Mt. Ramah Primitive Baptist Association 2011 Thomaston, GA
**** Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post showcases a 2011YouTube video of members of African American Primitive Baptist church singing "My Soul Is A Witness For My Lord". . This post also includes the lyrics for that old Gospel song as well as some comments from these videos' discussion threads.*
The content of this post is presented for religious, historical, and socio-cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to the unknown composer of this song. Thanks to the church that is featured in this video and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to Kathy Phelps, the publisher of this video on YouTube. -snip- *I'm particularly interested in documenting comments about the congregation doing a form of the ring shout (circling the offering table in front of the church sanctuary). I believe that some commenters in this video's discussion thread also referred to this as doing "the holy rock" and "rocking". However, those terms may also refer to singing and swaying back and forth while seated or standing.
1. @matiroka3 "When I hear this song my spirit vibrates. I would like to
sing but do not understand the lyrics. If anyone can send me the letter would
greatly appreciate it. Greetings from South America."
** Reply 2. @myjollyboy "There are many
verses.
But these are basic lyrics.
Chorus:
My soul is a witness for my Lord
My soul is a witness for my Lord
My soul is a witness for my Lord
My soul is a witness for my Lord
Bridge:
Will you be a witness; yes I'll be a witness
Want the world to know He saved my soul
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ
In it there's joy, power, wisdom and might
Tag:
Tell it! Everywhere I go
Tell it! I want the World to know
Tell it! Jesus lives in me
Tell it!And He set me free"
** Reply 3. @mzhollywood8978, 2019 "Thank you so much. I grew up in the primitive Baptist
Church. But when I hear them sing the songs now some of them singing different.
I am glad you shared the words I wish more people will respond when people ask
for the words. There is nothing like the old Primitive Baptist Church singing.
Both of my parents are members of the New Prospect Primitive Baptist Church
Pineville Buena Vista Georgia."
** 4. @kemille77 "Okay why the rocking in circles? Is this shouting?"
** Reply 5. @benabi2294, 2019 "It's the "ring shout" a tradition brought over
from so called Africa along with the call and reponse"
** 6. @MiltonKelly "I love this! You can tell the spirit of the HolyGhost was
with them. The best part was that they didn't have no instrument at all."
**** 2014
7. @EbonyStory "Good ole Primitive Baptist church singing ,stumping, and
rocking"
** 8. @junebriggs7946 "All primitive baptist rock up front of the church circling
the table, just something we do!"
** Reply 9. @junebriggs7946 "It's just something we primitive baptist do!"
** 10. @Ashb72 "This is what I grew up on as a child. My
grandmother and all my family attended Mt Moriah Primitive (HardShell) Baptist
St. Petersburg Florida. They would have prayer meeting at her house and
"rock" all night long!..Mattie, Lucille, Camilla, Hattie, Annie,
Georgia..I know y'all rocking right now!..My grandmother favorite"
**** 2015
11. @Smoochz1 "Love the primintiive baptist, no more here in Columbus Ohio,
but my parents belong to Prospect In Buena Vista Georgia grew up praising God
just like this. "
** Reply 12. @gregorythornton9159, 2019 "Smoochz1 I am from Ellaville, GA live in Memphis, TN now can't get this here"
** 13. @woody11363 "Why hold them when they shout"
** Reply 14. @mzhollywood8978, 2019 "They hold them so they do not injure their self or others when they get the Holy Spirit"
**** 2016
15. @roxsmith9902 "I love to watch Deacon Phelps do his holy rock!"
** 16. @ldmookers "thats old school praising
lol we didnt have a organ or
durmmm or a bass we had hands and feet
and a voice and a memory"
** 17. @ElderMcCloud "Now this is old fashioned song singing with soul, this has got to be in Alabama or South Carolina."
** Reply 18. @junebriggs7946, 2017 "Carlos McCloud this church is in Thomaston, GA"
** Reply 19. @mellownwv, 2021 "We worshipped just like that in Rectortown Virginia when I went there with my family for our annual Homecoming on the third Sunday in July. I t was like that any Sunday."
** 20. @shirlethaanderson9241 "I Love this song reminds me of down home
singing in S. C."
22. @YaGurlDaGoddess78 "these are churches in we go too. that's my uncle singing we
are Baptist and we praise with our hands and feet"
** Reply 23. @secret-garden, 2020 "So happy to see that some churches still do it the old way!"
**** 2018
24. @benjaminblocksom4927 "Feeling the Spirit"
**** 2019
25. @athfinest44 "Now dis is Chuuuuch!!!!"
** 26. @rosalindgreen2246 "Love these ole time songs, and how our God is being
praised!!"
*** 2020
27. @YT4Me57 "This is how the ancestors did it!!!"
