As the Director of Operations at Son Tours, Inc. we have many school groups that are doing Georgia Area Studies tours in Savannah, and one of the places I always suggest to our teachers, [if they havent already requested it] is the First African Baptist Church in Savannah. Being able to sit in the church, see, feel, and touch the history, as well as hear the stories that Ms. Karen Wortham delivers are amazing. The kids and teachers love this place and we feel that you will too. Don’t miss this on your tour to Savannah!!!

Yall, real talk. Gabe and I have done a lot of historic tours in our time together. This was maybe the best one ever. Real talk. The brother that did the tour today was possibly the best tour/ history guide that weve ever had. Seriously. Weve been to a few cities. Were nerds like that. This young man was engaging. His facts were on point. He didnt talk down to us. He engaged us. He was woke in a way that didnt make the white peeps in our group feel uncomfortable. Sometimes, thats a real concern when youre addressing things like slavery. I wish I remembered his name. I heard him say he was a senior in Africana Studies at University of Georgia. But I missed his name.We thoroughly enjoyed it. And our 11 year old paid attention the whole entire time. If youre ever in Savannah, catch this tour!!

Nice tour of the oldest black church in the nation. Founded by black freemen and services attended by slaves way back in the 1700s. Part of the Underground Railroad with a 4 foot crawl space (with holds in the floors for ventilation) for slaves looking to be moved to freedom. Fascinating history with a 1 hour tour. Worth the time and price of admission ($10 for adults). Check website for tour times. They even had a really old Apple Macintosh computer as part of their display. So cool!

My sisters and I toured the church this past Friday while on a Sisters weekend. The associate pastor, Derrek Curry led our group of about 17 on one of the most informative tours I have been on. Derrek made us all feel so comfortable by his sincere kindness and humor. I was amazed at the profound history of this church and its role in the Underground Railroad. If you go, I hope you are blessed by Derrek as your guide.

Was in the Sanvanna area, had a chance to visit this church during a black history tour. Very nice trip. Had a great time.

The history here is amazing. The story behind this church should be made into a movie. It impacted me greatly. The sanctuary is well-kept and the staff are friendly and informative.

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit. My husband and I actually met some people on the tour who are related to his dad! What a small world! This place is a jewel.

Its wonderful that the church is open to folks to visit and discover its rich history. Wish they could get funding to maintain the building better.

This was my favorite place to visit in Savannah. Traci did s great job with the history of the church. The church is beautiful. I will come back next time we are there. God bless!

They changed the hours so no longer a tour at 2pm. We missed the tour because of that, but there’s always another time! So happy there’s historic plagues up with detailing some of the history of both free and enslaved blacks during the 1700s-1800s. Rich black history! It’s worth the stop!

This was one of the most amazing tours/learning experiences I have ever had the pleasure of doing. I highly recommend this tour. The guides are amazing, the history is unbelievable. If you do nothing else with your time in Savannah, do this!

I absolutely loved the tour. The tour guide, De’Air/De’Eric (didn’t quite catch his name) did an amazing job. He was extremely knowledgeable. I consider myself well informed on Black History. He gave me new things to consider. I left in even more awe of the accomplishments of Blacks. They’ve made such contributions to our society. I also had the pleasure of attending service there. Although it was a bit dated I enjoyed being transported to the late 70s for s traditional service.

Derek was our tour guide and was AMAZING! You can tell he has a passion for God, the church and for the history of his beloved church. He made the history of the church come alive! Also, Derek made everyone in our group feel so at ease that we felt comfortable asking questions. My husband and I both agreed it was in our top three experiences in Savannah. We HIGHLY recommend the tour! Well worth the $10.00. I typically refrain from disparaging other reviewers. I will say this, I am always shocked when people expect people like Derek to do stuff like that for free...church or not. I mean really...do you do your job for free? Isnt his time with something, just like yours? Also, before you judge, perhaps you should find out where the money they collect goes. I have been informed that a large portion goes back to the community. God bless all of you and keep on doing the amazing job you do, of telling the amazing history of this church!

Wonderful tour of this historical church in Savannah Georgia. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and gave our group a comprehensive oral history of this church. I was in awe sitting in such a magnificent piece of architecture constructed by slaves at nightime after a grueling day of work. The church houses many priceless artifacts downstairs. The idea that it was a stop on the underground railroad is amazing. Do not miss the chance to see First African Baptist Church.

