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PRINT » ,
vol. vm
NUMBER 43
CORRESPONDENCE I
I ROM THE MINISTERS AND
MEMBERS OF THE A . M. E
ZION CONNECTION IN
ALL PARTS. OF THE .
. . ,
UNITED STATES.
%
1'
TO THE STAR OF ZfON.
* - . ' ti
! 3
A GLORIOUS REVIVAL.
—i—
Evergreen, Ala., Oct 9th, 84.
Mr Editor? : ,1
Dear Brother Having just closed
an old time methodise, heart felt re
vival, you will please allow me space
in your interesting columns to speak a
few brief words concerning it. Not
for notoriety or personal agrandize
ment sake, no, be it far from me, but
for the purpose of informing the many
readers of the Star, and lovers of
Zion, how we are moving on in these
parts, this, and only this, actuates mb
to make the attempt. On Monday
night after the fourth Sunday in Sep
tember, I commenced the meeting,
however I preached a prepafitory ser
mon on the fourth Sunday night,
which I must say, without any intent
to be egotistical, had much to do with
the success that has crowned our
labor. I used for my text* 10th
chapter of St, Matthew, 32 and 33
verses. On Monday night, Rev Alex
ander Stokes was to preach, but owing
to the fact of his being engaged in a
meeting with Rev. A. Mobley, he
didd’t arrive in time, so it fell to my
lot again to occupy, a large audience
was present, and a manifestation of
much joy exhibited, Tuesday night,
Rev. A. Stokes preached to a large
gathering, using for his text thesfi
words, “ Where art thou,” this able
and jealous servant of God so vivedly
declared the message of God to dying
sinners that many come forth r to the
altar and there agonized in prayer.
Wednesday night, Rev G Harper of
Brewton preached, also Thursday
night. Friday night, Rev M Rankins
of this District, preached an interest
ing sermon, one that will long be re
membered by those present.' ‘ Friday
night at one o’clock, Rfev Robt Ford
of Greenville, came to the parsonage
and took lodging with me. Satur
day Elder Ford and I did a great
deal of talking to penitents, and Satur
day night he preached to a
audience, and he surely stired
people up, Sunday morning by
large
the
time
the’people were gathering as it seemed
Jronhall parts. The Presiding Elder
tLShuford, having heard of my meet
ing deferred -his quarterly meeting at
MiUa>eville, six miles from this point,
and both he and the pastor Bey. J.
Gill with many of the members and
other persons came to enjoy our meet
ing at 11 o’clock, Rev Ford; arose,;
announced the hymn, and read ihe
lesson, after prayer beagain announc
ed bis hymn, the church was literally
packed, his text was, “Except« man
be horn of water and of the spirit, he
cannot enter in the kingdom of God,”
John 3 4. Let me sayjust here that
I have been acquainted with Elder R
Ford for about (ft) years, bet never
have I known him so folly as now, he
is sorely an able* and interesting
preacher. As he came from tie pul
pit presenting Christ and beseeching
th£hngodly to receive Him just now
the whole cbnreb was aglow With the
spirit, and sinners weeping krouac
' ; • :• . 1
■
ike altar, this was a glorious time.
The little confllict through which
Elder Ford had passed seems to have
prepared him more effectually; for the
work. God bless him, may be live
on to do Work . fdr God and Zion.
The presiding elder of the district,
Rev H Shuford is with me in this good
meeting, he has expressed himself
very feelingly, and Christian!^ towards
Elder Ford, I think that tie little ^
ference that has hitherto existed be
tween them has been entirely aban
doned for during the stay of them at
this place, which" was three days an
gles could scarcely have been more
loving. I truly hope it is genuine,
for I believe them both to be men of
much fidelity, arid Christian integrity,
I also feel that our dear Bishop J W
Hood will be proud, to know, that out
of confusion, peace and harmony have
survived and all is well. Elder Jerry
Gill <$f the Millageville church preach
ed at 3 o’clock, he is a power in re
vivals and koow how to get at the
sinner in all of his useless, “whys and
wherefores.” 1 am proud to see that
the people seems to think so much of
him, I wish him much success, Elder
Gill is not a very learned man, but be
is an bumble man, and knows enough
to know, lie does’n know much, I wish
we had many such, Rev H ;j Shuford
preached Sunday night to a crowded
audience indeed, he used for his text
1 John 5 7, “For there are three that
bear record in heaven, the Father, the
Word and the Holy Ghost, and these
three are one,” Elder Shuford is cer
tainly a powerful and jealous preacher
he handled his text with authority, as
he came down to the altar earnestly
inviting sinners to come, there bowed
around the altar not lees than forty
persons- After prayer he opened the
door of the church and sixteen con
verts united themselves to the church
declaring they*had found the boon of
pardon sin, Rev Wm, E Worth ey
of Georgeana was with us also with
many of his people, he preached for us
Monday, showing the importance of
an atonement, this was listened to
with much attention. We received
in the church up to Wednesday night
October >, 7th twenty-two members.
