▁belief ▁systems ▁and ▁typically ▁denied ▁free ▁religious ▁practice , ▁forced ▁to ▁become ▁Christian . ▁S la ves ▁managed , ▁however , ▁to ▁hang ▁on ▁to ▁some ▁practices ▁by ▁integr ating ▁them ▁into ▁Christian ▁worship ▁in ▁secret ▁meet ings . ▁These ▁practices , ▁including ▁dance , ▁sh outs , ▁African ▁rh yth ms , ▁and ▁enthus i astic ▁singing , ▁remain ▁a ▁large ▁part ▁of ▁worship ▁in ▁the ▁African - American ▁church . ▁ ▁African - American ▁churches ▁taught ▁that ▁all ▁people ▁were ▁equal ▁in ▁God ' s ▁eyes ▁and ▁viewed ▁the ▁doctrine ▁of ▁ob ed ience ▁to ▁one ' s ▁master ▁taught ▁in ▁white ▁churches ▁as ▁hyp oc rit ical ▁– ▁yet ▁accepted ▁and ▁propag ated ▁internal ▁hier arch ies ▁and ▁support ▁for ▁corpor al ▁pun ishment ▁of ▁children ▁among ▁other ▁things . ▁Instead ▁the ▁African - American ▁church ▁focused ▁on ▁the ▁message ▁of ▁equality ▁and ▁hopes ▁for ▁a ▁better ▁future . ▁Before ▁and ▁after ▁em an cip ation , ▁ra cial ▁seg reg ation ▁in ▁America ▁prompt ed ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁organized ▁African - American ▁denomin ations . ▁The ▁first ▁of ▁these ▁was ▁the ▁A ME ▁Church ▁founded ▁by ▁Richard ▁Allen ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 7 . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁Civil ▁War ▁the ▁mer ger ▁of ▁three ▁smaller ▁Bapt ist ▁groups ▁formed ▁the ▁National ▁Bapt ist ▁Convention . ▁ ▁This ▁organization ▁is ▁the ▁largest ▁African - American ▁Christian ▁Den om ination ▁and ▁the ▁second ▁largest ▁Bapt ist ▁den om ination ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁An ▁African - American ▁church ▁is