• Latest
  • Trending
Charles Albert Tindley

Unsung Gospel Music Pioneer: the Rev. Charles Albert Tindley (Remember)

February 6, 2021
A woman pours gasoline on the porch of martin luther king jr's childhood home in this videograb

Video: Woman Tries to Burn Down Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birth Home in Atlanta

December 8, 2023
North Korea

Hundreds of North Koreans Who ‘Vanished’ After Being Deported From China Likely Face Torture in Prison

December 8, 2023
Jesus, played by Jonathan Roumie, delivers His Sermon on the Mount to a crowd of thousands in The Chosen

‘Chosen’ Director to Advise New Faith-Based Studio Formed by ‘Jesus Revolution’ Director and Ex-Netflix Exec

December 8, 2023
Vivian Mabuni speaks at Denver Seminary's May 2023 commencement

Vivian Mabuni Tells How Decades-Long Seminary Journey Inspired New Women’s Leadership Endeavor

December 7, 2023
bishop michael curry

Bishop Michael Curry Recovering Post-Surgery for Brain Bleed Due to a Fall

December 5, 2023
Daddy Yankee said 'Jesus is in me' at his farewell concert

‘Jesus Lives in Me’ — Top Latin Artist Daddy Yankee Declares Faith in Christ at Farewell Concert

December 4, 2023
Tony Lowden, Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter's personal pastor, delivered the former first lady eulogy at her funeral on November 29, 2024.

Watch: Tony Lowden, Pastor to Rosalynn Carter and Jimmy Carter, Delivers Former First Lady’s Eulogy

December 1, 2023
aaron dean charged with murder

Zion Carr: Boy Who Witnessed Cop Kill His Aunt Awarded $3.5M Settlement

November 30, 2023
Botham Shem Jean

Sister of Botham Jean — Killed in Home by Off-Duty Cop — Shares Struggles With Forgiveness, Justice in New Book

November 25, 2023
Sandra Maria Van Opstal

‘The Next Worship’ Author Sandra Van Opstal Undergoes Multiple Surgeries to Fight Rare Infection

November 25, 2023
Bishop Carlton Pearson passed away. Carlton Pearson died Sunday, November 19, 2023

Bishop Carlton Pearson, Once Celebrated Pentecostal Preacher, Dies After Brief Battle With Cancer

November 20, 2023
palestinian farmer

‘These Are Biblical Lands Promised to Us,’ Say Jewish Settlers in West Bank Amid Gaza Conflict

November 18, 2023
Faithfully Magazine
  • Members
    • Log In
    • Member Home
    • See All Members
    • What’s New
    • Start or Join a Group
    • Your Freebies
Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
  • About
    • Advertise
    • Submit Content
    • Join the Team
    • Contact Us
    • Give Via PayPal
  • Exclusives
  • Q&As
  • Specials
  • NJ News
  • Listen & Watch
  • Shop
    • Faith Heroes Bookmarks
    • Clothing
    • eBooks
  • Events
    • Community Events
    • FM Live Q&As
  • Resources
    • Black Christian Content
  • Newsletter
Cart / $0.00

No products in the cart.

  • About
    • Advertise
    • Submit Content
    • Join the Team
    • Contact Us
    • Give Via PayPal
  • Exclusives
  • Q&As
  • Specials
  • NJ News
  • Listen & Watch
  • Shop
    • Faith Heroes Bookmarks
    • Clothing
    • eBooks
  • Events
    • Community Events
    • FM Live Q&As
  • Resources
    • Black Christian Content
  • Newsletter
No Result
View All Result
Faithfully Magazine
Home Remember

Unsung Gospel Music Pioneer: the Rev. Charles Albert Tindley (Remember)

FM Editors by FM Editors
February 6, 2021
in Remember
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Charles Albert Tindley

Charles Albert Tindley. (Photo: Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection, Temple University Libraries, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

114
SHARES
ShareTweetPin It

By Carole Boston Weatherford

Before Thomas Dorsey wrote “Take My Hand (Precious Lord)” or Martin Luther King Jr. was even born, Charles Albert Tindley, the so-called “Prince of Preachers,” laid the groundwork for gospel music and a social gospel.

