The Black church is having a moment

The Rev. Jemar Tisby describes himself as a "theological mutt." He was baptized in a Southern Baptist church, joined a White nondenominational congregation and spent much of his time attending Catholic schools.

But once he attended a small Black Baptist church in the Mississippi Delta, he found a home. Located in a former warehouse, the church had concrete floors, metal folding chairs for pews and an elderly congregation of only about 12 people.

What they lacked in size, though, they made up for in spiritual fervor. When members of the...