Spruce Street Baptist Church, Nashville’s oldest African American church, will celebrate the work of its Women’s Ministry in May with events designed to inspire spiritual growth and empower believers through education and fellowship. This year’s theme is ‘Christian Women Walking by Faith, Not Fear’ inspired by 2 Timothy 1:7.

Spruce Street’s Women’s Celebration will feature a Prayer Breakfast on May 19 at 9 am, with guest speaker Min. Carla Foster of Corona First Baptist Church in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. On May 20 at 11 am, the women will host a powerful worship service during which Elder Catina L. Parrish of Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Nashville will deliver the message. All events are free and open to the public and will take place at Spruce Street Baptist Church, located at 504 Spruce Street.

“We are looking forward to a dynamic celebration as our Women’s Ministry provides outreach in the Nashville community and beyond, said Rev. Raymond Bowman, senior pastor. “We give thanks to God for the good works our Women’s Ministry is doing to serve others in the name of our Lord and Savior.”
In addition, Spruce Street women will collect and donate toiletries and other feminine products to support a local charity assisting abused and displaced women. Donations will be accepted throughout the month of May.

For more information on Spruce Street Baptist Church’s 2016 Women’s Celebration activities, call 615-329-4105.

Spruce Street Baptist Church, known as the ‘Mother Church’ of African American churches in Nashville, originally began as the First Colored Baptist Church in 1841 when the congregation at First Baptist Church at 7th and Broad permitted its Negro members to hold a separate meeting under the superintendence of a Standing Committee on Negro Problems.

Formally, this congregation would remain a mission of the White church until the end of the War Between the States. In September 1865, the First Baptist Church of Nashville agreed to the ecclesiastical separation rendered necessary by the war. By 1873, the members of the First Colored Baptist Church had grown to approximately 3,000 members.

The church was incorporated as Spruce Street Baptist Church in 1895 and has been served by some of the greatest preachers, theologians, scholars, orators, and financiers and has developed laymen and laywomen who have held outstanding positions throughout America.