Honoring Our Pioneers

Who was first? Edmond and Rebecca Barr are the first known Black members of the Church of God, having joined in 1909 during General Overseer AJ Tomlinson’s ministry at the Pleasant Grove Camp Meeting near Durant FL. Tomlinson credentialed both Edmond and Rebecca as evangelists on May 31. Edmond was from the Bahamas and felt a call to take the Pentecostal message to his homeland. Rebecca had been born in in Georgia, so their arrival in Nassau in November 1909 made her the first Church of God missionary. In 1911, the Barrs returned to Miami where there was a large population of Bahamians and established the first Black Church of God congregation in the United States.

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On June 3, 1912, Tomlinson ordained Edmond as the first Black bishop. Tomlinson’s journal entry the next day reveals the national struggle with racial prejudice and the evils of segregation: “Held a conference meeting yesterday to consider the question of ordaining Edmond Barr (colored) and setting the colored people off to work among themselves on account of the race prejudice in the south…. The ordination service followed and God wonderfully blest and honored the work as we ordained the colored brother.”

Ordination authorized Edmond Barr to establish churches and grant ministerial credentials. In 1915, Barr became the first Black overseer when Tomlinson appointed him over Black churches in Florida. The 1915 General Assembly minutes record, “Question was raised as to whether it would be best to appoint a state overseer for the colored people. After a few remarks it was decided best for the general overseer to appoint a colored man as state overseer over the colored people in Florida.” Barr had previously addressed the Assembly and the Minutes report, “His few minutes talk was interesting, and all enjoyed it.” The Minutes list Barr as state overseer of “Florida Col” along with seven congregations, one bishop, four deacons, and seven evangelists. The minutes also record 111 members and 100 persons attending five Sunday schools. During the next two years, the numbers increased from seven to 13 Black congregations and from 111 to 200 members.

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Dixon Pentecostal Research Center