Black Missionary Heroes

“Please tell more Black missionaries to come,” locals often said to Leslie Pelt, an African American worker serving in Nigeria with SIM International. Many of them told her she was the first Black missionary they had ever seen.¹

Today, African American believers are underrepresented on the field.

But before the Civil War, Black missionaries stood at the forefront of America’s budding missions movement. They traveled across oceans to plant churches and make disciples of Christ. White churches and mission boards sponsored many of these early messengers of the Gospel since few African American denominations existed.

The Heritage of Black Missionary Work

In 1782, former slave George Liele left Georgia where he had a fruitful ministry preaching to slaves, and he sailed to Jamaica as an indentured servant. Liele was granted his freedom after two years and began preaching to enslaved Jamaicans. He planted a church that grew to over 500 members and baptized hundreds of people. While he wasn’t sent by a church or mission board, Liele’s ministry impacted thousands.

Lott Cary served as America’s first missionary to the continent of Africa. Born into slavery in 1780, Cary grew up hearing his grandmother share about people in Africa who did not know God’s love. She planted the missionary seed in Cary’s heart, inspiring him to dream of bringing the Gospel across cultures.

Cary bought his freedom out of slavery. Then he led a team of pioneering missionaries to Liberia in 1821. From there, he envisioned launching Gospel messengers to reach other parts of the continent. Cary started schools and planted a Baptist church that continues to thrive today.

Cary bought his freedom out of slavery. Then he led a team of pioneering missionaries to Liberia.

Also in 1821, Betsey Stockton became the first single woman missionary of modern missions. A domestic slave, she took evening classes at the College of New Jersey, now Princeton University. Betsey sensed God’s call to bring the Gospel to those who had never heard it. She gained her freedom then was commissioned and sent to Hawaii as the only Black person on a team of 11. Throughout her life, she shared the love of Christ and taught thousands of students.

The Decline of Black Mission Efforts

After the Civil War, the Black mission effort briefly gained strength. The number of Blacks freed from slavery vastly expanded the pool of candidates.

But this momentum was short-lived. Several factors led to the dramatic decline in the number of Black missionaries by the beginning of the 20th century.

Independent African American churches were multiplying as Blacks left existing denominations to start their own fellowships. This revitalized Black communities. But it also cut them off from mainstream sending organizations.

The number of Blacks freed from slavery vastly multiplied the pool of missionary candidates exponentially.

During this era, the Student Volunteer Movement was mobilizing a large number of young people to serve overseas. But it recruited almost exclusively from colleges and universities—where Blacks were least likely to be found.

Cut off from mission-focused movements, seminaries, sending agencies, and denominations—and with little access to traditional sources of funding and support—the number of Black cross-cultural laborers dwindled.

At the same time, African American communities faced countless challenges, including growing hostility codified in unjust Jim Crow laws. In a heavily racialized society, African American churches turned into safe havens of community and acceptance.

God’s Call to the Nations

The Lord has never stopped calling Black men and women to go and share Jesus in places with no Gospel witness.

God’s global plan includes sending Black Christians to proclaim the Good News and make disciples among all nations. Their testimonies of faith through struggle and injustice resonate powerfully across cultures. As Black believers share the Gospel, God is drawing hearts to Christ and expanding the Kingdom.

God’s global plan includes sending Black Christians to proclaim the Good News and make disciples among all nations.

Lost people need to hear about Jesus. Let us hear their cry: “Please tell more Black missionaries to come.”

Join us in praying with audacious faith for God to raise up more Black men, women, and families to go to the least-reached places to share the Good News.

• Praise God for the rich heritage of Black missionaries and the contributions they’ve made for His Kingdom.
• Pray for men and women from Black communities to hear God calling them to go to the nations and testify to the power of His love through Jesus Christ.
• Pray that mission agencies will develop fruitful partnerships with African American churches and pursue creative initiatives to mobilize, fund, and equip more Black field workers.
• Ask God to multiply the witness of Black believers and empower their voices to bring healing, restoration, justice, and diversity to God’s global church.