** 28. @deeharrison2565 "I pray that one day we can go back to these old
ways. They understood the power of The Most High, they knew where to put their
trust, love, dependency come he'll or high waters. To submit to The Lord in
spirit and in truth. My heart aches to
go back to the old landmark where we stayed in The Presence of The Lord🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾"
** 29. @secret-garden "I'm enjoying this church so much today. New subbie here. One
question, are the men and women sitting separately?"
** Reply 30. @mariekatherine5238 "butterflyqueenify
Possibly. Some old time Primitive
Baptist, Amish, Mennonite, Brethren have separate areas."
** 31. @deeharrison2565 "I pray that one day we can go back to these old ways. They
understood the power of The Most High, they knew where to put their trust,
love, dependency come he'll or high waters. To submit to The Lord in spirit and
in truth. My heart aches to go back to
the old landmark where we stayed in The Presence of The Lord🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾"
** Reply 32. @sistacbell "We already headed there with the way these pandemic attacks
are happening. And our government. Adversity will take you to the old school
way of doing things. But music is not just the hands and feet. David said we
had to praise him with all instruments of music and the first instruments were
not just our hands and feet but they had the washboard and would take a wire
hanger or something to make music with it. Then I like the way they would make
instruments to praise him in those days. Music is language to our God. He
communicates with us not only in prayer but he loves music. All forms of music.
As long as we praise and worship him in spirit and truth you cant go wrong. "
**** 2021
33. @lindabowens8299 "Back then there was no rushing, you would let The Holy
Spirit have It's way, taking full control of the atmosphere. Didn't get tired
of sanging the same verses over and over again, they just got better and
better. Everybody was on one accord."
** 34. @jayejohnson5257 "I grew up Baptist in the North and never heard of Primitive
Baptist but I love it❤️"
****
2022
35. @one4truth236 "The whole congregation is the choir"
**** 2023
****
2024
36. @FloraCruthirds-if4my "Sing that song yall"
** Reply 37. @yvonnedavis1461, 2025 "Amen , That Was So Beautiful"
**** 2025
38. @christiansgrandma6812 "God, I wish I could visit this church. I'm rocking with
them.😊 It's weeks later, and I'm still marching around in my kitchen while I
cook.😊"
The Mount Calvary Primitive Baptist Association 2008
**** Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post showcases two YouTube videos of Deacon Jessie Phelps and members of Primitive Baptist congregations singing the African American Spiritual "Low Down Chariot Let Me Ride". This Spiritual is also known as "Slow Down Chariot Let Me Ride", or "Take A Ride".
This Spiritual isn't the same as "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" [Coming For To Carry Me Home].
Information about the Primitive Baptist denomination is included in this post along with lyrics for a rendition of "Low Dow The Chariot Let Me Ride".
The content of this post is presented for religious, socio-cultural, and historical purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to the unknown composers of this Spiritual. Thanks to the religious and musical legacies of Deacon Jessie Phelps and all other who are shown in these videos. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of these videos on YouTube. -snip- Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/03/old-school-african-american-gospel-song.html for the closely related 2020 pancocojams post "Old School African American Gospel Song "Take A Ride" (with "You Betta Sang!" & similar "sang" comments)".
**** SHOWCASE VIDEO #2- Deacon Jessie Phelps Low Down The Chariot Let Me Ride
KATHY PHELPS, Oct 21, 2010
Union Primitive Baptist Association of GA 2010
Mt. Mary Primitive Baptist Church, Leary, GA
Co hosted by Mt. Mary Primitive Baptist Church, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
**** INFORMATION ABOUT THE PRIMITIVE BAPTIST (A CHRISTIAN DENOMINATION) From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primitive_Baptists "Primitive Baptists – also known as Regular Baptists, Old School Baptists, Foot Washing Baptists, or, derisively, Hard Shell Baptists[2] – are conservative Baptists adhering to a degree of Calvinist beliefs who coalesced out of the controversy among Baptists in the early 19th century over the appropriateness of mission boards, tract societies, and temperance societies.[3][4] Primitive Baptists are a subset of the Calvinistic Baptist tradition.[1] The adjective "primitive" in the name is used in the sense of "original".[3]
[...]
The official split between "Old School" and "New School" Baptists occurred during a meeting at the Black Rock Church on September 28, 1832 in Butler, MD. This became known as the Black Rock Address.[7][8][9]
Primitive Baptist churches arose in the mountainous regions of the American South, where they are found in their greatest numbers.[10][11]
African-American Primitive Baptist groups have been considered a unique category of Primitive Baptist. Approximately 50,000 African Americans are affiliated with African-American Primitive Baptist churches as of 2005.[12] Approximately 64,000 people were affiliated (as of 1995) with Primitive Baptist churches in the various other emergences of Primitive Baptists.[12]
Since arising in the 19th century, the influence of Primitive Baptists has waned as "Missionary Baptists became the mainstream".[5]
[...]
