FEATURE
“Laborers in the Vineyard: Interpreting Religious Life at Colonial Williamsburg” by Joseph Feaster and James Ingram, introduced by Michael Romero
James Ingram and Joseph Feaster take a moment from interpreting Gowan Pamphlet to smile at Colonial Williamsburg. Photo courtesy of Trends and Traditions Magazine.
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION:
I worked at Colonial Williamsburg from 2011 to 2023. Early in 2018, Colonial Williamsburg sought a connection with NAI, and they made a push for as many of our interpreters as possible to complete Certified Interpretive Guide training. I’m sure many of Legacy’s readers can vouch for how useful this training can be, but for many at CW, this was simply “checking a box” for our donors, little thought was put into HOW to apply this training to our work, and many interpreters resolved just do what they had always done. Sadly, quite a few issues of Legacy ended up unread in dusty breakroom corners…many of my colleagues felt the magazine was more about National Parks than history museums.
Then, the September/October 2018 issue came out, and I saw that my good friends Joe Feaster and James Ingram had collaborated on this article sharing their experiences interpreting as enslaved (later free) preacher Gowan Pamphlet. They talked about the challenges of interpreting potentially taboo subjects like religion and slavery on the streets of Williamsburg, the joy they felt when they connected with their audience, and the pride of bringing Gowan’s story to greater visibility. Through their work, I saw that Legacy was not just about “parks,” but welcomed input from historical sites as well. I promptly ran through town on a break looking for either Joe or James to ask them how they’d gotten into Legacy.
A mere two issues later, my short essay “What Does the Flag Say About Us” appeared in Legacy for January/February 2019. Little did I know that this would be the first of many contributions I would make to Legacy as an author and eventually as an associate editor. Through the kindness (and more than a little patience for my enthusiasm, I’m sure…) of Paul Caputo and Lucien Meadows, I’ve written in these pages about naval history, enslaved people gaining agency over their lives, the role of revision in historical study, my journey to becoming a classroom teacher, and spoke for more than two hours by phone with Sam Ham himself. All because I looked at the following article and thought to myself, “Hey…I can do that!”
I’m sure I won’t be the last to be inspired by something I read in Legacy…
ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
Laborers in the Vineyard: Interpreting Religious Life at Colonial Williamsburg
By Joseph Feaster and James Ingram
Wig, check. Cocked hat, check. 1611 King James Bible, check. With all this in tow, I am ready to preach to my “congregation.” I step up to the stage, open my Bible, and read from Galatians 3:28: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus!” I ask for affirmation from the audience, in which they respond quite enthusiastically, “Amen!” I continue to preach to them about why slavery is a sin, why the purpose of the War of Independence is about freedom of all people, and why we must have a freedom of worship. My “congregation” responds with many amens, hallelujahs, and Praise the Lords! After the sermon, I am bombarded with questions about religion and the role it played during the American Revolution, especially concerning slavery. This is a usual occurrence when James Ingram and/or I speak of the religious convictions during the 1700s, from the burning of the fires of the Great Awakening to the conclusion of the American Revolution. We portray the 18th-century Baptist preacher Gowan Pamphlet. He was the first ordained black preacher of any denomination in the country, and he founded the first Baptist congregation in Williamsburg after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. And to think we have the unique opportunity and privilege to portray this incredible historical character! For these avid history buffs, having the fortuity to combine and teach our two passions, history and theology, makes this role truly a dream job. As idyllic as this particular career is—getting paid, essentially, to participate in historical cosplay and entertain and inform along the way—historical interpretation, like any profession, has its undeniable challenges. Although Gowan was a slave, he represented the tension between the political beliefs and moral principles of the period. What are the rights of humanity? Are all men truly created equal? Where does the concept of freedom come from? Gowan answers these questions in his fiery, lively sermons. It all starts with religion.
There are always two things you’re not supposed to speak of in polite company: politics and religion. By definition, then, because of our role at Colonial Williamsburg, James and I may often be called rude because we talk nothing but religion! This is one of the main challenges that we face when interpreting not only the religious life of the 18th century but also the morals and principles they are based off of. This is a tricky conundrum, because openly speaking about religion in a public forum is considered taboo in today’s society. Add to the mix the introduction of the Bible, upon which these morals and principles are based, and the tension surrounding this dialogue is immediately heightened. It is true that politics and the military nature of the War of Independence are the focus of our Founding Fathers’ history. But James and I represent the religious aspect of this culture, from the lowly African slave to those of the Continental Congress. As professional historical interpreters, we have to know about not only slave religion but also the religious beliefs of the Founding Fathers. Religion is a sensitive topic on the best of days; we have had some guests walk out on our interpretations and even question why religion needs to be talked about. This is understandable, and we are cognizant of the fact that people from all walks of faith visit Colonial Williamsburg to learn about our nation’s history. But we believe the only way to give clarity and accuracy to the presentation is to have a discussion about the historical purpose and necessity of religion throughout the history and development of our country. Telling the story of religious life throughout history gives a glimpse into the hearts, minds, and morals of those who lived in the past.
