Look up any list of prominent figures in Christian history, and you’ll find a lot of Europeans. Not that there's anything wrong with recognizing these figures and their contributions to our faith as we know it, but on the large, we don’t do a good job observing the contributions of black Christians as much.

Christianity is not nor has it ever been a white, European faith. It is a multicultural movement that started with Arabs and Israelites in the Dead Sea region. It’s important for all Christians, no matter the ethnicity, to recognize the contributions of the diverse catalog of faith leaders throughout history. 

February is observed as Black History Month. In honor of that, here are five famous black Christians in history we should all know more about.

Five famous black Christians in history

1. Harry Hosier (1750-May 1809) — Harry Hosier was born a slave but was a freed man in Maryland around the end of the Revolutionary War. He was such an influential preacher that he is the first black preacher we have on record who preached to white audiences, thus laying the foundations of the cultural bridge between white and black Americans.

2. Absalom Jones (1746-1818) — Jones was the first black priest ordained by the Episcopal Church and went on to found the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) denomination, which still exists to this day. He was an avid abolitionist who petitioned Congress about ending slavery, and spent his time helping those in need.

3. Sojourner Truth (1797-1883) — Sojourner Truth is a name you may have heard about but don’t know much about. She was an avid abolitionist and an activist of women’s rights. Her story helped support the case against slavery in the publication “The Narrative of Sojourner Truth: A Northern Slave.”

4. Harriet Tubman (1822-1913) — Many of us are familiar with Tubman’s work on helping to free hundreds of slaves through the Underground Railroad network. However, what is less known is that she was an avid Christian who credited all of her work to God’s providence. She claimed she was able to do what she did because she had dreams that she interpreted as revelations from God.

5. Thomas Dorsey (1899-1993) — Ever heard black gospel music? Thomas Dorsey is the man you can thank for it. He was the son of a minister and a music teacher, so he grew up ingrained with faith and music. The music he helped pioneer has been a staple among black Christians who worship God through song.

These are but a few of famous black Christian leaders in history. For example, we didn’t include Martin Luther King Jr. in this list because most people have heard of him, but he certainly deserves his place on the list! The list could go on, but that would take ages to read because there are a lot of black Christian leaders you should know about. We encourage you to do some further research, especially as we continue to honor Black History Month.

Centerpoint Church is ready to walk with you on your faith journey

At Centerpoint, our community believes in purpose and passion, and we would love to walk with you on your journey in finding yours. We are currently going through a new sermon series titled “To Hell With Normal.” It’s all about redefining what we consider normal in life as we seek to make our lives more like the way Jesus would have them to be. 

Do you want to grow in your faith or are you simply curious about who this Jesus guy is? You’re not alone. We encourage you to listen to our series online and welcome you to come to one of our Sunday morning services in Valrico, Florida.