The Faithful Preacher: Recapturing the Vision of Three Pioneering African-American Pastors

by Thabiti M. Anyabwile

The cliché is that those who do not learn from the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them. But Thabiti Anyabwile contends that it is not the mistakes we must study; it is the people who have overcome them. So he presents three of the most influential African-American pastors in American history who can teach us what faithful ministry entails. Lemuel Haynes (1753-1833) reminds pastors that eternity must shape our ministry. Daniel A. Payne (1811-1893) stresses the importance of character and preparation to faithful shepherding. And Francis J. Grimké (1850-1937) provides a vision for engaging the world with the gospel. While they are from the African-American tradition, they, like all true saints, belong to all Christians of every background and era. Distinctive for its use of rare and out-of-print messages, Anaybwile's work is valuable as a reference as well as a devotional resource.

Genres: Biography, Theology, History, Christian, Race, Biography Memoir, African American

192 pages, Paperback

First published March 2, 2007

About the author

Thabiti Anyabwile (MS, North Carolina State University) is a pastor at Anacostia River Church in southeast Washington, DC. He serves as a council member of the Gospel Coalition, is a lead writer for 9Marks Ministries, and regularly blogs at The Front Porch and Pure Church. He and his wife, Kristie, have three children.

Reviews

[David Saxon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I assumed, when I picked up this book, that a book by an African-American preacher about three African-American preachers would primarily be about race relations (which shows a little of my own latent racism, I suppose). It is, in fact, a book about pastoral ministry and an excellent one.

Anyabwile provides brief, helpful biographical sketches of Lemuel Haynes (late 18th-early 19th century), Daniel Payne (mid to late 19th century), and Francis Grimke (late 19th-early 20th century). The rest of the book consists of sermons by these men. Haynes' sermons focus primarily on pastoral ministry in light of the return of Christ. Payne's sermons relate to the necessity and value of pastoral education. All six of these sermons are helpful.

Ironically, the highlight of the book for me, however, was the ministry of Francis Grimke, who did confront the race issue with clear and powerful preaching. I am now a big fan of Pastor Grimke and will seek to learn about him as much as possible. I'm thankful to Pastor Anyabwile for introducing me to Grimke's ministry. In a powerful sermon against race prejudice in 1910, Grimke stated,
"The lines have been set up not where Jesus Christ directs them to be set up but where race prejudice dictates that they should be set up. The principles of the world have controlled, have been allowed to determine, what shall be and shall not be, instead of the principles of the great Head of the church." Yes, precisely. The church was so slow in confronting the evil of racial discrimination because it found itself in a world of racial discrimination, and it imbibed the world's spirit rather than the spirit of the NT.

Faithful pastoral ministry confronts all such worldliness in the church, just as these three faithful pastors did in their own days.

[Adam Shields · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hoping for more biography. But this was more sermon. Not that the biographies or people weren't interesting. But I think at least part of what Anyabwile is doing it affirming Calvinism of early Black preachers. I am not particularly Calvinist. And I was looking for biographies not sermons.

I read a couple of the sermons and the biographies and skipped the rest.

[Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anyabwile presents in this book three African-American pastors from history, each exemplifying a virtue every preacher needs. Lemuel Haynes (1753-1833) inculcates the need for ministers to have the second advent in their minds at all times as they shepherd the flock of God. Daniel A. Payne (1811-1893) extols the need for the education of both pastors and congregants so that the standards for preaching might be raised higher. Francis Grimke (1850-1937) demonstrates the importance of keeping the gospel at the center of the church's life and practice, applying it to all things from individual salvation to institutional racism.

The book isn't in all places a page-turner, but it's worth reading. It serves to correct many harmful and unfortunate ideas floating around in American Christianity today.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

These were men who were sold out to Christ and served the church in the United States in a time that was largely at odds with their skin color. Inspiring!

[Dalton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book of the year so far and top of the list all-time. So much wisdom to learn from the lives of these three preachers.

[Luke Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

True to the title. Faithful visionaries of the church for the church. Faithful men who loved the Lord, believed and preached the gospel, and called the church of Christ to be the church of Christ.

With a portion of the book devoted to each of these three men—Haynes, Payne, and Grimké—Anyabwile curates a sampling of the sermons they preached with time, place, and purpose. If you’re looking to hear Anyabwile, you’ll be disappointed here. He is largely silent. He seems to want them to be heard more. I see why.

Thank you, Lord, for these faithful witnesses in word and deed, and thank you for Thabiti’s work in making their voices and their lives heard.

