The REAL Reason Why African American Church Ushers Wear White Gloves As Part Of Their Church Uniform

 

@no_one,arthouse, 2023

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post debunks the commonly held (at least among many African American) reasons why African American church ushers wear white gloves while they are ushering during church services.

This post showcases three YouTube videos of ushers in African American churches and includes information & comments from various online sources. 

Addendum #1 to this pancocojams post also includes a complete reprint of a 2010 essay about African American church ushers.   

Addendum #2 to this pancocojams post presents information and an explanation about the African American custom of ushers holding their left hand behind their back while they are ushering.

The content of this post is presented for historical and cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all past and present ushers in African American churches. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these embedded YouTube videos.
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Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2021/01/why-black-african-american-ushers-wear.html for the closely related pancocojams post entitled "Why Black (African American) Ushers Wear White Gloves As Part Of Their Usher Attire & Hold One Hand Behind Their Back". This is Part II of a three part pancocojams series on African American church ushers.
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Click the tags below for additional pancocojams posts on this subject. 

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 - Usher Training

Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmOS4JTnoeQ for a March 22, 2018 YouTube video published by thefisherkings. Embedding this video outside of YouTube is prohibited.

This video is about usher training at Nazarene Baptist Church (an African American church).
The topics that are covered in this video are:

"Uniforms

Huddling for prayer

Assisting worshipers

Standing at attention

Guarding the doors

Prayer Position

Retreating from the floor

and

Taking offering"
-snip-
Here's the portion of this video about "uniforms" from the auto-generated transcript of this video with my additions of punctuation, corrected capitalizations, and corrected words.

from 2:16 to 3:26 in this video:
"It's important for us to be in uniform. As you can see from the uniforms displayed that it

sure needs to be impeccably groomed and that the outfit be conducive to proper etiquette.
We have here one of our female ushers. If you will notice, her skirt does go below the knee.
Our male usher, standing tall, [is a] very proud doorkeeper and he too is impeccably dressed.
Most churches have their own color scheme but [the] universal usher is one who will be in black with
a white top.  The male wearing a white shirt. If, however, you are ushering at a state level or a national level, the uniform for the female is a white uniform, preferably a nurse's dress. She is dressed in white from head to toe. She will have her badge, her pin, white, stockings and, white shoes."
-snip-
The narrator doesn't mention the usher's white gloves, although those gloves are shown on the table with the badge, pin, stockings, and shoes. The ushers in the video are also shown wearing their white gloves. 

Some scenes in this video shows the ushers holding their left hand behind their back. In addition, this video also refers to and shows ushers making hand signals to communicate pertinent information with other ushers.   

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #3- Ushers march at Bishop Broderick Huggins Anniversary
Celebration

mslola2u, Nov 11, 2008

Saint Paul Baptist Church, Oxnard, Ca ushers,Emmanuel Baptist Church, Stockton,Ca ushers and Saints Rest Missionary Baptist Church, Fresno, Ca ushers march at St. Paul Baptist Church
-snip-
Notice how African American usher marches are influenced by (or influenced) African military style American drill team performances.
  
Most African American church ushers participate in annual military/drill team style usher marches during their (and other churches) annual celebratory Ushers Day programs. Usher marches also occur at annual state, regional, and/or national African American church ushers conventions. 

These Black church ushers conventions are sometimes held in combination with members of Black church nurses ministries.

Click the Black Church Procession tag below for pancocojams post on this African American church custom.

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THE COMMONLY HELD REASON THAT IS FOUND ONLINE FOR THE REASON WHY AFRICAN AMERICAN USHERS WEAR WHITE GLOVES

White racism is the commonly held reason that African Americans give for why African American church ushers wear white gloves while they are ushering in church. I believe that this conclusion is mostly held by African Americans.

The YouTube video short that is showcased in this pancocojams post is one example of this (what I consider to be erroneous) belief. Here are two other examples (given in no particular order and numbered for referencing purpose only) :

Excerpt #1:
https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2020/jun/21/chattanoogpastors-grapple-history-church-raci/ "Chattanooga pastors grapple with history of church racism"  

June 21, 2020 by Wyatt Massey

 …."Many ushers continue to wear white gloves, a holdover from the era when white church members did not want the "sin" of Black people touching anything in the church, Ladd said. Black ushers were also required to hold one hand behind their back when taking up the offering because white Christians believed Blacks would otherwise steal money from the church, he said."

