Faith in the Free State podcast: Episode 5: A Conversation with Dr. Dorthy Pennington (Recorded Live)
Faith in the Free State podcast: Episode 5: A Conversation with Dr. Dorthy Pennington (Recorded Live)
This live interview with Dr. Dorthy Pennington, the Religion in Kansas: Faith in the Free State project Humanities Consultant, was recorded in June 2022 and broadcast on Zoom. During her hour and a half interview, Dr. Pennington answers questions, performs traditional African American religious music, and shows the audience original folk paintings and prints that tell the story of what church means to the African American Community. The artwork is from the genre untitled fork art. Its cultural geographical resonance is southern rural traditional African American (historical). The interview is available both as an audio-only podcast or full video recording on the Religion in Kansas Project website.
This project is funded by the second of two grants from Humanities Kansas for the Religion in Kansas Project. Humanities Kansas is a nonprofit cultural organization connecting communities with history, traditions, and ideas to strengthen civic life. Additionally, the project is supported by the Friends of the Department of Religious Studies (or FODORS), and the Department would like to thank the Board members, along with our generous donors, for their unwavering support.
The Religion in Kansas Project is an open access digital archive that creates and curates online collections of oral histories, digitized ephemera, and digital exhibitions relating to religious experience and diversity in Kansas. Faith in the Free State, a limited-series podcast, will explore the faith and activism of Black Churches in the northeast Kansas region and investigates how Black Churches have served as a place of fortitude in communities. The podcast endeavors to share the evolving ways in which black churches provide spiritual inspiration, cultural strength, and social empowerment to African American communities, offering a compelling living narrative of Kansas religious experience. The podcast aims to focus on how Black Churches in the northeast Kansas area have responded to COVID-19 as well as social justice issues in the past and present. Black churches tell a rich story about identity, faith, community, and the American experience. Communicating Black Churches’ affirmation of cultural survival and dedication to justice contributes to a greater story of American religious experience, sharing a story that is uniquely Kansan and truly American. The podcast brings community and scholarly voices together to offer nuanced narratives about the challenges faced by and the strengths found within black churches today in the Northeast Kansas region.
For more Information:
Pennington, Dorthy. The Histories and Cultural Roles of Black Churches in Lawrence, KS. University of Kansas, 1982.
Faith in the Free State Podcast: Episode 4: Pastor Arsenial Runion
Faith in the Free State Podcast: Episode 4: Pastor Arsenial Runion
As a healthcare professional, Pastor Runion has been concerned about Covid-19. As a pastor, Pastor Runion has been concerned about what he can do to alleviate pandemic related issues in his church and community. Emily and Grace met with Pastor Runion over Zoom, along with Darby Breaux-Vickers, Dr. Dorthy Pennington and Dr. Michael Zogry, in order to understand how Pastor Runion and his church, First Regular Missionary Baptist Church in Lawrence has been responding to the challenges brought forth by the pandemic and social change. First Regular Missionary Baptist Church is the oldest congregation interviewed for this project at nearly 150 years old. Comments regarding Covid-19 reflects circumstances at the time of recording and may have changed.
This project is funded by the second of two grants from Humanities Kansas for the Religion in Kansas Project. Humanities Kansas is a nonprofit cultural organization connecting communities with history, traditions, and ideas to strengthen civic life. Additionally, the project is supported by the Friends of the Department of Religious Studies (or FODORS), and the Department would like to thank the Board members, along with our generous donors, for their unwavering support.
The Religion in Kansas Project is an open access digital archive that creates and curates' online collections of oral histories, digitized ephemera, and digital exhibitions relating to religious experience and diversity in Kansas. Faith in the Free State, a limited-series podcast, will explore the faith and activism of Black Churches in the northeast Kansas region and investigates how Black Churches have served as a place of fortitude in communities. The podcast endeavors to share the evolving ways in which black churches provide spiritual inspiration, cultural strength, and social empowerment to African American communities, offering a compelling living narrative of Kansas religious experience. The podcast aims to focus on how Black Churches in the northeast Kansas area have responded to COVID-19 as well as social justice issues in the past and present. Black churches tell a rich story about identity, faith, community, and the American experience. Communicating Black Churches’ affirmation of cultural survival and dedication to justice contributes to a greater story of American religious experience, sharing a story that is uniquely Kansan and truly American. The podcast brings community and scholarly voices together to offer nuanced narratives about the challenges faced by and the strengths found within black churches today in the Northeast Kansas region.
