At this point, it would be helpful to explain my usage of certain terms. I use the term African American to refer to the African diaspora community in the United States and the term Africana to denote Africans in various global contexts. The phrase black church is used in theological circles to describe many different aspects of Africana worship life; however, I am specifically referring to a dynamic religious entity forged in oppression and sustained by practices that were often covert and intuitive.
