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Firm Faith A look inside Second
Baptist Church [FEB.
18, 2000] My decision to visit
Second Baptist Church was not a very scientific one.
I had never visited the congregation nor did I think I knew
anyone there, so I believed it would be interesting to meet with and
worship with new friends. About
all I knew was that Second Baptist was one of the African American
churches in Lincoln. The morning I spent at Second Baptist and a
subsequent interview with the Rev. Glenn Shelton, pastor of the
congregation, allowed me to move beyond academic knowledge of the
African American church and allowed me to see the living expression
of faith by the family of believers in this church. It is a church
that is integrated in both flesh and spirit, in both body and soul.
My time there gave me a deeper understanding of the importance of
this church for all citizens and people of faith. |
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Ten men who were the sons of freed slaves organized Second Baptist Church in 1874. The Rev. G. Davis, the son of a freedman, was the first pastor of a congregation that included two women who had been enslaved. After meeting in homes for two years, the church acquired a plot of ground near downtown Lincoln and built a wood chapel. In 1915 the congregation built the brick sanctuary that still stands at 829 Broadway. The church built a new worship center and classrooms on their present site at 1728 Tremont and dedicated those facilities in 1997. As the Rev. Shelton explained it, Second Baptist is primarily a center for worship and praise but it is not just a Sunday facility. It also serves as a meeting place for social functions and political discussions and information. As the Rev. Shelton expressed it, "I want the doors open every day."
[The Rev. Glen Sheltonn]
The openness of both building and members was evident during my Sunday morning visit. The church welcomes many children and young people who are transported by van from apartment and housing complexes in Lincoln. It would be a hard soul who would not find joy in the energy displayed by those youngsters as they gather for opening assembly at 9:15 a.m. under the direction of Sunday school superintendent Michael Glenn and then disperse to their classrooms which are divided by grade level.
I attended an adult Sunday school class taught by Augustus Scott, who is also a deacon of the church. We studied the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem, and Scott drew effective contrasts between the regal but fickle expectations of the crowd and the humility and holiness of Jesus. I then visited a class for 9- through 12-year-olds taught by Steve Cook, and a kindergarten through first grade class taught by Emanuel and Wendy Butler. It was clear in both classes that the Bible teaching was the foundation for learning self-respect and respecting others.
[Students gather for Sunday school]
The 10:45 a.m. worship service was enthusiastic and spontaneous. When I arrived earlier that morning, the Rev. Shelton promised me that this church did follow "man's clock" but was open to God's leading and His timetable. The service opened with an extended praise time that encouraged children and adults to use tambourines, bells and drums to make joyful music to God. The children marched around the sanctuary and adults raised hands and voices in worship. Throughout the service, piano and drum were used effectively to shape the worship atmosphere. The Rev. Shelton's sermon was based on Psalm 27. It drew parallels between the Old Testament temple and the modern church as refuge and sanctuary from the world and sin. In our later interview the Rev. Shelton discussed his six decades of living and told how he must prepare for a future time when his energy might decline. After hearing him preach and grip his listeners with the Bible teaching, it is evident that Shelton has the energy of a 30-year-old with the wisdom of a 60-year-old.
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The Rev. Shelton is a shaping force behind the congregation. He came to the full-time ministry in a rather roundabout way. Born in Springfield, Shelton served in the U.S. Air Force after high school and then worked for Allis Chalmers, the post office and the Boys Club. He married his wife, Ginger, in 1963 and together they have raised seven children and are proud grandparents to 15 grandchildren. In 1974, he translated his experiences as an equal opportunities officer at Allis Chalmers into a position with the state of Illinois as an affirmative action officer with the Division of Vocational Services. He retired from state service as assistant director of the Department of Human Services in 1999 to devote his full attention to Second Baptist. The Rev. Shelton has served Second Baptist since 1984. His pilgrimage into the ministry was a long and sometimes painful one. During our interview he described how as a young man the church and godliness were very foreign to him. After his marriage, he began attending Zion Baptist Church in Springfield and over the years he found he "couldn't get enough of church." He filled every possible role of leadership in that congregation but still felt unfulfilled. In 1980, during recovery from surgery, he felt a call to the preaching ministry and accepted the pastorate of Second Baptist four years later. His formal schooling has included Lincoln Land Community College (where he was the eleventh student to enroll), Sangamon State University and Moody Bible Institute. The Rev. Shelton and Second Baptist have a strong vision for a good and godly future for the church. "Outreach," is the number one concern for the future says Shelton. To prepare for that outreach, he has started a ministry of mentoring for the men in the congregation to help them be more effective Christians, fathers and husbands. Shelton often expresses heartfelt concern for the young people of the church and the community, many of who come from broken homes and poverty. He noted that 70 percent of those attending Second Baptist are young people. In order to meet the Christian and social needs of his community, Shelton and the church are seeking funding for a community center on church property. This center will provide tutoring for students, day care for working families, a gym for youth activities and mentoring, and office space for social service agencies. This plan, which may be implemented over five years, will allow people in difficult circumstances to obtain at one site the information and help that will nourish both body and soul. From the evident spirit and vitality of Second Baptist Church, it seems that the dream already has a firm footing in reality.
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[Members of the choir sing praise on Sunday morning]