More information about First Regular Missionary Baptist Church can be found at:
https://www.facebook.com/FRMBC/
Faith in the Free State Podcast: Episode 3: Pastor Leo Barbee
Faith in the Free State Podcast: Episode 3: Pastor Leo Barbee
For the second interview in this series, Emily and Grace (along with Darby Breaux-Vickers and Dr. Michael Zogry) lead an interview with Pastor Leo Barbee Jr. of Victory Bible Church in Lawrence. Pastor Barbee gives his insight to modern issues as a man with a great deal of experience both in a church setting and in changing social climates. Comments regarding Covid-19 reflects circumstances at the time of recording and may have changed.
This project is funded by the second of two grants from Humanities Kansas for the Religion in Kansas Project. Humanities Kansas is a nonprofit cultural organization connecting communities with history, traditions, and ideas to strengthen civic life. Additionally, the project is supported by the Friends of the Department of Religious Studies (or FODORS), and the Department would like to thank the Board members, along with our generous donors, for their unwavering support.
The Religion in Kansas Project is an open access digital archive that creates and curates' online collections of oral histories, digitized ephemera, and digital exhibitions relating to religious experience and diversity in Kansas. Faith in the Free State, a limited-series podcast, will explore the faith and activism of Black Churches in the northeast Kansas region and investigates how Black Churches have served as a place of fortitude in communities. The podcast endeavors to share the evolving ways in which black churches provide spiritual inspiration, cultural strength, and social empowerment to African American communities, offering a compelling living narrative of Kansas religious experience. The podcast aims to focus on how Black Churches in the northeast Kansas area have responded to COVID-19 as well as social justice issues in the past and present. Black churches tell a rich story about identity, faith, community, and the American experience. Communicating Black Churches’ affirmation of cultural survival and dedication to justice contributes to a greater story of American religious experience, sharing a story that is uniquely Kansan and truly American. The podcast brings community and scholarly voices together to offer nuanced narratives about the challenges faced by and the strengths found within black churches today in the Northeast Kansas region.
For more information about the church, please refer to this website:
http://victorybiblechurchlawrence.com/about_us.htm
Faith in the Free State Podcast: Episode 2: Pastor Delmar White
Faith in the Free State Podcast: Episode 2: Pastor Delmar White
The interns Emily and Grace, along with Darby Breaux-Vickers, Dr. Dorthy Pennington, and Dr. Michael Zogry, discuss New Mount Zion Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, with senior pastor Reverend Delmar White over a Zoom conversation. Topics of conversation include church outreach in Topeka, the impact of Covid-19 in the church, and member’s responses to a changing world. This interview was recorded in fall 2021 and is the first official interview done for the Religion in Kansas: Faith in the Free State project. Information regarding Covid-19 reflects circumstances at the time of recording and may have changed.
This project is funded by the second of two grants from Humanities Kansas for the Religion in Kansas Project. Humanities Kansas is a nonprofit cultural organization connecting communities with history, traditions, and ideas to strengthen civic life. Additionally, the project is supported by the Friends of the Department of Religious Studies (or FODORS), and the Department would like to thank the Board members, along with our generous donors, for their unwavering support.
The Religion in Kansas Project is an open access digital archive that creates and curates' online collections of oral histories, digitized ephemera, and digital exhibitions relating to religious experience and diversity in Kansas. Faith in the Free State, a limited-series podcast, will explore the faith and activism of Black Churches in the northeast Kansas region and investigates how Black Churches have served as a place of fortitude in communities. The podcast endeavors to share the evolving ways in which black churches provide spiritual inspiration, cultural strength, and social empowerment to African American communities, offering a compelling living narrative of Kansas religious experience. The podcast aims to focus on how Black Churches in the northeast Kansas area have responded to COVID-19 as well as social justice issues in the past and present. Black churches tell a rich story about identity, faith, community, and the American experience. Communicating Black Churches’ affirmation of cultural survival and dedication to justice contributes to a greater story of American religious experience, sharing a story that is uniquely Kansan and truly American. The podcast brings community and scholarly voices together to offer nuanced narratives about the challenges faced by and the strengths found within black churches today in the Northeast Kansas region.
More information about New Mount Zion Baptist Church can be found at:
http://www.nmzmbc.com/mobilehome.html
https://www.facebook.com/NewMountZion/
Faith in the Free State Podcast: Episode 1: Introduction
Faith in the Free State Podcast: Episode 1: Introduction
Using Dr. Dorthy Pennington’s 1982 work on churches in the area, this introductory episode provides a brief description of each church in the area. Dr. Pennington, the humanities consultant for the project, has been studying the African American churches in Kansas for many years and has graciously shared her knowledge with our interns, Emily and Grace. African American churches in Lawrence have a history that goes back to the Civil War. Emily and Grace take a dive into the history of nearly every African American church that has been active in Lawrence in the recent past.