Distinct practices
Primitive Baptist practices that are distinguishable from those of other Baptists include a cappella singing, family integrated worship, and foot washing.
A cappella singing
Primitive Baptists generally do not play musical instruments as part of their worship services.[16] They believe that all church music should be a cappella because there is no New Testament command to play instruments, but only to sing.[15] Further, they connect musical instruments in the Old Testament with "many forms and customs, many types and shadows, many priests with priestly robes, many sacrifices, festivals, tithings" that they see as having been abolished; "had they been needed in the church Christ would have brought them over".[15]
African-American Primitive Baptists may not share the general Primitive Baptist opposition to musical instruments, however.[17]"...
**** LYRICS FOR A RENDITION OF "LOW DOWN CHARIOT LET ME RIDE"/"SLOW DOWN CHARIOT LET ME RIDE"* (unknown composers)
I wanna take a ride Ride [word elongated] I wanna take a ride Ride [word elongated] I'm singing oh angels Oh [word elongated] angels Slow down Slow down your chariot And let me ride
I wanna see king Jesus Jesus [word elongated] I wanna see king Jesus Jesus[word elongated] I'm singing oh angels Slow down your chariot Let me ride
I wanna go home Home [word elongated] I wanna go home Home [word elongated]
I'm crying oh angels oh [word elongated angels Slow down your chariot oh [word elongated] angels And let me ride
[Vamp]
Let me ride Let me ride Let me ride Oh [word elongated] angels Oh [word elongated] angels Oh [word elongated] angels Slow down your chariot Slow down your chariot Slow down your chariot
[Repeat vamp] -snip-
* There are multiple versions of lyrics for this Spiritual. This is my transcription of a video of an African American singing group's (Chevela and The Spiritual Voices) rendition of this song. This transcription is largely based on the comment posted by QUE MAC, 2019 in the discussion thread for https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqd1KAOzTgI lyric [Example #1 of "Take A Ride", given in Part I of the two part pancocojams series.
The words that are given in italics are singing directions.
** "Slow down chariot" means "Lessen the speed of the chariot".
This title may also be found as "Low Down Chariot" which means "Lower the chariot [nearer the ground" [so someone more easily enter it.]
The more commonly known Spiritual "Swing Down Sweet Chariot" means the same thing. I don't know whether "Swing Down Sweet Chariot" was composed before "Slow Down" or "Low Down Sweet Chariot".I also don't know which of those two titles were composed first.
Mt Ramah Primitive Baptist Association 2010 Beauty Grove
P.B. Church, Thomaston, GA -snip- The word "primitive" in that Christian denomination's name means "first" or earliest formed". -snip- Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2024/09/down-home-old-school-black-african.html for the pancocojams post "Down Home, Old School, Black (African American) Primitive Baptist Church Singing (video, information, & comments)."
**** Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post showcases a YouTube video of the African American composed Gospel song "This May Be My Last Time". This old school Southern African American Gospel song is also known as "This May Be The Last Time".
This post also includes the song lyrics of this rendition of "This May Be My Last Time" and a few selected comments from that video's discussion thread.
The content of this post is presented for religious, historical, socio-cultural, and aesthetic purposes.
I'm interested in documenting not just what is sung but how the call & response way the song is sung and how the pastor and the congregation moved while singing this song.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to the unknown composer/s of this song. Thanks to all those who are shown in this video and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube. -snip- This video has been added to this 2012 pancocojams post: African American Ring Shouts (Origins & Video Examples) https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/05/african-american-ring-shouts-origins.html
**** LYRICS - THIS MAY BE MY LAST TIME (unknown composer/s
This transcriptions is as the sung was sung by Mt Ramah Primitive Baptist Association in the video that is shown above)
Refrain: (sung by the Leader and the Congregation)
This may be my last time This may be my last time This may be my last time Well, This may be the last time I don't know.
(Repeat entire refrain several times)
VERSES* These lyrics aren't sung in any particular order.
Leader: "This may be the last time. It may be the last."
"This may be the last time you treat me wrong."
"I just don't know I just don't know."
"This may be the last time you me hear me crying."
"This may be the last time you shake my hand."
Congregation: "This may be my last time. I don't know."
*Example: Leader: This may be the last time. It may be the last Congregation- It may be the last time. I don't know. Leader: This may be the last time. It may be the last Congregation- It may be the last time. I don't know. Leader: (Well) This may be the last time. It may be the last Congregation- It may be the last time. I don't know.
OR The Leader may sing more than one of these lines in a verse before the Leader and the Congregation return to the refrain. The rendition can last for an unspecified time and verses can be introduced by the Leader or by a new Leader. However, the song always ends with the refrain.
**** SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.
1.@realjag67, 2014 "Oh how wonderful to hear this song. Got me through many a
bad times!"
** 2. @LillieFuseWilliams, 2015 "Isn't it great that they don't just stand and watch as
entertainment.Everybody men, women,
young, old, participate and enjoy!!"
** Reply 3. @PatsBooks, 2015 "It's called the ring shout.
Research it. See how James Brown
took this sacred song a nd secularize it. He on
YouTube singing it."
** Reply 4. @lydiaboyd7629, 2022 "The point is that the ring shout is a very important and
historical way are ancestors would praise God. Deep spiritual roots,
originating in Africa."
** 5. @Aunty_Yo, 2015 "Anyone know why they circle in the front?"
** Reply 6. @cottonmaxwell8, 2015 "they go around in a circle rocking"
** Reply 7. @PatsBooks, 2015 "It's the ring shout."
** Reply 8. @mssmmns, 2019 "This form of praise in a circle is prevalent in many West
African, Caribbean, and South Carolina Gullah religious ceremonies. This our
roots, sis!"
** 9. @LillieFuseWilliams, 2015 "Sometime it's good to back home. Cause it may be the last time. The circle and rock could be a way of being in the number and become a part of the praise. As today's waving . A church back then could ROCK!"
** Reply 11. @Tboyd-4, 2021 "Yes, the macon rock as my mom calls it. She's from macon. Ga"
** 12. @maryoyewole4993, 2016 "unfortunately some of the youngsters are changing this old
time Primitive Baptist to what they call "Progressive" with their
drums, guitars, pianos, the noise that clouds, this real authentic sound. All
these folks had a hardwood floor, the clapping hands"
** 13. @resah18 "Ashé!!!May the
ancestors be praised!May God be
glorified!"
** Reply 14. @edloniaconner4069, 2022 "This is the singing I grew up with oh my goodness that's
singing"
** 15.@CatchTheFishy93, 2018 "I know this song in creek. Didnt realize it was a song in
English too!" -snip- "Creek"= a Native American (Indian) language. Several commenters wrote in this discussion thread that their relatives were Native American and/or they also were part of the infamous "Trail Of Tears" when Native Americans from the South were forced to relocate to Oklahoma.
** 16.@v.dargain1678, 2019 "A Cappella . The best way to sing a hymn ."
** 17. @pawilliams6725, 2020 "This is called having church. The spirit of the
Lord is in the house. Today's worship service is not like this"
** 18. @missbritt288, 2020 "The song is a very old baptist hymn it is sung by both black
baptist and also White Appalachians , there a song with the same melody common
in Appalachian folklore called "Oh Death" It shows how far reaching
African spirituality is within the heart of American worship life ,and its a
true common denominator - This is American roots music as pure as you can get"
** 19. @cynthiahoward9615, 2020 "Yes Yes Yes indeed and I don't know!!! I remembered this ole
time religion singing and dancing 😂😂😂 my
grandma's,moma auntee's use to hymn sing have good church seem like it was all
day and then it was time to eat that good ole fashion home cooked 😋
food.i didn't understand back then but by God grace and mercy today wooow 😯
it's a pleasure to think back and a blessing to go far back in to time like
That 😂😊😊... County Times!!!
#Thatswussup??? My my my Lord"
** 20. @kimmimeekins9334, 2021 "Oh my…. This brings back so many good memories of my
childhood years, in my Baptist church…. All
A cappella singing. Such down
home soulful songs..good old fashioned Baptist churches didn’t need
music….glory to GOD! Hallelujah!🙏🏾"
** 21. @joandmims5538, 2021 "Love it. I remember the deacons singing this in church." ** 22. @flaboi9523, 2022 "This song popped in my head today and had to search...this
reminds me of my early days at church in Pensacola Florida...Mars hills Baptist
Church..the older people use to kill it!..no instruments, just good ol
clapping,feet stomping and "sanging"...miss this!!!!..."
** 23. @living2liveagain1, 2023 "I miss my youthful days at Shady Grove AME Zion, where my
Aunt Molly on the piano belting out hymnals like this. FOOT STOMPING, HAND
CLAPPING JOY"
** 24. @Martin-e1j, 2023 "That baptist stomp"
** 25. @JasperRuffin, 2023 "Back in the 80s, We sang like this at my dad's church when
the organist had other obligations and couldn't make it to service.
We may have sounded
like we were on the plantation try'na get away from massa, but MAAN, you could
sho nuff feel the spirit.
I miss those days!!
** 26. @ReginaRoss-rh5to,2023 "I REMEMBER THOSE DAYS IN CHURCH.... I MISS THAT..."
** 27. @jackieborden5041, 2023 "Oh yes I am seventy give years old and I remember this song
from down I Louisiana and Arkansas. It will never get old."