Members welcome all race and religion. Even though we were the minority, we felt like we belonged. One member said it best “ You could choose to go to any church and you chose US!” Glad we did. Come praise God.

Love the History! I recommend if your in Savannah to take the tour.

Derrek was wonderful as our tour guide! He was funny, thorough, and just made the entire tour fun!! Such a great educational experience. We left with a deeper appreciation and understanding of African American history and culture. Definitely recommend!

Tour was amazing! DeErik was very knowledgeable and provided a lot of wisdom for our group.

Informative, uplifting, and inspiring. Tour guide was Mrs. Tillman who did a great job. Very engaging and friendly with tourists. Amazing history in this church.

This is a must do tour. Very informative and beautiful church.

Visited on a great tour by Day Clean Journeys. The red doors means that the property has been paid off.

Really rude gentlemen picked up the phone Thursday, October 10th. I’m disappointed as we were only calling to clarify the time/schedule for tours.

This was a great stop. Very informative and the guide was very knowledgeable. Definitely a must see tour. If youre sensitive to in your face type commentary, the guide may be too abrupt for you. Otherwise, you wont regret it. Makes me want to delve more into my history and find out what other treasures await.

I have always wanted to visit Savannah. Its rich history has always intrigued me so why not make it a road trip. So, I drove from Chicago to Atlanta to visit friends and family, and the next day I made my way to Savannah. What I wasnt prepared for though was the emotional journey that would forever change my life.Visiting First African Baptist Church was not planned. My fiancé and I toured the many landmarks such as The Pink House etc... that is until our wonderful guide suggested we visit First African Baptist Church while we were there.This visit changed my life! The market square where the Africans were auctioned off....You could still feel their spirit hovering. The red door of the church symbolizing that the church was owned free and clear. The amazing stories of engineers from all over never able to find out the entrance of the Underground Railroad beneath the church, much less understanding how structurally sound the handmade bricks made by the slaves makes the building an architectural marvel....wow!I believe every African American should at least pilgrimage to Savannah to visit this sacred place. Im sure it would change their perspective much like it has mine. I plan on visiting again soon, only this time with my children.

This historic church is a must-see in Savannah. I visited during the same time as a high school school group tour and the churches guide was actually better at keeping control of the children than the teachers were. The history and background of his church is awe inspiring. Being able to physically see where the Underground Railroad was located was amazing.

Very warm welcome and great service

The assistant pastor who hosted the tour presented the history of the church in a very engaging manner and left me wanting to learn more. It was one of my favorite experiences visiting Savannah.

This was a long sought after experience after taking the Old Savannah Historic Overview Tour. We were first greeted by Derek who also provided the tour. The moment I entered the building, the first I noticed was the scent of history. I felt like I was greeted by an old spirit. The information he provided was profound and the tour of the church building was incredible. Derek gave an excellent overview of the FABC history and impact on our community. Im grateful to have had the opportunity to visit the church and I hope others do as well. I pray that Elohim pours out his favor on the churchs leadership and may the spirit of the Yahweh be lifted up and fill the people of God through this ministry.

We loved the tour with the history and feeling so welcomed by our guide, the assistant pastor. Definitely everyone in our group loved it! A must do!

A absolutely must go to. A lot of history.

Truly awesome & uplifting. Great educational tour while in Savannah. Lots of historical knowledge & history.

This was our favorite tour of our trip to Savannah. While all of the tours we took were wonderful, this tour was very powerful and meaningful. Thank you Reverend George for a very educational and inspirational history lesson at your treasured historical landmark.

Took a very informative and inspiring tour.

Very Disappointing the fact they charge to share the story and history in the church. They should want to spread the knowledge and share the experience not put a price on it so only few will know or hear the struggle and history from the church. Makes me sad to think of the amount of people who pass on going and experiencing such a historic place to my people because its $10 a person.

Worthwhile peek into a poignant segment of black diaspora often unrecognized in today’s world.

Very informative tour. Tour guide Derek was well informed and knowledgeable. I learned something new today.

I am giving the tour for the FABC 3 stars. The tour was great, the Tour Guide was great and largely informed. Although i must deduct 2 stars due too the Tour Guide began to interject politics and his feeling regarding the President of the United States and disparaging the President. I could tell by the feeling in the group, it was a bit uncomfortable. Many come to your tour to hear, learn and become more informed about the history of blacks in the south. No one comes there to be influenced regarding politics. Please in the future refrain from current politics it really detracts and leaves a bad taste. The Tour Guide was Derek. With these exceptions --tour was good Thank You

92 years old? A member for 50 years? Your true colors have been shown. There is no justifying what you guys have done to this woman. Whats more important the God we serve or her financial obligation? Thats between her and God not YOU!