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Excerpt #2. 
From https://theoldblackchurch.blogspot.com/2018/02/black-history-facts-why-ushers-wore.html
Why Ushers Wore White Gloves by Ann Brock, February 4, 2018 
"I'm from the hills of Alabama and some information like this is hard to verify because it is information that was passed on from generation to generation. Anyhow growing up we were told that this was an old slave tradition in the deep south. Slaves were asked to put their arms behind their backs so they could be watched to be sure they were not stealing the money during collection time.

They also wore the white gloves because again they were not trusted and the white church members did not want to touch their skin. My understanding is back during slavery time when the slave served in white churches they had to wear white gloves and place the one hand behind the back.....so the slaves wouldn't take from the offering plate as they served aisles to aisles why ushering."

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
I believe the idea that African American Church ushers wear white gloves (and held their left hand behind their back)* because White people demanded that they do so while they (Black people) were ushers in their White churches begs a number of questions:
1. Is there extensive documentation of enslaved Black people serving as ushers in White American churches? If so, where is that documented?

2.Is there documentation of Black ushers in White churches during slavery wearing white gloves and holding their left hand behind their back? If so, where is that documentation?

3. Is there documentation of White church ushers wearing white gloves and holding their left hand behind their back? And if so, when did this occur and where is that documentation?

4. Why did the custom of Black American ushers wearing white gloves and holding their left hand behind their back occur once Black Americans worshiped in their own churches and why has it persisted so widely throughout the United States up to an including this year?

I'm not discounting that White people during slavery may have had Black men serve as ushers during slavery. And I don't discount that many of those White people were racist. . However, I believe that there were historical and cultural reasons for establishing the custom of ushers wearing white gloves and ushers holding their left hand behind their back. Furthermore, I believe that those same historical and cultural reasons (as well as other reasons) explain why these customs are still very widely followed in today's African American churches apparently far more than they are in White American churches).

When I did a google search with the question "Do White ushers wear white gloves?", I got this result:

https://www.google.com/search?q=do+white+church+ushers+wear+white+gloves&oq=do

"AI Overview

Yes, many white church ushers wear white gloves:

Practicality

White gloves protect hands from dirt and germs, especially during communal rituals like passing the peace or handling sacred objects.

Uniformity

White gloves create a sense of uniformity among attendees, fostering a respectful atmosphere.

Symbolism

White gloves symbolize purity, reverence, and respect.

Protection

White gloves protect the finish and shine of communion ware and offering plates."

White gloves have been worn for centuries as a symbol of purity and nobility. In the hospitality industry, including hotels, restaurants, and the medical industry, white gloves are a symbol of cleanliness and quality hygiene."

 -snip-

There are no YouTube results for "White church ushers wearing white gloves". 

Most of the YouTube results for Black ushers wearing white gloves" are videos of Black (African American) usher marches. These church usher marches document how African American's love of rhythmic, synchronized movements and pageantry created and continues to create new performance arts styles. 

* Read Addendum #2 in this pancocojams post for some comments about the custom of African American church ushers holding their left hand behind their back while they are ushering.

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THE REAL REASON WHY AFRICAN AMERICAN CHURCH USHERS (AND SOME WHITE CHURCH USHERS) WEAR WHITE GLOVES   

I believe that African American church ushers wear white gloves while they are ushering because white gloves are an essential part of the usher uniform, just like it is an essential part of the uniforms of various people in religious and in non-religious settings.

Wearing a uniform (including white gloves) identifies church ushers as members of this important Black church ministry, a ministry that has significant responsibilities and a ministry that confers status and power to people (men, women, teens, and children) who may not have other accesses to status and power outside of their church lives.

Furthermore, at certain times (during annual Usher Days and annual Usher conventions), Black church ushers engage in military/drill team style Usher marches to live of recorded instrumental music that adds to Black church aesthetics and expresses African American love of and appreciation for pageantry.   

The African American (and- to a much lesser extent?- the White American) custom of wearing white gloves is patterned after earlier and later historical and cultural traditions of people in authority and other people wearing white gloves.

Here's a partial list of people who have worn (and/or still wear) white gloves as part of their uniforms:

-Bishops and some other Catholic church leaders

-members of the United States military (formal attire)

-police offices (during formal wear at events such as funerals)

-butlers

-drum majors and other members of marching bands 

- members of masonic orders (formal attire)

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SELECTED EXCERPTS OR COMMENTS ABOUT WHITE GLOVES BEING A PART OF VARIOUS UNIFORMS

These excerpts are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.

SOURCE #1- GENERAL HISTORICAL OVERVIEW INCLUDING CLERGY, KINGS, MILITARY, AND BUTLERS
From
https://issuu.com/kempinskihotelssa/docs/travelling_in_style_magazine_issue_50/s/11590832 White Gloves: A Heritage of Nobility from Kempinski Travelling in Style magazine, issue 50
by Kempinski Hotels

"The roles and uses of white gloves, whether symbolic or practical, have changed over time. Today, white gloves are a mark of the outstanding service exemplified by luxury hotels and restaurants.

