The Prince of Preachers Dr. C.A.W. Clark

Dr. C.A.W. Clark, known as the Prince of Preachers was the Pastor of Good Street Baptist Church, located in Dallas, TX. He was a prophetic preacher and one of the greatest black preachers of the 20th century. He died at the age of 93

Rev. Paul Jones “I Won’t Complain”

Rev. Paul Jones (1960-1990) was the founding Pastor of New Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Houston, TX. Rev. Jones was a dynamic preacher and singer whose life was cut short at the youthful age of 30 when he was murdered at his home in the Houston area in 1990. Also, Rev. Paul Jones is a lot of time credited with writing this song but Bishop William C. Abney originally wrote, “I won’t complain”.


Bishop Sang!!!



Bishop William C. Abney

Rev. C.L. Franklin

Rev. Clarence LaVaughn Franklin (January 22, 1915 – July 27, 1984)





The infamous Rev. C.L. Franklin, the father of the greatest singer of all time Aretha Franklin, who also had a "Million Dollar Voice”. C.L. Franklin is considered one of the first preachers to record their sermons and broadcast sermons on the radio Sunday Mornings. Rev. C.L. Franklin founded the New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan and became one of the city’s most influential and charismatic leaders. Reverend C.L. Franklin was one of the profound and popular influences on black preaching although not mention a lot in academia or in-depth scholarship.

Summary of the Historical Black Church

The Black Church has historically been a source of hope and strength for the African American community. In 1990, the late professor, C. Eric. Lincoln co-authored, The Black Church in the African American Experience with Lawrence H. Mamiya. They described the, "seven major historic black denominations: the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church; the African Methodist Episcopal Zion (AMEZ) Church; the Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church; the National Baptist Convention, USA., Incorporated (NBC); the National Baptist Convention of America, Unincorporated (NBCA); the Progressive National Baptist Convention (PNBC); and the Church of God in Christ (COGIC)," as comprising "the black Church."

Yet it is known that blacks were also members of predominantly white denominations such as the Episcopal, Presbyterian, Congregational, United Methodist and Roman Catholic churches. However, Lincoln and Mamiya chose to confine 'the black Church,' to "those independent, historic, and totally black controlled denominations, which were founded after the Free African Society of 1787 and which constituted the core of black Christians." (Although, when I examine the "black church", I will include churches that are not apart of historic Black denominations because they still exhibit the characteristics and cultural expression of the historic black denominations)

Since the publication of the Lincoln and Mamiya book, two new black denominations have developed: The National Missionary Baptist Convention (NMBC) and the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship (FGBCF). The FGBCF does not refer to itself as a denomination.

The following books are excellent reference works on the African American religious experience:
C. Eric Lincoln and Lawrence H. Mamiya, The Black Church in the African American Experience, (Durham: Duke University Press), 1990
Wardell J. Payne, Directory of African American Religious Bodies: A Compendium by the Howard University School of Divinity (Washington, DC: Howard University Press), 1995.

Source: This Article is from the following website http://www.blackandchristian.com/blackchurch/index.shtml