If Dorsey was the father of gospel music, then Tindley was the rightful grandfather. One-time bluesman Dorsey turned to religious music in 1932 after losing his wife and son in childbirth and hearing Tindley’s hymns at a Philadelphia convention.

By then, Tindley—a prominent local minister—had already composed dozens of gospel hymns expressing contemporary strivings and struggles. “When the storms of life are raging, stand by me…”

RelatedArticles

Rev. Dr. William Hiram Bentley

Black Evangelicalism and the Reforming Influence of William H. Bentley

April 14, 2022
Marie Bassili Assaad and Mother Irene

Knitting Together the Community of Love: Lessons From Marie Bassili Assaad and Mother Irene

January 10, 2022

In a life that spanned slavery and the Great Depression, Tindley saw his share of storms. During slavery times, he was born free to an enslaved man and his free wife in 1851. Young Charles lost his mother when he was barely two and by age seven was hired out to live and work.

He worked long hours in the fields and had no opportunity to go to school. But the spirituals he heard as he worked made him yearn to read the gospel for himself. Late at night, Tindley taught himself to read from scraps of newspapers.

Eventually he felt drawn to worship. Tindley arrived at church barefoot in a wrinkled shirt.

Embarrassed, he wanted to hide. But when the minister summoned children who could read, Tindley walked down the aisle. The mostly White congregation hissed and jeered—until he read Scripture. Then, they applauded.

Tindley was more determined than ever to learn all he could. After working all day, he walked seven miles for lessons from a schoolteacher. By age seventeen, he could read and write.

And he was married. In Philadelphia with a wife and family, he worked as a bricklayers’ helper and bought every book he could. To become a minister, he took courses by mail, at a Hebrew synagogue and with tutors.

charles tindley grave
Charles Albert Tindley’s gravestone at Eden Cemetery in Collingdale, Pennsylvania. (Photo: Dwkaminski, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

In 1901, Tindley began composing hymns that blended faith and everyday experience. Among his most popular songs are: “We’ll Understand It Better By and By,” “Leave It There,” “The Storm Is Passing Over,” and “I’ll Overcome Someday,” a forerunner to the civil rights anthem, “We Shall Overcome.”

I’ll overcome some day,
I’ll overcome some day,
If in my heart I do not yield,
I’ll overcome some day.

Tindley overcame educational and economic obstacles to become minister of the Philadelphia church where he had once been janitor. During the Great Migration, he punctuated booming sermons with song. And Calvary Methodist Episcopal Church’s integrated congregation grew from 130 to 10,000, rivaling today’s megachurches.

The church’s Depression-era ministries included book clubs, music lessons, and homeownership initiatives as well as a soup kitchen and a clothing ministry that still serve the community today. To accommodate Tindley’s growing flock, a new church was built in 1924.

Tindley’s hymn, “A Better Day Is Coming,“ reflects his social conscience.

No more shall lords and rulers their helpless victims press,
And bar the door against the poor and leave them in distress

When Tindley died in 1933, he left a rich musical legacy—thirty-some hymns now deemed gospel standards. And the church he pastored was renamed Tindley Temple in his honor.


Carole Boston Weatherford, is the author of more than 50 books. Among those on spiritual topics are Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom, The Beatitudes: From Slavery to Civil Rights and By and By: Charles Albert Tindley, The Father of Gospel Music. Her latest release is R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin, The Queen of Soul. A professor at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina, Weatherford has written for the Christian Science Monitor, National Public Radio, The Horn Book and elsewhere. Find her online at: cbweatherford.com.

