Second African Baptist Church (Savannah, Ga.)

Second African Baptist Church, Savannah, Georgia was founded in 1802 by members of the First Colored Church (now the First Arican Baptist Church of Savannah). In the early years of the nineteenth century, the Savannah River Association, an organization of Baptist churches composed of one black and two white churches, including the First Colored Church, decided to strengthen the Association by organizing two additional black churches out of the membership of the First Colored Church. The two black churches which were formed were Second Colored Church and the Ogeechee Baptist Church.

Two African-American ministers were ordained to serve the new churches. Reverend Henry Cunningham, a former slave, became the first pastor of Second Baptist Church, serving from 1802 to 1833. Many members who were slaves followed the example of their pastor and later purchased their freedom. After its founding, Second Colored Church continued to have a close relationship with the First Colored Church. Following the death of Andrew Bryan, the second pastor of the First Colored Church, Second Colored Church furnished, in regular succession, pastors for the First Colored or mother Church from 1812 to 1846.

Second African Baptist Church was founded in 1802 by members of the First Colored Church (now the First African Baptist Church of Savannah). In the early years of the 19th century the Savannah River Association, an organization of Baptist churches composed of one black and two white Baptist churches: the First Colored Church (black), the Newington Baptist Church and the Savannah Baptist Church, decided to strengthen the Association by organizing two additional black churches out of the membership of the First Colored Church which at the time had a membership of 850. The two black churches which were formed were Second Colored Church and the Ogeechee Baptist Church. Two hundred members were dismissed from the First Colored Church and joined with the African Americans who had been members in the white Savannah Baptist Church to constitute Second Colored Church.

Two African-American ministers were ordained to serve the new churches. Rev. Henry Cunningham, a former slave, became the first pastor of Second Colored Church and served for thirty-one years from 1802 to 1833.

The founding members of Second Colored Church were described as intelligent and industrious. Most of them worked as domestic servants or mechanics and lived in the area where the church was located. Many members who were slaves followed the example of their pastor and later purchased their freedom.

After its founding, Second Colored Church continued to have a close relationship with the First Colored Church. Following the death of Andrew Bryan, the second pastor of the First Colored Church, Second Colored Church furnished, in regular succession, pastors for the First Colored or mother church from 1812 to 1846.

The first of the pastors that went to First Colored Church from Second Colored Church was Andrew Cox Marshall in 1815. Rev. Marshall had joined Second Colored Church after he had been baptized by Rev. Cunningham.

In 1823 the First Colored Church and the Second Colored Church were renamed First African Baptist Church and Second African Baptist Church respectively by the Sunbury Association which had replaced the Savannah River Association.

The second pastor of Second African Baptist Church was Thomas Anderson. Rev. Anderson, one of the organizers of the original Second Colored Church, had been baptized by Andrew Bryan. In 1833 he was called to pastor the Third Colored Church, later renamed First Bryan Baptist Church, when it split from First African Baptist Church in that same year. Anderson pastored the newly constituted church then known as the Third African Baptist Church. After two years, in 1835, Anderson returned to Second African Baptist Church where he served until 1849.