** 28. @MsJeanette46, 2023 "This is my type of church old school no musicians"
** 29. @Magnolia5, 2023 "Hallelujah💜For me this will never
be old. Reminds me of my early childhood
and young adult days. My beginnings was
in a Primitive Baptist Church. I reminisce
now a lot about those days, singing in A cappella , washing feet and prayer
meetings. So many traditions that are
now absent from church worship. Prayer
was constant!!!"
** 30. @christiansgrandma6812, 2023 "Where is this church located? I need to get there 🏃♀️🏃♂️🏃♀️🏃♂️
We used to March around like that during testimonial midweek service. Miss
those days. I'm so so grateful for that time. We kids enjoyed going to service.
We were tucked in the back with the other kids with the olddest ursher
lady,coloring and getting in trouble. Yet when they began to sing and stump, we
were right there, singing, clapping and jumping.😊" -snip- Several commenters wrote that this church is located in Georgia (which is located in the southern region of the United States.)
** 31. @mystaco, 2024 "I can hear the ladies’ heels hitting the wood floor &
the pews bending from the rocking. I’m
45 years old but this is how Devotion and testimony service would start. Pastor would come out of the study and sit
beside the deacons just smiling."
** 32. @lillianwilliams5510, 2024 "We sang this as civil rights movement .
College students marching and knowing we could possibly beaten, but surely going to jail."
** 33. @earnestinereagan7490, 2024 "Don't let the young people change this song. I really like
it."
** 34. @moniquecooper1423, 2024 "Can someone post the
words to the sing please"
** Reply 35. @lillianwilliams5510, 2024 "If you listen. It may
be my last time. It is FREEDOM Movement
song.
Students and older people marching for civil rights.
GOOGLE slave songs
and Black Heritage songs.
Mostly sung in the South but also in many city churches "
** 36. @seikojones1491, 2025 "This is the type of gospel I love listening too."
** 37. @BigSteve90473, 2025 "I’m 50 years old. This was a regular song during devotion. I
was baptized at age 4 under Rev. Dr. S.W. Williams, New Zion Missionary Baptist
Church. Buffalo, NY"
** Reply 38. @deeerv4905, 2025 "I didnt know yall got down like that up there in NY. Praise God!!!"
** 39.@marqj2781, 2025 "That synchronized dip they all doing , good country church"
The Mount Calvary Primitive Baptist Association October 2009
which was held at Pleasant Grove Primitive Baptist Church. Our Next Session
will be held at County Line Primitive Baptist Church on HWY 212 in
Milledgeville, GA beginning Friday before the 1st Sunday in October 2010.
This pancocojams post is part of an ongoing pancocojams series on Old School Black Gospel Music.
This post provides some information about the Primitive Baptist (Christian denomination as well as some information and comments about African American Primitive Baptist churches singing, hand clapping, foot stomping, and ring shout-like worship traditions.
This post also showcases three YouTube video of an African American Primitive Baptist Church congregation in Georgia (United States) singing four old Gospel songs.
In addition, some comments from several YouTube discussion threads for videos showcasing this worship tradition are also included in this post.
The content of this post is presented for historical, religious, cultural, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to the unknown composers of the two songs that are featured in this embedded video and other songs that were/are sung by African American Primitive Baptist Church members.
KATHY PHELPS, Apr 28, 2011
Easter Sunday 2011 Mt. Carmel Primitive Baptist Church, Ideal, GA
-snip-
Notice how the members of the congregation sometimes rock around the table in the center of the front of the church.
*****
SHOWCASE VIDEO #3-WALKING IN JERUSALEM JUST LIKE JOHN
KATHY PHELPS, Nov 7, 2011
Mt. Ramah Primitive Baptist Association 2011 Thomaston, GA
****
INFORMATION ABOUT PRIMITIVE BAPTIST CHURCHES From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primitive_Baptists "Primitive Baptists – also known as Hard Shell Baptists, Foot
Washing Baptists or Old School Baptists – are conservative Baptists adhering to
a degree of Calvinist beliefs who coalesced out of the controversy among
Baptists in the early 19th century over the appropriateness of mission boards,
tract societies, and temperance societies.[2][3] Primitive Baptists are a
subset of the Calvinistic Baptist tradition.[1] The adjective
"primitive" in the name is used in the sense of
"original".[2]
History
The controversy over whether churches or their members
should participate in mission boards, Bible tract societies, and temperance
societies led the Primitive Baptists to separate from other general Baptist
groups that supported such organizations, and to make declarations of
opposition to such organizations in articles like the Kehukee Association
Declaration of 1827.[3][4] The Kehukee Primitive Baptist Church released a
proclamation that they rejected formal service institutions outside of the
church…
[…]
Primitive Baptist churches arose in the mountainous regions
of the American South, where they are found in their greatest numbers.[9][10]
African-American Primitive Baptist groups have been
considered a unique category of Primitive Baptist. Approximately 50,000 African
Americans are affiliated with African-American Primitive Baptist churches as of
2005.[11] Approximately 64,000 people were affiliated (as of 1995) with Primitive
Baptist churches in the various other emergences of Primitive Baptists.[11]
Since arising in the 19th century, the influence of
Primitive Baptists has waned as "Missionary Baptists became the
mainstream".[4]
[…]
Distinct practices
Primitive Baptist practices that are distinguishable from
those of other Baptists include a cappella singing, family integrated worship,
and foot washing.
