LANHAM, Md. — Despite an expected snowstorm, over 100 attended the third annual George Liele Missionary Breakfast at Sharon Bible Fellowship Church on February 8. The breakfast, sponsored by the African American Fellowship (AAF) of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware (BCM/D), is designed to introduce people to George Liele, a freed slave in the 1700s who became the first ordained African American Baptist pastor. Liele planted the First African Baptist Church in North America and is acknowledged by most as the first overseas American missionary.

Dr. Nathaniel Thomas, president of the AAF of the BCM/D, at the third annual George Liele Missionary Breakfast.

George Liele is a big deal in Christian history, but unfortunately, he’s unknown to most. The AAF of the BCM/D has been working hard to change that! It was Robert Anderson, Jr., pastor of Colonial Baptist Church, Randallstown, who, after researching Liele and declaring, “He should ‘be in the Christian hall of fame!” made a successful motion at the 2019 Southern Baptist Convention in Birmingham to add George Liele Sunday to the SBC Calendar. That resulted in SBC’s annual Church Planting Evangelism Missions Day on the First Sunday of February. Then, in 2023, the AAF of the BCM/D established the George Liele Institute to provide affordable training for individuals of all ethnicities, with a focus on equipping African American congregations for ministry and missions.

A Holy Discontent
International Mission Board African American Church Mobilization Strategist Quintell Hill, who shared at the Missions Breakfast, emphasized the need for African Americans to step forward in missions at home and abroad. While in a Christian college history class, Hill realized something was missing — black preachers. George Liele was mentioned, he said, but only briefly. Later, while working on his doctoral dissertation, studying Christ-centered preachers in a multi-ethnic context, he once again saw Liele‘s name and began to research further.

Quintell Hill encouraged attendees to, like George Liele, step into missions, near and far. (Photo by Sharon Mager)

“I really focused on how the Lord had been moving in his life, and then, another story that stood out was Andrew Bryan’s story.” Bryan was converted under Liele’s teaching and succeeded Liele as pastor of the First African American Church in Savannah. Emotionally, Hill said, “I remember reading about Andrew Bryan being beaten just for preaching the gospel, and I remember Tertullian, the early church father, saying, ‘The blood of the Martyrs is the seed of the church.’ You hear a lot about the church fathers. I didn’t hear about Andrew Bryan… and I had a holy discontent.” God used that discontent to drive Bryan to seek to educate, engage, and mobilize African American Christians to follow in Liele’s footsteps, to persevere, lead, and be bold in missions near and far. Referring to 1 Timothy 4:12, “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” Hill showed photos of sports greats, including his favorite, Michael Jordan, and said, “We are all about heroes. Who will be the next George Liele? Do your kids know who he is and what he’s done for them? I believe we need to be focused on giving our teenagers and our next generations a hero that’s worth something.”

Karen Wortham shared about the atrocities of slavery in the days of George Liele. She told attendees to teach their children history. “Tell your babies the truth,” she said. (Photo by Sharon Mager)

Ultimately, he said, we must point the next generation to Jesus. “The question is, are you going to join God on mission? ” Hill also shared about upcoming international mission trips and urged attendees to get involved in missions.

Slavery: Tell the Story
Setting the context of the world in which Liele lived, Author and Historian Karen Wortham said, “I don’t know about Baltimore, but in Savannah, our history is so bold, it’s all over the place. We still have the barracoons where they put slaves in storage. Have you ever heard of the word ‘lazaretto?’ It was a quarantine station they put slaves in when the ships brought them in. Ladies

Sharon Bible Fellowship Church Member Albert Anderson was a former member of the church George Liele established in Jamaica. Anderson shares a drum presentation in honor of Liele. (Photo by Sharon Mager)

and gentlemen, the auction was real.”  Wortham shared the details of the slave catching trade, the horrific conditions of their “storage,” and the degradation of the sales. She said visitors in the Savannah marketplace today have no idea that slaves were inspected and auctioned near the same area where they now buy artwork and eat ice cream.

Liele was born into slavery in Virginia, moved to Georgia, and was converted and baptized in 1773. His owner, Henry Sharp, a Baptist deacon, freed Liele so he could pursue God’s call to preach. Liele preached for two years to slaves in Savannah and South Carolina. Wortham said that when George Liele’s former master passed away, the family tried to re-enslave him and imprisoned him. But with the help of Moses Kirkland, a British Army Colonel, Liele, a British loyalist, was freed, and he and his family were eventually able to flee to Jamaica. Even after all he had been through, Liele persevered and continued to share the gospel. In Jamaica, he built a church, preached, baptized, and sent out believers to spread the Word. According to a 2018 IMB article called “Missionaries You Should Know: George Liele,” in 1814, there were about 8,000 Baptists in Jamaica, but as a result of George Liele’s preaching and sending, there were over 20,000 believers by 1832.

Greater Baltimore Choral Union shared several selections of African American spirituals. Some of the lively selections had folks out of their seats, clapping, praising God, and even a little dancing in the aisle. (Photo by Sharon Mager)

Victor Kirk, AAF vice-president, pastor of Sharon Bible Fellowship, and BCM/D Church Strengthening Missionary, organized and led the breakfast. Kirk thanked the participants. He said Hill‘s presentation was “passionate, challenging and motivating,” and Wortham “…brought more light to the African American community to help us know where we came from and where our struggle was, and how far we’ve come and how far we need to go. And that’s a piece our young generation needs to know.” Kirk also said the spirituals added were enriching and added a unique feel to the morning.

As part of the breakfast, attendees gave to a George Liele Scholarship fund to help support Maryland/Delaware African-American churches in their mission efforts.

Feature Photo: Victor Kirk with the Greater Baltimore Choral Union. (Photo by Sharon Mager)

Sharon Mager serves as a BCM/D communications specialist and Baptist News editor.