Purpose:

 

     The original purpose for the formation of The National Grand Lodge was to establish a Unifying Grand Body or Organization for Legitimate and Legal Negro Masons of various Grand Lodges, Territories, and Masonic Jurisdictions within the United States of America to meet under. In 1847 various Grand Lodges elected delegates and sent them to Boston for the purpose of organizing a National Grand Lodge under a National Compact. This idea of harmony through unification, sounded good on the surface to most Masons at that time because there were no clear-cut rules of engagement or jurisdiction among "colored lodges" pertaining to membership and territory. 

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Mission:

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     The Mission Statement for the Most Worshipful National Grand Lodge was, "To support a way of life that promotes friendship, fellowship, and Brotherly Love. We shall dispense charity, make good men better, and lead by example." As stated earlier, this meeting was to take place on the week of Sunday June 20, 1847, through Sunday June 27, 1847, in Boston, Massachusetts. But it was on the critical date of Thursday June 24, 1847, that the delegates in their rigorous debates reached an impasse as to the direction that the National Grand Lodge should go, even the date of organization differ amongst the groups that were in attendance; some say it was organized on June 24, 1847, and others say the National Grand Lodge was organized on June 27, 1847. 

 

Research indicates that one faction within wanted to push the agenda of the National Compact Group, which had a particular vision for Grand Lodges and their States, and those who would join as members of The National Grand Lodge. They would have to allow it to have the power and authority invested in it to incorporate or make its member State's, Grand Lodges, and Subordinate Lodges be reconstituted by warrant to operate and exist under its Jurisdiction and permission. They wanted all subordinate Lodges that the Grand Lodges wanted to incorporate or charter within their Jurisdiction to be approved by the M.W. National Grand Lodge as an overseeing administrative body. This would require all the Subordinate Lodges and Grand Lodges at the meeting to give up their Independence, Sovereignty, Jurisdiction, Warrants, and Charters to have a New Warrant & Charter issued to them by the National Compact group of the National Grand Lodge. The other faction wanted to work together in Harmony and Brotherly Love under a Unified Banner too, but they wanted to keep their Independence, Sovereignty, and Jurisdiction. Some were interested in opening their doors to a broader base of Candidates and Members other than so-called (P.H.O.) York Rite Masons originally descending from African Lodge No. 459 only. Hence, almost as fast as the National Grand Lodge was being organized, it soon had splits within; separate groups started to form within due to fundamental and philosophical differences.
 

The Independents:

One of those Groups, if you will, was called "The Independents"; à faction of Master Masons from different States and Lodges that included those from the Washington DC area.  It is understood that this National Body of Independents claimed jurisdiction in and over Universal Free (symbolic) Independent Masonry in all the United States of America and Canada for All Free Masons regardless of affiliation, be it International, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons (A. F. & A. M.), Free and Accepted Ancient Yorkrite Masons (P.H. O.), or Free and Accepted Masons (P.H.A.); they were accepted amongst them all. Some of its first organizers were Edward H. Thomas, John A. Smallwood, Adolphis Hall, and others from New York, Washington DC, Maryland, Delaware, Ohio, and abroad. 
 

The National Compact Group:

The other faction from within the Original National Grand Lodge of 1847 later became the "1847 Compact ​National Grand Lodge". The Lodges that were with this group more willingly surrendered their warrants and charters to be re-warranted by the M.W. National Grand Lodge under the first National Grand Master, Hon. John T. Hilton. To further legalize the National Grand Lodge, National Constitutions and By-Laws were drawn up to govern this body of colored Yorkrite Masons organized in Boston, MA. They maintained the idea that all member lodges should be according to them, a legitimate and legally constituted body of Colored Masons.

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States Rites Masons:

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From 1848 to 1888 the National Grand Lodge issued most of the Warrants and Charters for Grand Lodges. Around 1863 there came dissension and disagreement among the members of the National Grand Lodge and some of the delegates walked out. From the group that left the National Grand Lodge, they secured charters to practice masonry under the sanction of the State they wanted to reside in. Hence, this group later took the name Prince Hall Masons, who are often referred to as “State Rite Masons". Remember, it was also on April 5,1869 when the United Supreme Council Southern and Western Jurisdiction (A.A.S.R.) was organized and registered in Washington, D.C., led by the Most P. Sov. Grand Commander Ill. Edward H. Thomas 33rd. This is the Supreme Council that we, the current General Grand Masonic Congress Continue to be Affiliated with regarding the 4th to the 33rd and final Scottish Right Degree.

Declarations of Independence:

 

       It was reported that in the year 1869, many of the affiliated Grand Lodges under the National Compact Groups began to withdrew from their authority and styled themselves as independent Grand Lodges. The Grand Lodge of Washington D.C. did the same. These Grand Lodges were a part of a much bigger movement from within the National Grand Lodge. These actions proved to have had far-reaching sympathy and support within the United States and Internationally through the influences of foreign correspondence by men such as William T. Boyd and others. The Most Worshipful Brother William T. (Theodore) Boyd was one of the Pioneers of Prince Hall Masonry in the city of Cleveland, OH. In 1869, Most Worshipful Brother Boyd was installed as the tenth Grand Master of the state of Ohio and held the office for six years. 