This project is funded by the second of two grants from Humanities Kansas for the Religion in Kansas Project. Humanities Kansas is a nonprofit cultural organization connecting communities with history, traditions, and ideas to strengthen civic life. Additionally, the project is supported by the Friends of the Department of Religious Studies (or FODORS), and the Department of Religious Studies would like to thank the Board members, along with our generous donors, for their unwavering support.
The Religion in Kansas Project is an open access digital archive that creates and curates' online collections of oral histories, digitized ephemera, and digital exhibitions relating to religious experience and diversity in Kansas. Faith in the Free State, a limited-series podcast, will explore the faith and activism of Black Churches in the northeast Kansas region and investigates how Black Churches have served as a place of fortitude in communities. The podcast endeavors to share the evolving ways in which black churches provide spiritual inspiration, cultural strength, and social empowerment to African American communities, offering a compelling living narrative of Kansas religious experience. The podcast aims to focus on how Black Churches in the northeast Kansas area have responded to COVID-19 as well as social justice issues in the past and present. Black churches tell a rich story about identity, faith, community, and the American experience. Communicating Black Churches’ affirmation of cultural survival and dedication to justice contributes to a greater story of American religious experience, sharing a story that is uniquely Kansan and truly American. The podcast brings community and scholarly voices together to offer nuanced narratives about the challenges faced by and the strengths found within black churches today in the Northeast Kansas region.
For further reading of the churches mentioned in this episode, please refer to:
Baker, Jim. “City Churches Trace Roots to Pioneer Days.” LJWorld.com, Lawrence Journal-World: News, Information, Headlines and Events in Lawrence, Kansas, 19 Sept. 2004.
Carr, Margie. “150-Year-Old Church Integral to City's History.” LJWorld.com, Lawrence Journal-World: News, Information, Headlines and Events in Lawrence, Kansas, 3 Mar. 2013.
Fowler, Paul E. “Athens of the West: African American Associational Life in Lawrence, Kansas, 1861-1948.” University of Kansas African and African American Studies Program, 31 Aug. 2016.
Michaelis, Patricia A. “Lawrence in Perspective: Just over the River.” Lawrence Business Magazine.
Pennington, Dorthy. The Histories and Cultural Roles of Black Churches in Lawrence, KS. University of Kansas, 1982.
Shepherd, Sara. “History Alone Not Enough to Sustain Two AME Churches.” LJWorld.com, Lawrence Journal-World: News, Information, Headlines and Events in Lawrence, Kansas, 22 Feb. 2014.
Photograph of Lane University Building
Lane University -- Kansas
Territorial Capital Museum -- Kansas
Lecompton -- Kansas
Lane University, built on the foundation of the territorial capital in Lecompton, Kansas. Now used as the Territorial Capital Museum. On NRHP.
2009
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Drawing of Blue Mont Central College
Blue Mont Central College -- Kansas
Manhattan -- Kansas
Kansas State University
Methodist Church -- Kansas
Drawing of Blue Mont Central College, 1891
The Hall & O'Donald Litho Co.
College Symposium of the Kansas State Agricultural College
1891
This media file is in the public domain in the United States. This applies to U.S. works where the copyright has expired, often because its first publication occurred prior to January 1, 1926, and if not then due to lack of notice or renewal. See this page for further explanation.
Bird's eye view of Baker University in Baldwin, Kansas 1909
Baldwin -- Kansas
Baker University -- Kansas
Methodist Church -- Education
This is a postcard with a bird's eye view of Baker University in Baldwin, Kansas. The postcard was addressed to Miss Laura Wolverton in Batavia, Illinois.
KSHS
KSHS
1909
Postcard
1906 photograph of Shawnee Methodist mission
Methodist Episcopal Church--Missions
Methodist Church--Kansas
Indians of North America--Missions
Shawnee Methodist mission: Home of missionary and teachers at Shawnee Mission. Erected in 1839; picture from 1906. From “The Methodist Missions among the Indian tribes in Kansas” Topeka, 1906
John Lutz
Library of Congress
1906
John Lutz
The books in this collection are in the public domain and are free to use and reuse.
Reprint of photograph
E78.K16 L9
Drawing of Shawnee Indian Church from “The Methodist Missions among the Indian tribes in Kansas” Topeka, 1906
Methodist Episcopal Church -- Missions
Methodist Church -- Kansas
Indians of North America -- Missions
Drawing of original Shawnee Indian Church; from a drawing made from a description furnished by Rev. L. B. Stateler, who was missionary to the Shawnee tribe, and erected it in 1840-41. It was sometimes used as a council-house.
Rev. L.B. Stateler
John Lutz
Library of Congress
1906
John Lutz
Rev. L.B. Stateler
The books in this collection are in the public domain and are free to use and reuse.