 For centuries, pulling on or taking off gloves was a symbolic act in European social relations. In the Middle Ages, to take off one's gloves before another person was a sign of submission. It meant swearing allegiance to them: ‘disarming’ before them like a knight laying down his arms.

Equally symbolic was the wearing of white gloves for important ceremonies, as a mark of purity – a tradition dating back to the Middle Ages. A chronicle tells that in 960, at the enthronement ceremony for the new Bishop of Mayence, the monks of the SaintAlban monastery gave him a pair of white gloves. The congregation then said a prayer beseeching God to protect the purity of His servant's hands.

The kings of France also received a pair of white gloves at their coronation because the sacred hands of the king must not be sullied by touching impure objects. After the ceremony, the gloves were burnt to prevent anyone using them later.

From the 15th century, gloves lost their sacred nature and became fashion accessories and adornments. In the 19th century, more than ever, they became a sign of elegance. The rules of etiquette demanded that gloves be worn in public, but propriety dictated they should always be put on before leaving the house. Yellow gloves were worn for hunting; white gloves for a social gathering or a stylish restaurant. When they went out, men wore black clothing but with white gloves.

As Europe became ever wealthier, more and more homes had butlers or major-domos, who had to dress elegantly. With black suit, black tie, white gloves and white waistcoat, they wore much the same clothes as the master of the house and his prestigious guests. It was a way to give distinction to these particular servants, indicating their special status - almost equal to the social class they served. But the word ‘almost’ is crucial.

Butlers had authority over the other servants and often had some education. They were servants but not servile. Attentive but not submissive; confident but not intimate.

The figure of the butler became firmly established as standing alone between the two social classes. And this was symbolised by his white gloves. Previously the preserve of the elite, the historic accessory switched camp. While the master of the house took off his gloves when he got home, the butler did the reverse. Once a symbol of power, white gloves had become a sign of respect for power."
-snip-
Butlers also follow (or used to follow) the custom of holding their white gloved left hand behind their back.

Prior to the 1980s or so some African American church choirs marched into the church sanctuary holding their right hand up and holding their left hand behind their back. Read the comments in Addendum #2 of this post.  

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SOURCE #2 - CATHOLIC BISHOPS
From https://www.google.com/search?q=why+catholic+bishops+wear+white+glove "Why do Catholic Bishops wear white gloves  [Azizi Powell asked Google on September 15, 2024]

"AI [Artificial Intelligence]

Catholic bishops wear white gloves for a variety of reasons, including:

Symbolism

White gloves symbolize purity, good works, and carefulness. They also represent the bishop's connection to Christ and the apostles, and their higher level of spiritual perfection.

Rank

Bishops' gloves visually distinguish them from other clergy, and are a material demonstration of their higher rank.

Ritual

Bishops wear gloves during mass to emphasize the cleanliness of their hands and the ritual purity of the chalice and paten.

History

Bishops have worn gloves for over a thousand years, and they are an integral part of the solemnity of pontifical rites.

Investiture

During a bishop's investiture ceremony, he is helped into his gloves by others, with a prayer that they represent his purity and healing gift."

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SOURCE #3 - MILITARY
From https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-origin-of-white-gloves-in-military-dress-uniforms-Was-there-a-practical-reason-or-was-it-a-fashion-statement  What is the origin of white gloves in military dress uniforms? Was there a practical reason or was it a fashion statement?

Assistant Bot, Jul 12, 2024
"The origin of white gloves in military dress uniforms can be traced back to several practical and symbolic reasons:

Practicality: Wearing white gloves helped keep the wearer's hands clean and pristine, which was important for formal military inspections and parades. The light color made dirt and grime more visible, allowing officers to maintain a high standard of cleanliness and appearance.

Symbolism: White gloves came to represent purity, discipline, and attention to detail - qualities that were highly valued in the military. The immaculate white gloves signaled the wearer's professionalism, care, and commitment to their duties.

Status and Tradition: Over time, the white gloves became a mark of rank and distinction."

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SOURCE #5 - POLICE
https://www.google.com/search?q=DID+police+used+to+wear+white+gloves+as+part+of+their+uniform "Did Police Use To Wear White Gloves As Part Of their Uniforms [Azizi Powell asked Google on September 15, 2024]

"AI [Artificial Intelligence]
Yes, police officers historically wore white gloves as part of their formal dress uniforms, particularly for ceremonial occasions like funerals or special events, as white gloves symbolized cleanliness and formality, similar to how they are still used in military uniforms today; however, in modern policing, wearing white gloves as part of everyday uniform is no longer common practice.

