African Baptist Church in Williamsburg, Virginia (1758); Silver Bluff Baptist in Aiken County, South Carolina (1773); and First African Baptist church in Savannah, Georgia (1777) are three of the earliest known black churches. Scholars believe that Africans were drawn to the Baptist tradition because of its emphasis on church democracy - any one could become a preacher, as long as he/she felt the calling. In Savannah, First African Baptist was built by slaves in their off hours, working at night. The church took twelve years to build. It still stands today.