James Ingram
Joseph Feaster
With Ingram and Feaster exploring Gowan Pamphlet’s history at different stages of his life, it allows them to do what every person wishes they could do: Ask advice from their older self—or provide guidance to their young self. Photo courtesy of Trends and Traditions Magazine.
Guests of Colonial Williamsburg understand that they are going to a living history museum that mainly focuses on life during the American Revolution. So naturally they know they will hear about the different laws that were passed and changed, the Declaration of Independence, and even the institution of slavery. But generally speaking, the religious life is not something they would inherently assume impacted the 18th-century community. This presents a challenge in explaining why religion influenced every aspect of everyone’s lives, especially since today’s society adheres to the concept of separation between church and state so dogmatically. Historically speaking, however, history and religion are intertwined (since antiquity!). James and I like to start our interpretation by speaking about the Great Awakening, a religious revival that took place in Britain and the American Colonies from the 1720s to the 1760s. This revival questioned and opposed the only legal established church of the British Empire, the Church of England. We speak of the Reverend George Whitefield, the Wesley brothers, and other prominent preachers who preached, just like Martin Luther, against their own denominational church. We speak of how the ideals of the Great Awakening—freedom, equality, and truth—were instrumental in driving the American Revolution. After all, the main recruiters of the Continental Army were the preachers influenced by the Great Awakening! Many of the laws of the British Empire were influenced by the Church. For example, by law in Virginia, a citizen must attend at least one service out of four each Sunday at their local parish church to make sure those of the congregation received their indoctrination of being a good subject of the Crown and the Church. This forced indoctrination is one of the reasons the War of Independence was fought. As historical interpreters, we take the responsibility of illustrating the importance of religion within the confines of history and the undeniable impact it had on the birth of our nation very seriously.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS: James Ingram (left) has been portraying Gowan at Colonial Williamsburg for 20 years. He has a Masters of Divinity from Virginia Union University and is a veteran of the United States Navy. Joseph Feaster (right) started portraying Gowan at Colonial Williamsburg a year ago. He is completing his Masters of Divinity at Virginia Beach Theological Seminary and is currently in the United States Navy Chaplaincy Corps. Photos courtesy of the authors.
Perhaps the most challenging hurdle James and I face is that of portraying a Baptist preacher, a religious figure, in a secular setting. It is important to keep in mind that the living history at Colonial Williamsburg is just that. It is not “church”—although I have been told on numerous occasions that listening to one of Gowan Pamphlet’s sermons had the same effect as going to a good ol’ Baptist service, a compliment I truly appreciate. We are both preachers within our faith group, and we each have much ministry experience. James is currently a theologian, but has been a pastor for over 15 years. I am a Navy chaplain and will complete my Master of Divinity degree this Spring. We have ministered in churches, jails, and hospitals. Naturally, we love to preach the message of hope, redemption, and love. And given that we portray an enslaved Baptist preacher, it is almost a seamless transition. But there is a fence we must straddle; there is always the concern of being accused of proselytizing to our audience. After all, we are preaching sermons from the 18th century that use the Bible and have to do with salvation, freedom, and judgment. I recall recently that after I had finished my interpretation, a gentleman came up to me and said, “I felt like I was in church! I was expecting and hoping for an altar call!” While I was very thankful for his comments (even though the altar call did not appear until the 1820s and ’30s), the purpose of what James and I do is to give the most authentic setting, feel, and atmosphere of a historic Baptist service during the 18th century. It is lively, responsive, and engaging, just like how many Baptist churches are today. If we were trying to proselytize, we would have many a Bible study after our presentations! (And, perhaps, a potluck thrown in for good measure.) We have had guests ask us Biblical questions such as “How do you explain slavery in the Bible? Does the Bible say that everyone is equal? How can you interpret the Bible in light of being a slave?” But they are always answered in the context of the 18th century. Despite its challenges, interpreting religious life in Colonial Williamsburg is not only fun but incredibly valuable. Having the privilege to honor Gowan Pamphlet by telling his story and preaching the sermons he would have, brings to light the moral convictions of the 18th century and more specifically the American Revolution. There is a fine line in interpreting religion in any facet of history. But it is needed in order to understand how men and women confronted the issues of their day. We hope and pray that our guests are blessed and informed of the impact that religion has, not only in the colonial days but throughout history. If we can understand religion, we can understand what shapes the minds, hearts, and souls of mankind.