Key points about white gloves in police uniforms:

Formal wear only:

White gloves were primarily worn with a full dress uniform, which is only used for special events like ceremonies or funerals.

Symbolism of cleanliness:

White gloves traditionally represented a high standard of appearance and hygiene.

Modern practice:

Today, most police officers wear practical, dark-colored gloves for situations requiring hand protection, not white gloves for everyday duty.

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SOURCE #6 - MARCHING BAND MEMBERS
https://www.concertattire.com/blogs/blog/why-accessorizing-marching-band-uniforms-is-important "Exploring Essential Marching Band Accessories: The Significance of Uniform Add-ons"
..."White Gloves

We prefer white gloves as they add a touch of elegance and uniformity to marching band uniforms.

White gloves have been a staple accessory in the marching band world for years, and for good reason. They not only provide a clean and polished look, but they also enhance the overall visual presentation of the band.

When accessorizing marching band uniforms, white gloves are essential to add a sophisticated and cohesive touch to the ensemble"...

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SOURCE #7- FREEMASONS
From https://theeducator.ca/symbolism-of-white-gloves-aprons/ "SYMBOLISM OF THE WHITE GLOVES AND APRONS" By V.W.Bro. L. Tustain; 24th June, 1948.

... "There is in the wearing of Craft Clothing, as in everything else pertaining to Freemasonry, a symbolism. Briefly, white gloves are symbolical of clean hands, and are complementary to the lambskin apron, the symbol of a pure heart. These two are of equal importance and are really inseparable.

White Gloves

The custom of wearing white gloves is of great antiquity. In the Christian Churches from the earliest times, white linen gloves were always worn by Bishops and Priests when in performance of their ecclesiastical functions. The Bishops always wore a thin plate of gold, called “a tassel” on the back of their gloves to denote their high ecclesiastical rank. The gloves worn by the clergy indicated that their hands were clean and not open to bribery.

In an indenture of covenants made in the reign of Henry VI between the church-wardens of a parish in Suffolk and a company of Freemasons, the latter stipulate that each man should be provided with a pair of white gloves and a white apron.

[...]

Dr. Robert Plot, a non-mason, states in his “Natural History of Staffordshire”, 1686, that “the Society of Freemasons presented their candidates with white gloves for themselves and their wives.”

In the general regulations of George Payne approved by the Grand Lodge in London in 1721, Article 7 reads: …“Every new brother at his making is decently to cloathe the Lodge, that is, all the brethren present,    ” By ‘clothing the Lodge’ is meant furnishing all the brethren present with white aprons and gloves.”

In Count Tolstoy’s well-known novel “War and Peace” it states that, “the newly-obligated brother was then invested with a white apron, and received a trowel and three pairs of white gloves, two pairs for himself and one pair for the lady he most esteemed, after which the Master explained their symbolic meaning to him.”

In the Netherlands ritual the presentation of white gloves is still retained. The candidate for initiation is taken upon three journeys; after the second journey his hands are dipped in a basin of water, and a reference made to the necessity of “clean hands” and purity of heart and life as an essential prerequisite to Initiation. On the completion of the third journey he takes the Ob., after which he is led to the West, where he is invested with a white apron, and is given a pair of white gloves, which he is directed to hand to her whom he considers most worthy to receive them from the hands of a Freemason.

I do not know when the presentation of white gloves ceased to be the general custom, but the wearing of them as part of the proper clothing of a brother is still retained in New Zealand by ruling of the Board of General Purposes.

Today, the Supreme Court Judge is presented with a pair of white gloves if there is a maiden session. This indicates “clean actions” or freedom from crime in that particular city. This is a very old custom, for anciently, judges were not allowed to wear gloves on the bench; so to give a judge a pair of gloves symbolized that he need not take his seat.

Undoubtedly, the use of white gloves in Freemasonry is a symbolic idea handed down to us through the ancient and universal language of symbolism, and, like the apron, is intended to denote purity of life and action.”…
-snip-
Quotes in italics were given that way in this article

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ADDENDUM #1 - GENERAL OVERVIEW - USHERS IN AFRICAN AMERICAN CHURCHES
From https://womenchurchsuitsblog.wordpress.com/2012/08/07/usher-suits-and-the-roles-ushers-play-in-the-church/  "Usher Suits And The Roles Ushers Play In The Church

By womenchurchsuitsblog. August 7, 2012

"Growing up in an African American church one of the first things you learn as a child is to respect the ushers. When you were doing anything that might not have been acceptable you had one eye for the usher suits. As kids would we liked to play pranks and giggle and chew gum and fall asleep all things that would get you a quick wrap on the knuckles with thee back end of the church fan. In black church’s in the United States have many auxiliaries, departments, committees and boards. These are the arms and legs of the church, they enable the church to carry out its mission. This includes attending to the needs of the people, spreading the gospel and church administration.