It is a beautiful church. Loved that they kept the original gas lighting fixtures. The venilations holes in the floors for the 4 foot space under the church for the underground railroad was powerful.

So much information, so willing to share. Cant wait to send my family and friends. Thank you for blessing UBC of Trenton NJ

If theres a such thing as false prophecy and spiritual manipulation, this church is it. If nothing else, it certainly has a twisted ideology.We had plans to worship with this church for Easter and simply wanted to know the activites for children. Our 5 year old is gifted in music and was previously invited to share his talent with the church. We live 4 hours away so we had to plan accordingly. We thought Easter would be appropriate considering that children are most often a big part of the program. What happened next with this church is anything but typical and I promise it happened.Spoke with one of the ministers and he said the Pastor is tired of people only coming to church for Easter, Mothers Day and New Years and as such, my son would need to audition if I want him to be a part of Easter. He gave me a phony email to upload a video. It was his way to say NO to my child because the Pastor doesnt like people coming to chuch during certain times of the year.Church bureaucracy isnt unusual, but what this church did was disdainful. Governing body should get a new Pastor!!

What a great experience! Johnny was our tour guide and was excellent in explaining the history of the church and its history. The holes in the floor were fascinating. Wonderful learning experience for kids too.

Im wondering why no one commented on the fact that it was not the First African Baptist Church in Savannah, this happened in Bainbridge, Georgia so I would like to take this opportunity to invite any and everyone to visit our church for themselves. Rev.Tillman is a loyal pastor and this would never happen under his leadership!May God Bless!!!

The pastor and his/ the churches ministry is far beyond the history of the church, which is amazing.

Good visit

Visiting the area... amazing people and history to the church. Getting the full story made this a life changing trip. Thank you.

Not a true holy temple, be God dont put us out or turning His back on on His children for not tithing, if thats the case it wouldnt be any forgiveness

Beautiful church

Very very educational taught things about the underground railroad i didnt know its a must u go visit this church during tour hours

You’ll always leave with an amazing message

Please, everyone, do your research before absolutely destroying an institutions online reputation.The incident with the 92-year-old woman being kicked out of her church happened at the First African Baptist Church in BAINBRIDGE, GA. Not Savannah, GA.This church is one of the most important landmarks in Savannah, and the history of it involves giving a safe haven to people in need during the absolute darkest and horrific time in our nations history, and it should be celebrated, not torn down for something that happened at an entirely different church.

Gerald Simmons reads over the letter addressed to Josephine King, his 92-year-old aunt, Josephine King is no longer considered a member of the First African Baptist Church of Bainbridge, Georgia.Its terrible, Simmons says.The letter, signed by senior pastor Derrick Mike, states that Ms. King has shown non-support towards the church in the areas of constant and consistent financial and physical participation.She was stunned. She was disappointed. She was shocked, her nephew said.Simmons says his aunt was considered sick and shut-in for several months, which explained her lack of attendance. He also says his aunt has gone above and beyond in the past to financially support the church.You shouldnt chase the individuals down. You shouldnt do that. If thats the case, youre money hungry, said Simmons.Simmons says he knows his aunt isnt the first person to receive a letter of removal for not tithing and hopes the story will shed some light on the policy.You got to have money to make these churches run, but its not about money. Its about god. You have to put god first.Attempts to contact members or officials from the church for their side of the story were unsuccessful.A number of people have posted on the churchs Facebook page to condemn its decision to remove king.The church has not posted on its Facebook page in more than two years.Back to TopRead Full Story

The church that ousted the 92 year old woman is in Bainbridge,GA and not the one in Savannah...The tour guide was great and very knowledgeable and we were all pleased with learning more about the First African Church in Savannah,GA

Shame on you for kicking out a 92 year old woman or any other person for not paying money. I thought Jesus was about giving his love to all

Only the best.

Definitely a hidden treasure of Savannah.

Because of the spirit in this place

Amazing

Awesome !

I love it, the history and our guide

The history is amazing

Loved the preaching and history.

It was the last day Ericka was giving a tour and she gave so much life to the tour!

Great!

Money hungry. This is not a church its a business.

Good place for the children