Side A: In 1834, ministers gathered at Providence Church in Berlin Crossroads and organized the Providence Anti-Slavery Baptist Association; believed to be both the first African American Baptist Association in Ohio and among the earliest in the country. The Association’s name boldly reflected its stance: opposition to slavery and a commitment to freedom. Several affiliated churches and their members were known Underground Railroad safe houses and conductors. Providence Association grew to include member churches across Ohio—including Athens, Bidwell, Beaver, Blackfork, Burlington, Gallipolis, Glouster, Ironton, Middleport, Nelsonville, Rutland—as well as congregations in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Michigan.
Side B: Following the abolition of slavery, the Providence Anti-Slavery Baptist Association changed its name to the Providence Regular Missionary Baptist Association. Recognized as the oldest continuously operating Black Baptist association in the nation, the Association continues to carry her torch of faith, freedom, justice, and education of God’s Word. Notable leaders of Providence Association over the past 191 years include: Elders Robertson Townsend and James B. Stewart; Reverends I.V. Bryant, J.M. Riddle, J. H. Rickman, William Cradic, O.P. Wright, A.G. Freeman, L.V. Gause, and Douglas C. Carter; and, Women’s Auxiliary officers Bernice Payne Borden, and Barbara Scott.
Sponsors: William G. Pomeroy Foundation, Providence Regular Missionary Baptist Association, African American Baptist Cemetery, Ohio History Connection
