The death of Richard Smallwood, the legendary gospel composer and musician whose work reshaped Black church worship, on Dec. 30 at age 77, has prompted tributes across congregations and the music world. Best known for “Total Praise” and other modern hymns, Smallwood blended classical training with gospel tradition, leaving a lasting spiritual and musical legacy that continues to resonate across denominations and generations.
Category: Religion
Posted inReligion
AME Zion Church hosts Christian Education Department Winter Meeting in Baltimore
By AFRO Staff Nearly 2,500 participants—most of them children and youth, alongside families and adults of all ages—convened in Baltimore Dec. 26–30, 2025 for Elevate 2025: Flourish and Thrive, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion (AME Zion) Church’s Christian Education Department Winter Conference. The event took place at the Hilton in downtown Baltimore. Through outstanding worship […]
Posted inNEWS
ABC Revival calls faith leaders to renew commitment to Black progress
At a time when Black history is being censored and equity efforts reversed, ABC’s Revival became a call for spiritual renewal and civic resistance. Faith leaders reminded attendees that they were “born to carry the weight” of leadership and truth-telling.
Posted inNational News
Remembering Black leaders and icons who died in 2025
As 2025 ends, the AFRO honors the Black leaders, artists, and trailblazers who passed away this year. Their legacies shaped culture, politics and society, leaving a lasting impact on communities worldwide.
Posted inReligion
Watch Night: How Black Americans welcomed freedom with prayer
Watch Night, also known as Freedom’s Eve, is a sacred New Year’s Eve tradition in Black communities rooted in Christian worship and remembrance of Dec. 31, 1862, when enslaved and free African Americans gathered in prayer to await the Emancipation Proclamation. The tradition endures today as a blend of faith, cultural ritual and historical memory, honoring both spiritual perseverance and the long struggle for freedom.
Posted inWord In Black
7 Christmas carols with a touch of soul
Black composers and arrangers shape the Christmas repertoire, adding spirituals and gospel songs that endure across generations.
Posted inSports
Baltimore Ravens’ gift to schoolkids: Clean feet and new kicks
Baltimore Ravens stars Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, Zay Flowers and teammates humbled themselves in a rare pre-Christmas act of service, washing the feet of students at Severn Elementary School before gifting them new sneakers. Rooted in an ancient Christian tradition symbolizing humility and love, the ritual offered a powerful lesson that true greatness is shown through service to others.
Posted inReligion
Faith without screens? Churches reconsider livestream worship
As some churches move to end livestreamed worship in hopes of boosting in-person attendance and offerings, critics warn the shift risks shrinking membership and excluding congregants who are ill, disabled or unable to attend in person. Advocates of virtual worship argue livestreaming remains a vital tool for outreach, inclusion and growth in an increasingly digital age.
Posted inHealth
In churches and communities, a new model for men’s health emerges
In the absence of a federal Office of Men’s Health, faith leaders and veterans are stepping up to fill the gap. Through grassroots advocacy and personal storytelling, John Bruce and Charles Flanagain are challenging stigma, promoting early screenings and redefining community health for men across the Southeast.
Posted inReligion
A new generation of Black church leaders steps into power
Kevin Lamár Peterman, 32, has been installed as pastor of Washington, D.C.’s historic Nineteenth Street Baptist Church, signaling a broader rise of young Black clergy leading major congregations rooted in social justice. His installation reflects a national shift as millennial pastors take the reins of historic churches and adapt their ministries to a digital, turbulent era.
Posted inReligion
Young adults are waiting in line to worship at this fast-growing Atlanta church
A once-small Atlanta congregation led by Pastor Philip Anthony Mitchell has grown from fewer than 200 attendees in 2023 to about 6,000 weekly worshippers, with young adults lining up before dawn for its intense worship services and unapologetically direct preaching. Many say Mitchell’s authenticity, raw storytelling, and uncompromising calls to repentance meet a hunger for spiritual depth among young Christians seeking more than feel-good messages.
Posted inReligion
A pastor wants Black men praying together at sunrise
Amid widespread calls for spiritual renewal, Bishop Kenneth O. Robinson Jr. is urging Black men worldwide to unite in prayer at sunrise on Dec. 1. The 6 a.m. call-in gathering aims to spark revival, foster accountability, and strengthen men’s leadership in families, churches, and communities through DreamLife Worship Center.