In black church’s in the United States have many auxiliaries, departments, committees and boards. These are the arms and legs of the church, they enable the church to carry out its mission. This includes attending to the needs of the people, spreading the gospel and church administration.

While you may not find the same auxiliary’s at all church’s there is not one church where you will not find an Usher board. This is a ministry of the church that even a new comer can become a part of. Next to the preacher and the musicians this is the most visible ministry in any church. In a black church the Usher is the first person a visitor will meet. They seat the congregation, help members in distress and maintain order. They are essentially the church police force. The usher suits are their uniform of office and most include pristine white gloves.

The usher suits has to be pristine at all times. It is a matter of church pride, at most churches the ushers have two separate suits one in white and one in black. They wore the white in summer and the black in winter. Other churches may use different colored usher suits but they all insist on the white gloves as part of the uniform. These are the churches gatekeepers, they meet and greet all who enter the sanctuary, ushers are the first impression a person gets of a church and most take this service very seriously.

Usher suits come in a variety of sizes and are also made to fit children. A church will have a male usher board, a women’s usher board and a junior usher board. Each group takes on the duties on their assigned Sundays. The junior ushers range in age from 6-18 and they too are trained to work as efficiently as the adults. It is a way for them to learn church and civic duty as well as leadership and discipline.”

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ADDENDUM #2 - WHY BLACK USHERS HOLD ONE HAND BEHIND THEIR BACK WHILE THEY SERVE AS USHERS
According to George T. Grier, first president of the Illinois chapter, who codified the Black ushers' hand symbols in 1948 in "The Universal Church Ushers Manual," a loose fist at the small of the back — the "service position" — means an usher is on duty. (quoted in https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/bs-md-church-ushers-20150711-story.html  "Ushers History: Ushers serve as 'doorkeepers' to worship" by Jonathan M. Pitts, July 11, 2015

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Here's a comment exchange that refers to African American ushers with the left hand behind their back in the "service position":

From http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBuz-zRVGb0 [quoted in https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/02/old-school-black-church-choir-march-st.html  "Black Choir Processions - Videos Of Marching With The Right Hand Held Up"]

1. Joantaatlanta, 2009
"Nice Video, why do they march in with their hands up? What does it symbolize?"*

Reply 
2. DrSTW4 years, 2009
in reply to Joantaatlanta
"That's a old school thing. That means an elevated heart and hand to Christ. It's like at the end of service when you raise your hand for the benediction. The left hand behind you is what the ushers tend to do called service position."

**
I also recall reading online that the reason why African American church ushers hold one hand behind their back (or used to hold one hand behind their back) while they are on duty is because this was an outward sign of submission to God. (Unfortunately, I didn't document where I read this.)

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Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome. 

The History And Purposes Of African American Church Ushers (Video & Article Excerpts)

Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, April 11, 2016

We provide an inside look at the spirit and discipline of some highly trained ushers who are much more than church doorkeepers. The men and women who serve as ushers at  Hemingway Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Church in District Heights, Maryland help create the mood for worship.

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a pancocojams series on African American church ushers.

This post showcases a video of Black church ushers and presents excerpts from three  articles about African American church ushers.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2021/01/why-black-african-american-ushers-wear.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. Part II presents theories about why African American ushers wear gloves as part of their usher attire.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2021/01/video-article-excerpt-about-roles-of.html for Part III of this pancocojams series. Part III showcases a video of a Church Ushers Grand March and showcases an article excerpt about the roles of the Black Church ushers. That article excerpt also includes a section on the ushers' Grand March. 

The content of this post is presented for historical and cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners. Thanks to the publisher of this embedded YouTube video.
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Click the "Black Church Procession" tag for more pancocojams posts on this subject. 
 
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ARTICLE EXCERPTS
Excerpt #1:
From https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/bs-md-church-ushers-20150711-story.html  "Ushers History: Ushers serve as 'doorkeepers' to worship" by Jonathan M. Pitts, July 11, 2015
…[Vanessa Lucas is] “one of about 400 people in Maryland and 15,000 in the nation who have been trained and certified by the National United Church Ushers Association of America, a historically black education and service group that has preserved and passed along a "universal method" of church ushering for 96 years.