A cappella singing
Primitive Baptists generally do not play musical instruments
as part of their worship services.[15] They believe that all church music
should be a cappella because there is no New Testament command to play
instruments, but only to sing.[14] Further, they connect musical instruments in
the Old Testament with "many forms and customs, many types and shadows,
many priests with priestly robes, many sacrifices, festivals, tithings"
that they see as having been abolished; "had they been needed in the
church Christ would have brought them over".[14]
African-American Primitive Baptists may not share the
general Primitive Baptist opposition to musical instruments, however.[16]”… -snip- There are a few YouTube videos of American Primitive Baptist churches whose congregations are White Americans.
"Rocking" (around a table in the front of the church or standing in place at the front of the church isn't a worship style in these churches. These congregations' song choices also appear to be different and their style of singing is different.
Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiIZ0kgn588 Old Harp Singing, Cades Cove Primitive Baptist Church, published by GreatSmokyMountains, August 20, 2013 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_lYxMdYt8410,000 Reasons (Primitive Baptist Singing), published by Vestavia Primitive Baptist Church, Jan 4, 2018 for two examples of YouTube videos of White American Primitive Baptist churches.
**** INFORMATION ABOUT (AFRICAN AMERICAN) PRIMITIVE BAPTIST "ROCKING" TRADITIONS
DISCLAIMER: I'm not a member of a Primitive Baptist church and I have never attended any Primitive Baptist church. All of the information in this pancocojams post has been gleaned from online sources. Additions and corrections are very welcome.
"Rocking" and "Macon Rock" are terms that have been used to describe the way that African American Primitive Baptist congregations used to* sway from side to side while they sing their old Gospel songs.
These old Gospel songs date from the late 19th century or the early 20th century. These Gospels songs which are also called "Jubilees" were/are sung a Capella without any musical instruments (including no tambourines), no microphones, and no choirs or separate praise and worship groups.*
These three videos document some of the African American Primitive Baptist's tradition of singing congregational call & response songs without any musical instrument accompaniment.
By "congregational call and response" I mean that those songs are started spontaneously and are sung by the entire congregation with more than one leader/caller.) In these videos, while singing these songs a number of members of the congregation move in a circle in a ring shout -like manner at the front of the church. As shown in the video that is given as Example #2 in this post, sometimes these church members circle a table with a white cloth that is placed in the center of the front of the church. These men and women walk single file, singing, stomping their feet, and clapping their hands in 2 & 4 pattern, or clapping their church fan into the palm of their hands. This walk includes a slight dip to the song's beat.
Alternatively, a number of members of these congregations may "rock" (sway from side to side) while standing in place while singing these songs. This stand in place worship tradition may have started some years after the first tradition that is described above, perhaps replacing the ring-shout like movements because of the lack of space at the front of the church's altar.
The members of the church who participate in the stand in place rocking style of praise and worship also clap their hands in 2 & 4 and/or double clap patterns and stomp their feet to the 2 & 4 beat to produce a bass like sound.
*I don't know if any African American Primitive Baptist churches still worship the way that is shown in these two embedded YouTube videos. More recent YouTube videos that I have watched of African American Primitive Baptist churches show those churches having a choir, electronic microphones, and musical instruments (snare drums, piano, and electric guitars). Those contemporary videos also don't show members of those congregations doing the ring shout-like "rocking" at the front of the altar. Furthermore, the songs in the videos of contemporary African American Primitive Baptist churches aren't examples of old school call & response songs.
**** SELECTED COMMENTS ABOUT AFRICAN AMERICAN PRIMITIVE BAPTIST SINGING, HAND CLAPPING, AND ROCKING (SWAYING FROM SIDE TO SIDE OR MOVING IN A CIRCLE IN FRONT OF THE ALTAR WHILE SINGING OLD GOSPEL SONGS
These comments are given in no particular order. Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.
Mt. Ramah Primitive Baptist Association 2011 Thomaston, GA
1. Antuane Perkins, 2014 "My God My God! This is the type singing that I love! You sit
there for as long as you can and you get so Spiritually full that you have to
stand up and let the spirit work on you."
