BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) – On the last Sunday of this month, the Trailblazers Program will honor local Black men and women who have helped open doors and pioneer opportunities for African-Americans in this area.
This event began 13 years ago, but those who have been blazing trails for civil rights have been doing so in Bowling Green and Warren County for many years. When it comes to church history, the first trailblazers were a group of slaves.
Predominantly Black churches in this area have a rich and varied history that begins in 1836 at Bowling Green Baptist Church, what is now First Baptist. Many slaves were members of the church, but they could not participate in the decision-making of the church and had to enter through the back door. They asked if they could have their own service in 1836 and then two years later, they asked if they could have their own church. So began what is now known as State Street Baptist Church.
“This was the first African-American church in Bowling Green,” said Rev. Freddie Brown, pastor of State Street.
The church was called the First African Baptist Church and was later renamed First Colored Baptist Church when it purchased property in 1872 at Fourth Avenue and State Street, where the church still stands.
Over the years, many other Black churches were formed in Bowling Green.
In 1866, Taylor Chapel AME Church began as a workshop and met in homes until the small group purchased property on Seventh Avenue. Taylor Chapel was formally organized in 1872. Wathetta Buford has been a part of the church almost her entire life and can recall the days when more than 200 people were in the congregation, including many prominent community members.
The church moved to Clay Street in 2001 and Buford said that while the congregation is not as large as it once was, “we’re still very much alive and active.”
Another African-American church that has a long history is Mount Zion Baptist Church.
“Mount Zion has been around for years,” said Pastor Roy Sweatt. The church originated in Jonesville, a Black community that was located where portions of Western Kentucky University are now.
Sweatt said their congregation is small, but dedicated.
“We enjoy serving the Lord,” he said.
Carl E. Whitfield, pastor of 11th Street Baptist Church, said his church has been around for 120 years. The congregation today continues to be active, focusing on many outreach and youth activities.
“We just try to serve the community as best we can and give people a place to grow and worship,” Whitfield said.
Many other historically Black churches in the area, such as Seventh Street Baptist, New Bethel, Cecilia Memorial Presbyterian and others, also are there to serve their communities. And even as the communities change, the churches continue to serve them.
Brown said that in the early days of State Street, the area around the church was a thriving Black community. Over the years, the makeup of the area has changed and is much more multicultural now, but that doesn’t mean the church has stopped reaching out to people around it.
“We are trying to instill faith into our community,” Brown said. “We still can be one in love and one in spirit and more importantly, one in Christ.”
With such a rich history to celebrate themselves, it is no wonder that local African-American congregations make a point to celebrate Black History Month with various programs and events.
At State Street, every Sunday in February members offer reflections in which they focus on someone who has contributed to the African-American community. On the third Sunday, they will have the Jeopardy Bowl in which the women, men and youth face off in a quiz about Black history. The fourth Sunday is the Super Sunday College Fair. This is an annual student recruitment initiative that targets African-American students and their families. The Kentucky Community and Technical College System and each of its 16 colleges partner with African-American churches throughout the state to host college fairs. Bowling Green Technical College will be set up at State Street.
Whitfield said that at 11th Street, the youth are working on a Black history program.
“And we have Black history presentations throughout the month,” Whitfield said.
Taylor Chapel AME Church is celebrating Black History Month in a big way this year by hosting the Founder’s Day Celebration for the 13th District of the AME church as a whole. The 13th District is composed of all the AME churches in Kentucky and Tennessee, and people from those churches will be in Bowling Green for workshops, leadership training and services.
The community came together to celebrate Black History Month for the Trailblazers program Feb. 27 at Mount Zion Baptist Church. Chairperson Maxine Ray explained that the program is hosted by a different church each year.
“We try to honor people from the African-American community who have pioneered opportunity for others,” Ray said. “We honor them for blazing the trail for other people to follow.”
The program features a skit paying tribute to each person honored that year, as well as music and the reading of proclamations.
“We invite everyone to come out and enjoy the program,” Ray said.