The organization has its roots in early-1900s Baltimore, where three African-American churches set aside their differences to create an ushers association and school — one that still grills its students on everything from greeting techniques to a complex set of hand signals with which to manage crowd movement, or even indicate an emergency in the making.

The Maryland chapter, one of 28 in America, turns 100 this year. Those who work with members say that at a time when church attendance is declining in the U.S., its mission retains a powerful resonance.

"Ushers are the 'doorkeepers' Scripture tells us about," says the Rev. Howard Wright, pastor of Grace A.M.E. Church in Catonsville. "They set a tone of reverence with their friendliness. They take care of worshipers' needs throughout the service so [pastors] can focus on God's word.

"It's a very, very important ministry."

At Grace one recent Sunday, Lucas and five others greet arriving worshipers with hugs and "good mornings." As gospel music begins to resound, they create a line and march down an aisle, leading the choir into position.

The lead usher takes a position up front and places a fist at the small of her back. The place goes quiet at the signal. The service has begun.

In the beginning

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. once said the most segregated hour in America is 11 o'clock on Sunday morning. Decades before that, in the late 1800s, three devout men from this region chose to reach across another divide.

Elijah Hamilton and Charles Dorsey, African Methodist Episcopalians from Philadelphia, and a friend, a Baltimore Baptist named Henry Sorrell, found themselves wrestling with a question: Why did the major African-American Christian denominations have so little to do with each other?

Seeking common ground, they settled on a theme they saw running through the Old and New Testaments: ushering.

At the Baltimore unit headquarters, a brownstone in Reservoir Hill, Lucas recently met with fellow usher Sandra Arnette below several framed portraits of the founders, reeling off the men's beliefs as though they were still alive.

"We consider God the first usher in the universe," Lucas says. "Didn't he usher in light and call it day? Didn't Moses usher the children of Israel out of Egypt? And the star of Bethlehem guided the wise men, just as John the Baptist ushered in Jesus' ministry."

God even created the first usher organization, she adds, choosing one tribe, the Levites, to care for the tabernacles of Moses' day. References to "watchmen," "porters" and "doorkeepers" permeate the Bible.

The job carries additional weight in an era when crime can invade the world of worship, from petty thefts to stunning tragedies like the one that unfolded in Charleston, S.C., last month when a man entered a black church during a Bible study and shot nine people to death.

"We are to be alert at all times. Even when going into prayer, our heads are bowed but we keep our eyes open," says Sylvia Graves, a member of Perkins Square Baptist Church and 17-year ushering veteran.

Sorrell probably never imagined such things, but he perceived a need. He assembled the leaders of three Baltimore churches — Sharp Street United Methodist, Ames United Methodist and Enon Baptist — in 1915, persuading them to form the State of Maryland United Ushers. By 1919, the Philadelphians had a similar group. Chapters in other states followed.

Sharp Street, Ames and Enon churches remain in operation. The Interdenominational Church Ushers Association of Maryland now includes 32 member churches in Baltimore and 92 in the state. All belong to a national association with chapters in locations from California to Maine.

Members coast to coast have adopted a passage from the Old Testament as a kind of mission statement. "I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked," Lucas says, quoting Psalm 84. They share a passion for traveling to state and national conventions.

"It's wonderful Christian fellowship," Lucas says, adding that the subject of denominations never comes up.

Service position

Like many who catch the ushering bug, Ernest Wilson Jr., has been at it for a long time — in his case nearly six decades, making him one of the longest-tenured ushers in Maryland.

If church is a place where souls are saved, he reasons, what could be more important than getting people in the doors and engaging them?

"If you come in and nobody speaks to you, you carry that mood to your seat. So when people come in, I always look them, smile and say 'Good morning,'" says Wilson, 82, who began ushering at Perkins Square at 8, returned to it at Enon in 1957 and hasn't stopped. "They can focus their minds on what the pastor is saying."

The founders saw that kind of thinking as consonant with Christ's teachings, including his counsel to treat other people as you would like to be treated. And as the years passed, a code of behavior developed.

The man or woman at the front door (the doorkeeper) was "the connecting link between the inside and the outside of the sanctuary." The "usher-in-charge" led the other team in prayer before services, assigned everyone's roles for the day and directed communications. Aisle ushers filled pews and monitored guests.

A good usher, they said, planned for anything — a worshiper passing out, a child needing the bathroom, the pastor needing water — and provided.

Because noisy ushers would be distractions, leaders devised a set of hand signals that could be flashed in silence. George T. Grier, first president of the Illinois chapter, codified them in 1948, spelling out dozens in "The Universal Church Ushers Manual," a guide still in use.