Leave your vote

0 Points
Upvote Downvote

Browse and manage your votes from your Member Profile Page


Share This Post

Share via

Share This Post

  • Digg
  • Tumblr
  • Flipboard
  • SMS
More
  • Report
Advertisement
Ancestry US
114
SHARES
ShareTweetPin It
FM Editors

FM Editors

Faithfully Magazine is a fresh, bold and exciting news and culture publication that covers issues, conversations and events impacting Christian communities of color.

More Articles

Pastor Joseph A DeLaine
Remember

Rev. Joseph A. DeLaine: An Unsung Hero of the Civil Rights Movement (Remember)

April 1, 2020
The Ku Klux Klan and the Value of Shame
Features

Protestantism’s Troubling History With White Supremacy in the US

July 28, 2020
Charleszetta Waddles
Features

Prosperity Meets the Poor: the Mission of Charleszetta ‘Mother’ Waddles in Urban America

October 8, 2020

Discussion about this post

Upcoming Events

Dec 13
6:30 pm - 7:30 pm EST

Event: ‘Framing the News: Can Humanities Build Audience Engagement?’

View Calendar

Trending

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Vivian Mabuni speaks at Denver Seminary's May 2023 commencement

Vivian Mabuni Tells How Decades-Long Seminary Journey Inspired New Women’s Leadership Endeavor

December 7, 2023
Tony Evans and Carla Crummie engaged to be married

Dr. Tony Evans Engaged to Former Pastor’s Wife and Widow Four Years After Lois Evans’ Death

September 12, 2023
A woman pours gasoline on the porch of martin luther king jr's childhood home in this videograb

Video: Woman Tries to Burn Down Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birth Home in Atlanta

December 8, 2023
international church of las vegas faithfully magazine

6 Largest Churches in Las Vegas

January 15, 2020
Bishop Carlton Pearson passed away. Carlton Pearson died Sunday, November 19, 2023

Bishop Carlton Pearson, Once Celebrated Pentecostal Preacher, Dies After Brief Battle With Cancer

November 20, 2023
Christian Cultural Center

5 Largest Churches in New York City

May 29, 2018
A woman pours gasoline on the porch of martin luther king jr's childhood home in this videograb

Video: Woman Tries to Burn Down Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birth Home in Atlanta

December 8, 2023
North Korea

Hundreds of North Koreans Who ‘Vanished’ After Being Deported From China Likely Face Torture in Prison

December 8, 2023
Jesus, played by Jonathan Roumie, delivers His Sermon on the Mount to a crowd of thousands in The Chosen

‘Chosen’ Director to Advise New Faith-Based Studio Formed by ‘Jesus Revolution’ Director and Ex-Netflix Exec

December 8, 2023
Vivian Mabuni speaks at Denver Seminary's May 2023 commencement

Vivian Mabuni Tells How Decades-Long Seminary Journey Inspired New Women’s Leadership Endeavor

December 7, 2023
bishop michael curry

Bishop Michael Curry Recovering Post-Surgery for Brain Bleed Due to a Fall

December 5, 2023
Daddy Yankee said 'Jesus is in me' at his farewell concert

‘Jesus Lives in Me’ — Top Latin Artist Daddy Yankee Declares Faith in Christ at Farewell Concert

December 4, 2023

Most Shared Articles

  • ‘The Next Worship’ Author Sandra Van Opstal Undergoes Multiple Surgeries to Fight Rare I...
  • Bishop Carlton Pearson, Once Celebrated Pentecostal Preacher, Dies After Brief Battle With Cancer...
  • Vivian Mabuni Tells How Decades-Long Seminary Journey Inspired New Women’s Leadership Endeavor...
  • Victory Chapel Outreach Director Hans Schmidt Shot in Head While Evangelizing Near Church...
  • Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Outspoken Atheist and ‘Muslim Apostate,’ Says She Is ‘Now a Chris...