 

     While Grand Master, Boyd served as Chairman of the Committee of Foreign Correspondence.  He would remain as Dean of the Department of the collection of pamphlets and documents dealing with Masonry from Grand Lodges, Grand Orients and Supreme Councils; to include our International Brothers in France and Romania.  These materials were said to amount to over three thousand in number and were regarded as the most complete collection of Masonic Documents of any Black Mason in the country.  This is a Link to one of the reports given regarding the G.G.M.C. members reception of Colored Masons Internationally  in the late 1800's

As he had hoped, many other Grand Lodges under the jurisdiction of the National Grand Lodge did withdraw or engaged in

re-organizations and mergers as Independent States Right Grand Lodges. With this ebe-and-flow of lodges and members across unclear Jurisdictional lines, agreements and disagreements, groups, and factions within the (N.G.L.), it was inevitable that this National organization would have to do something drastic within its governance requiring a major re-organization in 1870, but the name would remain the same as they continued to operate. In the year 1870, the (N.G.L.) was under the leadership of its 5th and New National Grand Master, The Hon. Richard Howell Gleaves (see pic Below), who made some significant changes in the By-Laws and Constitutions with a more rigorous effort to root out the independent factions and their ideas of State Sovernty over one's Jurisdiction. Due to these changes the separate groups within the (N.G.L.) were eventually forced to re-organize or comply with the changes if they wanted to remain a part of the National Compact Groups. This forced Leaders like Ill. John G. Jones of IL to file for a change in the name of the organization to the National Masonic Congress in 1889, later renaming it the General Grand Masonic Congress of the U.S.A. & Canada (GGMC) in 1896.  Aug. 9, 1889 as the "National Masonic Congress A.F. & A. M. in Cleveland, OH.
Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine
After the historical 1910 landmark ruling of the Appellate Court of Washington D. C. over the M. W. Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Masons in Washington, D.C. John G. Jones then went back and resolved to change the name of his organization of Grand Lodges to "The General Grand Masonic Congress of the United States of America" (G.G.M.C.) in 1896 giving him the authority to name the  The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Washington D.C. is the mother grand lodge for all Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of predominantly African Descent in the United States.  The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Washington D.C. is the first predominantly African American Grand Lodge in the U.S. to form correctly by abiding by the old regulation of 3 or more warranted lodges chartered by competent Grand body or bodies of Masons.  The Most Worshipful Grand lodge of Washington D.C. A.F.&A.M. was incorporated in Washington D.C. in August of 1896 and its founding lodges were Joppa Lodge #1, Jerusalem Lodge #2, Hiram Abiff Lodge #3, and King Solomon Lodge #4 all being originally warranted by the Romanian National Grand Lodge of 1880 with General Bartolomeu Constantin Savoiu as their Sovereign Grand Commander Grand Master, a grand lodge that was and is recognized by the Grand Lodge of England. 

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The Original name of our August organization was The National Grand Lodge (N.G.L.) organized June 27. 1847  in Boston, MA,

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it was reorganized and renamed  "The General Grand Masonic Congress", Aug. 9th, 1889, by

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the Ill. John G. Jones, 33rd in Cleveland, OH which was later Inc. under John G. Jones, April 27, 1896, in 

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Washington, D.C. as the General Grand Masonic Congress (G.G.M.C.) with a New Warrent & Constitution to operater and Work in the United States & Canada from the 1880 National Grand Lodge of Romania. It was later Re-Inc. under Ill. G.C. William, Nov. 3, 1927, in Washington, D.C., to be finally Re-Inc. under Ill. J. C. Parker, Aug. 26, 1946, Washington, D.C. …

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The G.G.M.C. is a National Masonic Body composed of independent Member States A.F. & A.M. Grand Lodges within 

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the U.S.A. Working under the Charter of The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M. in Washington, D.C. These lodges are also affiliated with the United Supreme Council (U.S.C.) Southern & Western Jurisdiction  (A.A.S.R.) where Washington, D.C, is our Holy See.

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Below are a List of President Generals from (1914-Present)

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ILL B.H. Stillyard Wheeling, W. Va................ 1914-1916
ILL Henry Broads Homestead, PA...................1916-1918
ILL Chas. Mitchell San Antonio, TX...............1918-1925
ILL G. C. Williams Shreveport, LA.................1925-1936
ILL J. C. Parker Detroit, MI............................1936-1958
ILL T. J. Hawkins Shreveport, LA...................1958-1977
ILL. Robert L. Johnson, CA............................1977-1987
ILL Ollie Spencer Sr. WA., D.C......................1987-1998
ILL Jake Thomas Baltimore, MD.................... 1998-2010
ILL Ollie Spencer Sr. WA, D.C...................... 2010-2018
Ill. Michael Billingslea Atlanta, GA.................... 2018-Present

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