Historical churches

've been reading alot about..and searching for black culture. I am not talking about the 'first' blah and blah stuff...that has nothing to do with black culture.

Anyway, a part of black culture/family/tradition is family reunions and churches.

I have shared a booklet of one of ours from 2000.

Family reunions are cool for a number of reasons, but my family reunions always revolved around alot of activities happening at the 'family churches'..to worship together and to definitely eat.

We were always big on church basement picnics also.

And we visited graves to remember loved ones and pay respect or place flowers...or even to leave something behind at the grave...a cross..a note..lol..yep...

Mt. Zion C.M.E in Minden, Louisiana was my first church (Rev. McWoodson) and our family has a long history in the church going back to the late 1880s. I was named there and served..lol..reluctantly on the choir. Everyone had something to do with the church back then in the family...young and old...like it or not. I even had to give Sunday school lessons every once and awhile. My aunts were ushers. My uncles helped with one of the builds and did repairs. Family members have been ministers there and deacons. My cousin, Zenda, played the organ ect..,everyone in the church..all of the congregation contributed in some way or another no matter how small.

Church was about community and coming together. After church, if we weren't eating, it could take up to an hour to leave after service because of all of the visiting with whoever came to church on that day.

Socializing.

Historically, after blacks were essentially expelled from white churches and forced to find their own after emancipation communities came together to find ways to start churches..as they were one of the safest places...although not always from tyrants...in which blacks could come together and be themselves without fear.

It might have actually taken years to erect buildings. Churches may have been simply been meeting places, log cabins or tents...then borrowed or rented places...before having a formal place of its own. As was the case of Mt. Zion.

The present Mt. Zion is not the original church (pictured) of my day..which was erected over years....as that church burned down and the community came together to rebuild it.

SO many good memories of family and community at Mt. Zion I could share.

Another family church, pictured in my family reunion booklet, is St. Matthews C.M.E. Church in Webster Parish...since its inception 1870s.

I believe St. Matthews has been the subject of an artist's muse before.

Another beautiful old church. I have only been in the church a few times. I am not sure how long the present old building has been there, but its old. The last time I was there ..about 7 years ago...was to visit a family member, see the church and of course...visit passed on loved ones...at this church many of who I did not know, but have heard random stories of...such as the last time there when my mother spotted a grave, "Oh, that's Aunt Hummie!" She was excited and began to clear grass from the grave. I'm like, "Who is Aunt Hummie? And why don't I know anything about her?" LOL.

It is so important that these old beautiful, often forgotten about churches stay up and are photographed while we still have an opportunity to and to record their stories and the stories of those, including myself, that have played on the grounds, in the pews and have been with family and friends there throughout the years.