From The Archive

Greg LaFollette Faithfully Magazine
Q&As

Interview: Greg LaFollette Talks Music for the Church and Spiritual Formation

by Timothy I. Cho
April 14, 2020
pastor eric mason faithfully magazine interview
Books

Interview: Eric Mason on Dangers of a ‘Narrow Gospel’ and Knowing Church History

by Timothy I. Cho
February 7, 2019
Ruven Meulenberg, 32, faces charges of lewd and lascivious acts on a child. He was a longtime ministry volunteer at Saddleback Church in California, where the alleged crimes against teen boys took place.
Crime

Saddleback Church Arrest for Sex Abuse Leaves Leaders ‘Shocked and Grieved’

by FM Editors
May 27, 2017
abortion rally texas tribune
Health

Supreme Court Abortion Case Ruling Leaves Challenges Open for Texas Ban

by FM Editors
December 11, 2021
fathers
Opinion & Analysis

Why We Need Nurturing Fathers

by FM Editors
June 18, 2022

Who’s Online

There are no users currently online

Latest Votes

  • FM Editors on

    Jesus Likely Had Olive Skin and Short Black Hair, But What Did He Wear?

  • valexander on

    Christena Cleveland on ‘God Is a Black Woman’ and What Compelled Her to ‘Step off the Plantation’

  • FM Editors on

    Sexuality Has Nothing to Do With Salvation, Jackie Hill Perry Says in TBN Talk About ‘Gay Girl, Good God’

Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram
Faithfully Magazine

Faithfully Magazine is a news and culture publication centered on Christian communities of color.

We participate in various affiliate programs that allow us to earn fees by linking to affiliated sites. FM is independently owned and published and is supported by digital subscriptions, advertising, merchandise sales, and affiliate links. We use these funds to maintain operations and pay our writers. Donations are welcomed.

Recent News

  • Video: Woman Tries to Burn Down Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birth Home in Atlanta
  • Hundreds of North Koreans Who ‘Vanished’ After Being Deported From China Likely Face Torture in Prison
  • ‘Chosen’ Director to Advise New Faith-Based Studio Formed by ‘Jesus Revolution’ Director and Ex-Netflix Exec
  • Vivian Mabuni Tells How Decades-Long Seminary Journey Inspired New Women’s Leadership Endeavor

Most Shared Posts

  • ‘The Next Worship’ Author Sandra Van Opstal Undergoes Multiple Surgeries to Fight Rare Infection...
  • Bishop Carlton Pearson, Once Celebrated Pentecostal Preacher, Dies After Brief Battle With Cancer...
  • Vivian Mabuni Tells How Decades-Long Seminary Journey Inspired New Women’s Leadership Endeavor...
  • Victory Chapel Outreach Director Hans Schmidt Shot in Head While Evangelizing Near Church...
  • Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Outspoken Atheist and ‘Muslim Apostate,’ Says She Is ‘Now a Christian’...

© 2023 Faithfully Media, LLC (Owner and Operator)

  • From The Magazine
  • Inspiration
  • News
  • Opinion & Analysis
  • Profiled
  • Q&As
  • Remember
  • Specials
  • New Jersey
  • Listen & Watch
  • Web Exclusives
  • Shop
    • Clothing
    • Faith Heroes Bookmarks
    • eBooks
  • Events
    • FM Live Events
    • Community Events
  • Resources
    • Black Christian Content
  • About Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Submit Content
    • Join the Editorial Team
    • Give Via PayPal
  • Members
    • Log In
    • Your Freebies
  • Subscribe to Faithfully Magazine
  • Newsletter
No Result
View All Result

© 2023 Faithfully Media, LLC (Owner and Operator)

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms bellow to register

*By registering on our website, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
Share via

Share This Post

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Reddit
  • Email
  • WhatsApp
  • Copy Link
  • Tumblr
  • Digg
  • Flipboard
  • SMS

Add New Playlist

Log In

Sign In

Login with Facebook
Login with Twitter
Forgot password?

Don't have an account? Register

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Back to Login

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Accept

Add to Collection

  • Public collection title

  • Private collection title

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.

Try a 14-day free trial today with Ancestry® (We may earn a commission) Dismiss

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?
Send this to a friend