Although I wasn't there when the ministers in charge of St. John Regular Baptist Association began the organization, my great-great-grandfather, Reverend Calvin Allen Sr., was. He was among reverends Jacob Fontaine, Jessie B. Shackles, John Henry Winn Sr., Buffington, and Horace Smith.

His presence that day would ensure that I would be here today sharing with you their story and how they organized one of the largest independent associations of Black people within the state of Texas following the emancipation of enslaved Africans in the U.S. The St. John Regular Baptist Association went on to have over 200,000 members in its earlier years.

In a 1904 editorial of the Austin American-Statesman, they predicted that the association and the Negro race will become extinct. It read, ‘When the shackles of slavery were thrown aside, the Negroes, yielding to licentiousness and ignorance will soon disappear.’

Well, they were terribly mistaken because the St. John Regular Baptist Association continues until this very day. Upholding the same determination as those men who sat under that large canopy of the oak tree between 25th and Leon Street that decided they would take the future into their own hands and uplift their people.

Originally featured on “TGC Q&A,” a podcast from The Gospel Coalition, “How Do We Love the Unborn and Their Mother?” focuses on how we can advocate for the unborn and their mothers, empower women with better choices, and why compassion and grace are essential in upholding the sanctity of life.

The Gospel Coalition and The Austin Stone share a deep Scripture-based love for all of life—including the unborn. Scripture tells us we’re created in God’s image, foreknown, knit together by God in our mother’s womb—fearfully and wonderfully made. From conception to the grave, all life is precious.

So, how should followers of Christ view the sanctity of life and love our neighbor and the unborn in a way that honors God’s creation? Margaret Gibson, the Director of Development at The Source Texas and leader at The Austin Stone, explores the necessity of the whole body of Christ to engage in the pro-life cause and how we are to compassionately engage in supporting the unborn and their mothers.

Halim Suh leads The Austin Stone through Matthew 17:14–20 with a message on omnipotent faith.

The current racial demographics of most Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), including Huston-Tillotson, lead some to believe that it has always been this way. That Black people founded, administered, and taught at Black schools and HBCUs. While true in some cases, it’s simply not reflective of history.

We must remember one thing, that during that time African people were considered ‘property, not people’ by the broader population. However, enslaved African people in the U.S. actively resisted this notion in demonstrative ways. This is evident in all the ways Africans and their descendants pursued higher learning and made historic contributions in all fields against all odds.

Although HT’s history, like many HBCUs in the U.S., are rooted in the agendas that discounted the interest of Black communities, Black people fought and lost their lives in the very literal sense to take control of their education and their institutions. During every phase of Historically Black Colleges and Universities’ existence, prominent men and women emerged from these institutions and went on to do great things within their communities.

Austin is no different.

We partnered with local historians and organizations to create “Know Austin, Love Austin,” a guided audio tour of racially-significant landmarks in our city. The tour highlights four locations across Austin, introducing its listeners to the historical importance of each site. Each stop includes a brief history of the landmark, remarks based on a Christ-centered perspective, and space for guided reflection and prayer.

It is our hope that this audio tour opens a door for us to see our city in a new way—that it educates us on the history of systemic racism and injustice and prompts us to be advocates for God’s justice and agents of meaningful change. We pray that this tour would arm us with the knowledge of the origins, results, and ongoing effects of injustice in our society and drive us to display the glory of the gospel in new ways.

Ross Lester leads The Austin Stone through Matthew 17:1-13 on the transfiguration.

Ross Lester, a native of South Africa, will share how we can grow in our love for the nations.

Ross Lester preaches on the sanctity of life from Psalm 139.

Halim Suh teaches on one of the ways we can be a church that loves our city—by showing the beauty of racial harmony and ethnic unity that God designed His church to exemplify.

Today, Ross Lester preaches from 1 Peter 2:9-10 on the topic, “How Can We Grow In Our Love For The Church?”