** 2. Karen G., 2015 "every time I watch this video I love it more and more! y'all better SANG! Praise your HOLY NAME LORD" -snip- "Sang" is an African American Vernacular English present tense form of the word "sing" which means "to sing very well, especially to sing soulfully very well". "Sang" or "Sangin' can be a verb. "Sang!" can also be an exhortation.
** 3. Connie Kent, 2016 "I am a Holy Ghost filled born again Christian but I am truly
ignorant to this style of worship... can anyone tell me more about this?"
** Reply 4. kamaliyah, 2016 "praise and worship."
** Reply 5. K J, 2016 "this is how our parents on the slave plantations sung and
worshipped in the fields gathered around in a circle by the water, fast forward
to now what you see here"
** 6. Matt S, 2022 "Sing your heart out and let the holy ghost fill
you till you eneter extacy. The only one judging is god, no matter how you sing
it just makes god happy that you sing his name. <3"
** 7. mary oyewole, 2016 "I remember this from a child in the primitive baptist church. please keep these recordings alive."
** 8. Shay Barnes, 2018 "Hand clapping, feet stomping church! My kind of carrying
on!!"
** 9.. Ellijah Raines, 2018 "Yes Lord!! Churches has gotten away from this!"
** 10. John Nightshade, 2019 "Reminds me of my grandfather's congregation in Kentucky when
I was little boy. People shouting and
old folks swaying back and forth while the Holy Spirit moved through the
building. I miss those days when church
was church, farmers came in from the
fields to give thanks to the Lord while the older ladies were cooking and
singing in the back."
** 11. Linda Bowens, 2020 "Would love to be in the circle praising God right along with
them. This is what ya call having a good time, you didn't worry about getting
out of service because you wanted to stay in the service. They take their time
in worshipping. If we as nation do this, I truly believe things will change for
us. Worship and having faith 🙏🏼❣️"
** 12. Miss SoftnSensual, 2022 "Reminds me of the old days at church with my great aunts. Foot stomping, clapping, and sanging along with the deacon's and mother's of the church during devotion.🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾"
** 13. nghtwtchr9, 2023 "A lot of contemporary gospel sounds good and has a positive
message, but something about the old school gospel that is truly anointed and
uplifting no matter when you hear it today, tomorrow or even years later."
Mt. Ramah Primitive Baptist Association 2011 Thomaston, GA
1. Milton Kelly, 2012 "I love this! You can tell the spirit of
the HolyGhost was with them. The best part was that they didn't have no
instrument at all."
** 2 .june briggs, 2013 "All primitive baptist rock up front of the church circling the table,
just something we do!"
** 3. Ashley Bailey-Harrell, 2013 "This is what I grew up on as a child. My
grandmother and all my family attended Mt Moriah Primitive (HardShell) Baptist
St. Petersburg Florida. They would have prayer meeting at her house and
"rock" all night long!..Mattie, Lucille, Camilla, Hattie, Annie,
Georgia..I know y'all rocking right now!..My grandmother favorite song was
"I'm a solider"..Elder Snead sung it at her funeral way back in
1987. Keep posting this is good!"
** 4. James Williams, 2013 "Takes me back to Waynesboro, Ga. to
Third Chapel MBC when my Great-grandmother used to sing in the choir!!! Man
those was the days when it was chuch (Not church)........Chuch!!!!! Amen and Amen!!!
We serve and AWESOME GOD!!!!"
** Reply 5. k. 2021 "This is no Choir, no Drums, no Organ, No Piano, no Tamberine, just pure
hands voice and feet. WHO said your church can't have CHURCH without
Instruments. Tha Devil is a liar. This is the best church service I've seen
yet,,,I been with Primitive Baptist 19 years, Baptist 3 and Holiness 12,,, but
I want the pure church service,,,DO Anyone watching see Any Competition, Too
loud, Rolling eyes, Mic Hungry, Music too loud, And more NOPE. All in one place
on one accord. That's why that generation LIVED long"
** 6. Smoochz1, 2014 "Love the primintiive baptist, no more
here in Columbus Ohio, but my parents belong to Prospect In Buena Vista Georgia
grew up praising God just like this. "
** Reply 7. Gregory Thornton, 2018 "Smoochz1 I am from Ellaville, GA live in
Memphis, TN now can't get this here"
** 8. BlkRose, 2014 "Good ole Primitive Baptist church
singing ,stumping, and rocking"
** 9. Shirletha Anderson, 2015 "I Love this song reminds me of down home
singing in S. C."
** 11. mookkers decausey, 2016 "thats old school praising lol we
didnt have a organ or durmmm or a bass
we had hands and feet and a voice and a memory
** 12. Rox Smith, 2016 "I love to watch Deacon Phelps do his
holy rock!"
