To William H. Rhoades
Author: King, Martin Luther, Jr.
Date: January 26, 1962
Location: Atlanta, Ga.?
Genre: Letter
Topic: Martin Luther King, Jr. - Career in Ministry
Details
King writes the executive secretary of the American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS) regarding Ebenezer’s and Ralph Abernathy’s West Hunter Baptist Church’s votes to join the predominantly white American Baptist Convention (ABC).1 In his response to King, Rhoades indicated that he was “greatly pleased” by Ebenezer’s vote to join the convention and that he hoped the new association “will prove to be a source of fellowship and strength to the church.”2 The churches were voted in during the ABC’s annual convention in May.3
Dr. William H. Rhodes
164 Fifth Avenue
New York 10, New York
Dear Dr. Rhodes:
In our annual church meeting a few weeks ago, the members unanimously voted to have our church affiliate with the American Baptist Convention. This decision was made because of our awareness of the great work that your Convention is doing for Kingdom building, and our strong conviction concerning an integrated church. Although our congregation is predominantly Negro, (we have only two white members), we have never been a segregating church. I am sure that our association with the American Baptist Convention could strengthen immeasurably our position on this issue.4 I should also mention that the West Hunter Baptist Church of this city, pastored by The Rev. Ralph D. Abernathy, formerly of Montgomery, Alabama, also voted to join the American Baptist Convention.
We would appreciate your apprising us of the necessary procedures to become affiliated with the American Baptist Convention. If it is possible to have Mr. Hansen to come down and talk with our official boards, I am sure that this would be most helpful.5
Thank you very kindly for your cooperation.
Very sincerely yours,
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Km
1. King had previously expressed interest in joining the convention before his 1959 trip to India (King to Reuben E. Nelson, 23 March 1959, in Papers 5:157–158). Despite joining the ABC, King maintained that Ebenezer would also remain affiliated with the National Baptist Convention (NBC). In 1845 the issue of slavery divided the American Baptist Home Mission Society into separate northern and southern conventions. The northern Baptists, later renamed the American Baptist Convention in 1950, had a progressive approach to dealing with civil rights and interracial relations. From 1950 to 1966, the American Baptist Convention adopted a yearly resolution regarding race relations, and in 1963, the organization passed a resolution pledging the Convention’s support for King and Abernathy’s efforts to maintain a nonviolent movement (Baptist Press, “Detroit Convention Condemns Race Bias,” 24 May 1963). William Hosler Rhoades (1900–1970) graduated from Denison University with a bachelor’s degree and the University of Toledo with a master’s degree before passing the Ohio bar in 1927. During World War II, he was decorated by the Chinese Nationalist Party for his service in the United States Army Air Force. He became treasurer of the ABHMS in 1947 and served as executive secretary from 1957–1968.
2. Rhoades to King, 31 January 1962.
3. The acceptance of the two congregations was announced shortly before King addressed the convention in Philadelphia (“Many Arming in South King Warns Baptists,” Philadelphia Afro-American, 2 June 1962; King, “The Mission to the Social Frontiers,” 24 May 1962).
4. The ABC passed a resolution during its 1957 convention agreeing that “membership in each Baptist church shall be open to all people of its community regardless of their race or national origin” (Year Book of the American Baptist Convention, 1957, p. 95). The following year, the ABC issued an “Affirmation of Welcome” reiterating the convention’s commitment to accepting Baptist organizations regardless of race or cultural background (ABC, “Affirmation of Welcome,” 14 March 1958). In 1960 they also passed a resolution supporting the sit-ins, calling for others “to bear witness to their concern in creative techniques” (Year Book of the American Baptist Convention, 1960, p. 68). In September 1961 the ABC and SCLC partnered to give scholarships to college students involved in the civil rights movement. For more on the scholarship, see note 1, King to Ruby Doris Smith Robinson, 6 September 1961, p. 269 in this volume.
5. King refers to Clifford G. Hansen, the General Missionary for the South of the ABHMS. Hansen planned to meet with King in February. King, however, canceled the appointment because he was due to appear in court in Albany, Georgia (Hansen to King, 1 February 1962; King to J. Timothy Boddie, 26 February 1962).
Source: MLKJP-GAMK, Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers (Series I–IV), Martin Luther King, Jr., Center for Nonviolent Social Change, Inc., Atlanta, Ga.