[Jim Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most dynamic biographical books I've ever read! This is black history that must be told!I have to wonder why bold men of God have been suspiciously left out of black Church history! A must read for Christians of a!l races!

One of the most dynamic biographical books I've ever read! This is black history that must be told!I have to wonder why bold men of God have been suspiciously left out of black Church history! A must read for Christians of a!l races!

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a wonderful collection of biographies and sermons. These three men span over 150 years of history from the Revolutionary War to the 1930's. Each pioneer is introduced with a short biography. The biographies are short but well-written. They give a good summary of their lives, their impact, and the focus of their work.

The real shining light of the book is the sermons themselves. Each pioneer has a selection of three sermons covering everything from funerals to the white church's attitude towards race. Racism is discussed plenty throughout the sermons but it is not the main focus of the sermons or the book. Jesus and the gospel shine bright in every single sermon. I was edified and encouraged by each one.

[Aaron Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprised at just how much I enjoyed reading the sermons of these African-American pastors from American church history. Their love for God and the things of God are evident in their preaching, their doctrinal conviction for the coming eternal judgment, the wrath of God, the utter need of man for God's free grace in Jesus Christ, the utter need of Christians for the empowering Pentecostal Holy Spirit, as well as their stinging rebukes against apathy, pastoral irresponsibility, societal injustice, and racism. Much here to be applied to our day. May the Lord multiply more ministers and servants of Christ like these three men.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyabwile's brief biographies and selected sermons by these three men are an encouragement to any pastor, gospel worker, or embattled Christian. Their courage to proclaim truth is balanced with a pastor's heart, caring for the charge that God has assigned them. I particularly enjoyed Payne's words to a congregation that he was leaving, that he had struggled with and received a lot of pushback from. So full of grace! Read these stories, and see how many of these concerns are universal and timeless, and marvel at the work of the Holy Spirit in such men.

[DeAron Washington · Rating 5 out of 5]

You may be unaware of the fact that you need to read this book. “The Faithful Preacher” highlights three phenomenal African American leaders. Their words need to heard by all believers. Read this and hear how they trust in God in the midst of oppression. Hear their bold statements and firm convictions. Their sermons instruct us on what it means to be a faithful minister of the gospel.

[Delarrion Milner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding Book (READ IT!!!)

Anyone who names the name of Christ will benefit from reading about these three fathers in the faith. They are the kind of men that we all, by God's grace, should strive to be in the lives of those that God has put in our lives!

[Kyle Grindberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Encouraging to feel a brotherhood with Christian preachers of the past. I, unfortunately, didn't find their sermons very inspiring, but I did appreciate the heart behind them, as well as learning about what it was like to serve the Lord as a black man during the 1700s and 1800s.

[Kyle "Bapo" Roque · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book of the testimonies of 3 Pioneering African American Pastors that are not well known but need to be studied so that Pastors in the church can model their lives after these faithful men.

[Nick Roark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edifying

[Susie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tribute to three African-American pastors.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good primer into the life & works of three African-American heroes of the reformed tradition.

[Cole Shiflet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Francis Grimké is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors and it was very helpful to read some biography about him and other African-American theologians of the past.

[Grant Carter]

A collection of sermons from three African American pastors in the 19th and 20th centuries. Especially enjoyed the sermons of Lemuel Haynes

[Peyton Gunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful.

[Thomas Arn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book that every minister and anyone who is in ministry should read. It looks at 3 ministers from the 1800s to the early 1900s and show several of the sermons that they had preached. It strongly puts into correct perspective what ministry should be about. It is very challenging in pointing you to what God desires of all believers and especially those in ministry.
It is also challenging in that many of the problems that these ministers saw in their day is still a problem in the churches today. This book will challenge you to have the same heart God has.

[High Pointe Baptist Church]

Solid examples of faithful biblical exposition of Scripture from the African-American community over the centuries

[Cassandra Was Right · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book of several sermons of three peerless African American ministers. The biographical sketches that Rev. Anyabwile gives us may actually have been my favorite part (perhaps I should have read a biography instead), but these are also powerful sermons.

I recommend against reading more than one sermon at a time, and suggest trying to read one in its entirety in a single sitting - as if hearing it preached. The mildly archaic language and the deep concepts make it a slow read, but well worth it. As Rev. Anyabwile says in the introduction, these are the messages of tried and wise ministers who are not sharing flash in the pan tricks, but thoughts that are deeply rooted in experience and in Christ.

This book gives me a greater love of God and his gospel.

[Marcus Doe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant. Loved this book. As an African American pastor leading a mostly white congregation, it was water to my soul.