Brief History

Savannah's Historic Second African Baptist Church, located on Greene Square, was established on December 26, 1802, with twenty-six members.  These members were servants, skilled workers, and some freed Negroes who were living in Savannah, Ga.  Rev. Henry Cunningham, a freed slave was our first pastor.  He served faithfully as our pastor for thirty-nine years.

 

Second African Baptist Church, has always been the mecca of cultural affairs in the African-American community. On January 12, 1865, Rev. John Cox, one of our former pastors, met with General William T. Sherman and other religious black leaders to discuss the emancipation of slaves.  Four days after General Sherman met with religious black leaders, it was in this church, General Sherman issued his famous Field Order #15, granting the newly freed slaves “40 acres and a mule.”

 

Second African Baptist Church was among the first, if not the first, to have an indoor baptismal pool, an organized choir, a daily Vacation Bible School in Savannah in 1926, and scholarships for young women to continue in higher education by sending young women to Spelman College in Atlanta, GA.

Throughout our existence, many concerts, lectures and public meetings were held here.  In 1963,  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., cited an excerpt of his famous speech, “I Have A Dream” during an NAACP meeting before going to Washington D.C.  Since our beginning, Second African Baptist Church was known for producing religious leaders, community leaders, activists and giving birth to Beth Eden Baptist Church (1893). One of the leaders is the late Rev. Edgar Perry Quarterman who served Second African for thirty-eight years.  Under Rev. Quarterman’s pastorate, Second African along with Second Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church and Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church, became the founding churches of the New Era Missionary Baptist Convention of Georgia, Inc.  Rev. Quarterman served faithfully as a Historian for New Era for over 20 years. Other leaders include the late Dr. Curtis V. Cooper (Curtis V. Cooper Primary Health Care), Rev. Jesse Blackshear (Former Georgia State Representative), Mr. Clifton Jones (Former City Councilman) and the list goes on. 

 

Our church has a small museum that resides on the third level of the church.  There are a number of artifacts depicting the changing experiences. Included are portraits of past pastors, communion elements used, a listing of participants in the 100th Church Anniversary and choir chairs used in the 19th century. We have had twenty-three Pastors since our existence.

 

We now look forward to the future as we continue “Standing on History, Reaching Toward Eternity” as we faithfully carry out the Great Commission serving as God’s Ambassadors.