baptists continue meeting in some of those historic structures as well as former shopping malls and multisite campuses.

In many ways, worship can be understood as the language used by a culture to express their “worth” to God. The literal vocabulary of a culture may be somewhat the same over time, but the expression of their worth to God may change. Indeed there have been many changes to worship in the life of Georgia Baptists.

Early hymns were sung a cappella. They were “lined” or spoken by the chorister and repeated back in song to an announced tune. The few hymnbooks available would have been the personal property of the pastor, chorister or members of the congregation. It was not until after the Civil War that churches began to purchase hymnals to be placed in the pews.

One of the earliest hymnals popular in Georgia was called “The Cluster.” It was compiled and published by Jesse Mercer, going through numerous printings. Until his death in 1819, Governor Rabun was the chorister at the Powelton Baptist Church which was one of several that Mercer pastored simultaneously. These early hymnals only contained the words and an index to the tune names to which it could be sung based on the meter of the words.

In the early years few instruments were available, the most common being the fiddle. It was not used in worship because, as Jesse Mercer said, “it was the devil’s tool.” Where there was fiddle playing there was dancing. In the early 1830s only two Baptist Churches in Georgia, one in Augusta and the other in Savannah, were known to have used instruments. However, Baptist finishing schools for young women, which began to be established in the 1830s, began to include piano and other musical instruction very early.

Some traditions die hard in Baptist churches. Second Baptist Church Atlanta is reported to have been organized by members of First Baptist who wanted to introduce instrumental music into the worship services. By the end of the 19^th century most Baptists, other than Primitive, in Georgia were using instruments. The first known orchestra used in worship was at the Baptist Tabernacle in Atlanta in the early 20^th century.

At about the same time the Georgia Baptist Convention was organized in 1822, singing schools began to be introduced across the country. Based on the shape-note “fa, so, la” method of teaching, these schools were introduced to improve singing in worship. Those attending not only learned the method, but they were also expected to be able to direct congregational singing as well. The schools were usually held in the late summer or early fall, lasting from one to two weeks. One observer remembered in the early 20^th century that they were most attended by “those of courting age.”

Public prayer has been an important part of worship. Kneeling in the early days was considered an appropriate posture. Some congregations included seasons of prayer where the congregation prayed out loud simultaneously. 

Preaching was considered a meeting between the Holy Spirit, the preacher and the congregation. The use of notes was not considered “acceptable.” Complaints began to be registered at Georgia Baptist Conventions in the 1840s and 1850s of preachers “reading their sermons” or using notes. Sermons were expected to last an hour and one was not considered long-winded until after two! Sometimes the preacher would get into a rhythm called the “holy whine.”  This may sometimes still be heard in Primitive Baptist circles.

In addition to the preacher, early Georgia Baptist worship typically included an “exhorter.” They would speak, preparing the congregation for the sermon to follow or might follow the sermon to drive the point home. This was often a way to help young preachers get some experience in public speaking. Needless to say, early worship services may have been better measured by the calendar, not by the clock.

One other significant difference between current worship practices and early Georgia Baptist worship was the invitation. During the Second Great Awakening the “anxious seat” or “mourner’s bench” was introduced in camp meetings. It seems to have been carried over into August revival season after the camp meetings had subsided in the late 19^th century. Although it would be sometime later before it would be incorporated widely into weekly worship services. If one wanted to join the church or make a profession of faith, outside of a revival meeting, the application was made during a monthly church conference.

Where it happened and many of the component parts are less important than the fact that it did happen! Georgia Baptists have gathered in numbers great and small to sing, pray, exhort, worship and give worth to God through worship. This worship has honored God and edified believers. True worship from the heart language of a culture will always honor Him . . . “all is vain unless the Spirit of the Holy One comes down; Brethren pray and holy manna will be showered all around.”

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Charles Jones is a  Southern Baptist historian, retired pastor, and newspaper columnist.