A loose fist at the small of the back — the "service position" — means an usher is on duty. Arms across the chest means "prayer underway." If the lead usher moves the right hand to the base of the throat, three fingers up, it's a request for seats in aisle three.

A hand signal does exist for dangers such as fires or bomb threats — the usher drops an arm behind the back, raises both hands, then does a reverse brush of the head with one hand and drops the hands again — but nothing to flag suspicious characters like the Charleston killer.

Graves has written a letter to national leaders urging that they create such a signal and call for doorkeepers at all church events.

It's a dizzying system, but one ushers know well and use with reverence, says Arnette, leader of the Grace A.M.E. team.

"It's a ministry, not a club," she says. "It's about giving your best service to God."...

****
Excerpt #2
From http://www.theafricanamericanlectionary.org/PopupCulturalAid.asp?LRID=158 Ushers’ Day Cultural Resources; The African American Lectionary: A collaborative project of The African American Pulpit and American Baptist College of Nashville; July 18, 2010
[by] Tammy L. Kernodle, Guest Cultural Resource Commentator; Associate Professor of Musicology, Miami University, Oxford, OH
"The Old Testament is full of references to those individuals referred to as the doorkeepers of the Temple. In the selected lection for Usher’s Day, we find an account that speaks to the importance of the doorkeepers and how their ministry impacts all of the inner workings of the Temple. It becomes clear that if the doorkeepers failed to function properly; the day-to-day operations of the Temple would have halted. This level of importance of ushers/doorkeepers can still be witnessed today. While it is one of the familiar symbols of the Black Church, few understand the cultural importance of the church usher.

The usher board has historically been a “catchall” for those who did not know exactly where they fit within a particular congregation. But over the years, as pastors and parishioners have come to understand the function of the usher, such practices have been restricted. Similar to other auxiliary roles like that of deacons and trustees, certain spiritual attributes have become criteria for acceptance onto usher boards in a small number of churches. Leslie Parrott asserts in the book Serving as a Church Usher, “The usher board is now generally viewed as the fourth great ministry of the church, behind preaching, teaching and music respectively.” Participants within the ministry of the usher board view their primary responsibility as tending to the details of each service and insuring that, as the Apostle Paul wrote in I Corinthians 14:40, things are done “in a fitting and orderly way.”1 

This orderly way extends beyond just philosophy and is at the center of an ethos that has developed within the auxiliary. This ethos is constructed around the belief that the usher is there to maintain order within the context of the service, assist as necessary as the Holy Spirit moves, and welcome parishioners and visitors into the sacred space of the sanctuary. This is done through intricate practices that range from rules for walking down the aisle to the proper manner for distributing offering plates. Manuals and help aides, as well as “usher schools” and “conventions,” which instruct beginner and veteran ushers in the intricacies of this ministry have also shaped a code of conduct that stretches across generational and denominational lines.

Although many usher boards have moved beyond the traditional white dresses and black suits that defined the traditional view of ushers, their role as one of the foundational ministries within the worship life of the church remains. For additional information on the etymology and history of organizations such as the National United Church Ushers Association of America, see the cultural unit written by Bernice Johnson Reagon.2 For more information regarding more traditional practices such as the “Grand March,” which was an important part of Usher Day celebrations, see Ralph Wheeler’s contribution to the lectionary from year two.3

II. An Usher’s Story - “It was military!”

Each experience as an usher, or the perspective of others about ushers, is vastly different.  This account represents Tonya Jones’ experience as an usher and her observations regarding the ministry in the church she grew up in during the 1970s in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Although she no longer participates in the ministry, she recounted fondly how important it was in shaping her maturation in the church. 

It was military! It was order! No kids running down the aisles of the church all willy-nilly. Nothing like what you see today! My momma was an usher. That was her pride and joy. She was always on the back door and on guard. Crisp uniform, white gloves—snap, snap in the military style. I became an usher because there was a rule in my house. If you didn’t sing in the choir, then you ushered. No one in my family was going to sit on a church bench and do nothing. So I came from a family where my momma and brothers ushered. And my aunt was one of the instructors at the usher school in Cincinnati.

