Right here stands Savannah Primitive Baptist Church a testament to a unique chapter in Baptist history. The Primitive Baptists emerged in the early 1800s. This was a response to growing missionary efforts within the Baptist Church. They embraced a more conservative theology.
Now imagine those early days. Many Baptist congregations began forming mission societies. This was inspired by the revivals of the Second Great Awakening. However some conservative Baptists disagreed with missionary work. They saw it as contradicting the Calvinist doctrine of predestination. Predestination is the belief that God has already chosen who will receive salvation. They felt human efforts could not influence divine election.
Savannah Primitive Baptist Church’s founders were also troubled by seminaries and Sunday schools. They thought these “man-made” agencies had no place in the apostolic churches. They believed these institutions weren’t mentioned in the Bible. Thus they should have no place in the modern church.
Opposition to these institutions began as early as 1819 in Georgia. The Piedmont Association resolved to have “nothing to do with missionaries.” In 1829 the first schism occurred in the Hephzibah Association. The antimission churches withdrew and formed the Canoochee Association.
By 1836 most Baptist associations in Georgia divided over the antimission controversy. This event was known as the “big split.” By 1848 almost all Baptist bodies in the state aligned themselves with one side or the other. The Primitive Baptist publication gave its name to the movement. It reflected the antimission Baptists’ desire to preserve the original Baptistry of apostolic times.
The Primitives disagreed with the deemphasis of divine sovereignty. They also disagreed with the overreliance on money and church bureaucracy. They questioned the validity of human efforts toward salvation. Later Primitive Baptists underwent further divisions. These divisions were over issues like preaching to the unconverted. They also argued over limited versus absolute predestination. Other issues included the validity of outsider baptism, divorce, and secret societies. The use of instrumental music in worship was another point of contention.
After the Civil War African American Baptists in Georgia left white-dominated congregations. They established many Primitive Baptist churches of their own. Most Primitive Baptists maintain a strong adherence to predestinarian theology. Yet they do not label themselves as Calvinists.
Other tenets of Primitive Baptists include strict church discipline. They also practice bivocational, unsalaried ministry. Many churches provide some financial support to their pastors. Others support full-time ministers. Preaching is primarily extemporaneous. Meetinghouses are simple. Newer church buildings often feature modern amenities. They also practice feet washing. The congregational singing is an a cappella style. The singing style often relates closely to the shape-note singing tradition. It is exemplified in the Sacred Harp. Savannah Primitive Baptist Church stands as a reminder of this unique history. It reflects a commitment to tradition and a distinct theological perspective.