** 13. Mz Hollywood, 2018
"Thank you so much. I grew up in the primitive
Baptist Church. But when I hear them sing the songs now some of them singing
different. I am glad you shared the words I wish more people will respond when
people ask for the words. There is nothing like the old Primitive Baptist
Church singing. Both of my parents are members of the New Prospect Primitive
Baptist Church Pineville Buena Vista Georgia."
** 14. caldonia lewis, 2019 "There's a meaning in every old school
song, why churches don't sing these songs anymore. I love old school songs. My
soul is a witness for my Lord, HALLEUJAH ! Thank you Jesus. Sing saints of The
Most High God sing!🙏🏾😍✝🌹👼🏽💯"
** 15. Dee Harrison, 2019 "I pray that one day we can go back to
these old ways. They understood the power of The Most High, they knew where to
put their trust, love, dependency come he'll or high waters. To submit to The
Lord in spirit and in truth. My heart
aches to go back to the old landmark where we stayed in The Presence of The
Lord🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾" -snip- "The Old Landmark" is a title of an old school Gospel song. I believe that it also can refer to these types of old school African American Gospel songs.
** 16. Jeffery Hall, Jr,, 2020 "🗣THIS HAS BROUGHT BACK MEMORIES
OF MY GRANNY!!! She would sing a verse of this song over and over when I was a
kid and I still remember!!!! 😍"
** 17. Linda Bowens, 2020
"Back then there was no rushing, you
would let The Holy Spirit have It's way, taking full control of the atmosphere.
Didn't get tired of sanging the same verses over and over again, they just got
better and better. Everybody was on one accord got
better and better. Everybody was on one accord."
** 18. Jaye Johnson, 2020 "I grew up Baptist in the North and never
heard of Primitive Baptist but I love it❤️"
Mt Ramah Primitive Baptist Association 2010 Beauty Grove P.B. Church, Thomaston, GA
1. Lillie Fuse Williams, 2015 "Sometime it's good to back home. Cause it may be the last time. The circle and rock could be a way of being
in the number and become a part of the praise. As today's waving . A church
back then could ROCK!"
** Reply 2. TD B, 2022 "Yes, the macon rock as my mom calls it. She's from macon. Ga"
** 3. Aunt Yo, 2015 "Anyone know why they circle in the front?"
** Reply 4. Elder Maxwell Cotton, 2015 "they go around in a circle rocking"
** Reply 5. PatsBooks, 2016 "It's the ring shout."
** Reply 6. mssmmns, 2019 "This form of praise in a circle is prevalent in many West
African, Caribbean, and South Carolina Gullah religious ceremonies. This our
roots, sis!"
** 7. Ann Jones, 2019 "An old Deacon used to sing this at my Grandmother’s Church ,
I sure miss this kind of Service"
** 8. Chris Beatty, 2019 "We use to sing this in church when I was younger. I haven’t
heard it in a while unless one of the older members, or preacher, starts to
sings it. I was raised in in the Baptist way that we had musical instruments
for the accompaniment, but this church is rocking it too. We get into it too
because it may be our last time...we just don’t know it."
** 9. Lorenzo Moore, 2020 "My old overseer used to sing this. She was from SC."
** Reply 10. Martin Smith,2020 "Well South Carolina is where much of the African part of us
still remains due to the Gullah Geechee people. This song and the “ring shout”
like movement makes me think they’re part of the reason this movement/style has
been somewhat preserved and your overseer probably grew on this and it’s
something that’s familiar for him or her"
Mt. Ramah Primitive Baptist Association 2011 Thomaston, GA
1. K. J. Vibes, 2015 "Grew up Primitive Baptist. This takes me back. No instruments needed; just hands, voices,
and feet to praise God."
** 2. donald frierson,2017 "This reminds me of growing up in Green view First Baptist
Church when an elderly man or woman would get up singing and the church just
falls in behind. This is straight from
Africa here. Of course, we are to modern
now and many churches don't have signing like this."
** 3. Bruce Dexter,2022 "Hi. There are many different varieties of Primitive
Baptists. In urban areas where I grew up my cousins were PB..National Primitive
Baptist Convention USA and they Did use musical instruments, had many Choirs and usually were the top
members of Choir Unions. What differentiated them from Missionary Baptists was
their Foot Washing at The Lord's Supper. They had tons of a capella Hymn lining
and singing but also Gospel Singing with instruments. There really is nothing
wrong with that. The 150th Psalm is all about Praise giving God All including
with cymbals, string
instruments..All..so it is Biblically okay to do so . We can choose not to as
well and that is to be respected but the Primitive Baptists on my family choose
to use it all. I am a musician and if God Blessed me with a talent how can I
reject it?"