But know that even if this was something you wanted to do, you couldn’t just stand up and be an usher. You had to be trained because everything was intricate and there were expectations as to how you were to act and look. There was an usher book, a manual you had to go through before they would let you out on the floor and you had to go to usher school. Usher school met every Saturday, and churches from all over the city of Cincinnati would participate. The school would move from church to church each week.  But the instructors remained the same and you learned a lot. Everything from the way you were suppose to turn, all of the hand signals and all of the requirements regarding your uniform, were drilled each week. You see, there were so many rules to follow. For instance, you couldn’t turn your head when ushering; you had to use your peripheral vision. The only usher allowed to turn was the one in the middle and she would signal to the rest of us. The door usher was the head usher, and she gave all of the commands and determined who went where and did what. With an usher in each aisle it meant that complete order was kept in the service. Every usher kept their left arm behind their back, especially when you went out on the floor. You didn’t scream, “I need a fan! I need an envelope!”  You performed the hand signals. If you needed an envelope, you put up two fingers on your right hand. The demeanor of an usher was serious and disciplined.

The youth ushers went through the same training as the adults. What I liked was that they partnered you with an adult—like a buddy system—and they helped you learned the ins and outs. You were gradually worked into the regular rotation and not just thrown into the service after a certain point. It was like one generation passing the torch to the next. It made us (the youth) feel that we were really contributing something to the church. My church had one Sunday a month where the youth ushers functioned alone. But even then you had to have proven to be disciplined and serious about it. I can’t believe I can remember all of the signals and rules after all these years; especially since I haven’t ushered in twenty-plus years. But being an usher made me feel important and I knew that I was contributing to the church and my family in what I was doing.

As a greeter, some took discipline and control too far. They were a little too serious and could be scary at times. We all know of or have heard stories about the “mean” usher. You know that one usher who kept the children and adults in line. It was Ms. Louella at my church. She was all about respecting the holiness of the sanctuary. There was no talking, eating of candy or excessive walking when she was on duty. She would give us kids a look and we would all get scared, because that meant that we were in trouble and she was going to tell our parents. I remember her so clearly because she turned out to be a nice lady. But she was one of those serious ushers, who was about maintaining order in the sanctuary. I grew to really like her, and she ushered for years until she was physically unable to participate. She was very committed.

I don’t usher anymore, and when I look out from the choir stand these days I see how things changed. No one talks about the usher’s manual anymore, and the usher school is now defunct. Most of the ushers remain in the back of the church and wait until offering time or something that requires their assistance. The military precision that I witnessed and was a part of as a child is no longer evident. While many people felt it was obsessive--all of the stuff we used to do--there was something special about it. People were very serious and professional about their roles as doorkeepers for the Lord.

[…]

IV.  Songs
There are many traditional congregational songs associated with the Usher Board. Some of the most common include “We Are Soldiers,” “It’s a Highway to Heaven” and “Come on in Where the Table Is Spread.”
-snip-
This article continues and ends with the lyrics to the song “You Can Use Anything Lord You can Use Me” and the lyrics to the song “I Am On The Battlefield”.

****
Excerpt #3
From https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/bs-md-church-usher-convention-20170422-story.html "Practice makes perfect, as church ushers work on their skills" by Jessica Anderson, April 22, 2017
"Colette McCorvey called out commands as she led a group of church ushers through their paces.

 "When you're getting attention, grab the knot of your tie. Ladies, you have to pretend you have a tie," she said, as members of the group clutched their right hands at the neck.

 "Can I get a signal for ushers to take their stations?" McCorvey asked, prompting the group to make another gesture — brushing their faces with their right hands.

 The session was part of the Interdenominational Church Ushers Association of Maryland's 67th annual convention being held this weekend. The group — the women all wearing white dresses, then men in black blazers, all of them wearing white gloves — was practicing the standardized signals ushers use at church services.

The signals are used to communicate with one another as they quietly and discreetly direct crowds from the doors and into the pews. The 20-some gestures are painstakingly learned and practiced by ushers to communicate without causing distractions during services.

[…]

There are about 400 people in Maryland and 15,000 in the nation who have been trained and certified by the National United Church Ushers Association.

On Saturday, they practiced proper procedures for signs and signals; service and prayer positions; ushering in the aisles; how to collect the offering; and duties and responsibilities of positions like the "doorkeeper" and "usher-in-charge."

The ushers take their jobs seriously because, they say, they are often the first connection people have with a church. A bad first impression, they say, can quickly turn people off. Often, ushers are the first face to greet those with serious issues.

"You don't know what problems or concerns people have coming through that door," said Vanessa W. Lucas, the Baltimore unit president.

She recalled the time when a man showed up at her church asking for someone to pray for him. He talked about committing suicide. She said she pulled him into the foyer and quickly got the minister.

Sylvia Graves, a member of Perkins Square Baptist Church who has been ushering nearly 20 years, said people who are struggling will often seek out a church for comfort or aid.

[…]

Brittney Spurlock, 17, has been ushering for about five years.

"I like serving God and helping people," she said." "

**** 
This concludes Part I of this pancocojams series.

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