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The brick foundation of one of the nation’s oldest Black churches has been unearthed at Colonial Williamsburg, a living history museum in Virginia that continues to reckon with its past storytelling about the country’s origins and the role of Black Americans.

The First Baptist Church was formed in 1776 by free and enslaved Black people. They initially met secretly in fields and under trees, in defiance of laws that prevented African Americans from congregating.

Shoutin’ in the Fire is a testimony to Black liberation and love.

Women in Black Baptist circles knew that it was only a matter of time before one of their own was named to lead a major church organization.

Female clergy describe having a sense of anticipation for years before the elevation of Gina Stewart this summer to presi­dent of the Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Society, a 124-year-old movement of about 10,000 volunteers and contributors based in Maryland.