Our financial success was also exceed
ingly good considering the. dull season
the collection from Sunday? .up to
Wednesday night resulted in the sum
of $39 15, exclusion of this Rev H
Shuford made a statement to my good
people respecting the faithful: labors
of Elder Ford and of the hard time
through wbichhe was passing, and
asked a collection for him and raised
the sum of $3 85 making a total col
lection of $43 00. This glorious time
will not soon be forgotten by tne peo
ple of Evergreen. Let me say in con
clusion, when I received this ; charge
at the hands- of Bishop Thompson its
membership numbered sixty odd
members, but fifty-three is all .jf scrap
ed up, but thank God I can say to
day, and yet not l, but by Him that
dwelleth Itr me, that uur record shows
the sum of 175 members, this is my
second year at this place, and % have
labored here with all my soul mind
and feeble ebffity, as I have at other
places, yet’poor indeed has been my
human Teward, hut I trust to whom I
have committed all, and shall- there4
fore he encouraged, and move 'hn*
pray for- us. " '• -f. • •> ;■ r ::T
; * Yoa» in Cnmfc,
T. A WsATHijraToa.
•£7 ;i
Ohelika, Ala., \
r, m f
October 7.
‘Mr. Editor:
•I >■;
Quite a while since we haveintru
ed upon your time andBpepe,-|kfl*e’
•fvca { ..: .i- *
j
a. ^
fore will you grant us space to state
to our many readers howr-Wd ai« get
ting along in this our field of la&or.
We have had a bgrd struggle fi
nancial ly* we have not been abl© to'
raise much of the* general tax as yet#
but I must tell a better tale than this
at the conference. I intend to raise
the general lax to a dollar, if possible
for I am satisfied that if we as minis
ters try very hard, we can raws at
least three-fouitha of general tax.
And with this amount We will bfe able
to keep thnarkmoving.
Dear Editor, we have* ju»t crowd
our protracted meeting, the Lordwjiia
with us. We added forty-one to thl
church and still they come. And we
are doing all that we can to turn men
into the .church, by the help of God
we will push the battle to the gate.”
Mr. Editor, times have been SO Very
hard that I have not been able to
help the St Ait to shine by helping to
disperse the-financial cloud that hangs
over her. Therefore I did hot write
any for qui^e awhile from the fact
you say-that a hint to the wise it ishf**
ficent. So it is. -I
I know that it is impossible for you
to run the paper without money. Yet
there are some that never let their
pens get cool from writing long arti
cles to the Star for publication, and
never send one single cent to help
pay the expenses of printing the arti
cle. Surely there are none so impflgfe
dent as to think that because the STAR
is our church organ or a connectional
paper, that their articles are to be
printed without their aid. Very often
I read articles that takes up two col
umns, then . £ turn to the list of re
ceipts to see bow much they forwarded
to aid in printing the article. And
what do I find ? Echo answers what
do I find? Nothing but leaves, ana
the Editor grieves. Yet these are
the men that goes off as quick an pow
der and fly as high as a kite if .they
fail to see their articles in the first is
sue cf the Star after the article has
been fowarded, and yet some or them
are in the same pew that the Editor
said that brother J. B. Grant were
in. Mr. Editor I say call a halt
though they stand in the streete and
roar yet do not let them pass. I have
tried to get some subscribers to the
Star but, failed thus far. I thought
that I would sell them the paper an}
way therefore I wrote to the Editor
stating to him that if he would send
me eight copies of the Star per week
I wouln sell. them and remit prompt
ly, but he did not send them.
I am very anxious to do wnat i can
for the Stab. X am labouring for
God and Zion. When I was ap
pointed to Opelika in 1883 by Right
Bev: Joseph P Thompson, D D M D
I found about filly members, since
that time I lihve swelled her to one
hundred and forty-three, an increase
of ninety-three members* And stilj
thev come to Zion. -
It 'is the aim of the Opelika district
to come out second best' in general
funds, come boys you had better be
gin to stir. Ana tnere is one vww
thing that yottlbad better see to, .it is
not very long till conference, and you
know that everybody "wants to be or
dained ^eone and aiders, when they
get to conference. It do not make
. any difference whether they can spell
baker or not they think that bec*y&
gome old fogy tells them that the3
can beat such and such deacon aw
elders preaching ^hat they ought U
Be? ordained, and they will; worrj
their presiding elder’s life out almost
, Tins has been the case heretofore, am
their elders wire-workedthea
b and these are the first men
Up their heels egainst their
ag elders, and to teil the peo
% facf hive tip need of. them.
y& Tre have a prescribed course
[es laid down in our book of
and the day. is at hand
tvottrltis&rmust give way, and
ift comply with the law before
fbe ordained. RemeinW the
¥* Dear Editor, withsaanessweiS
fbrnr <:orthe de^th
of the wife and infant child i of Rev.
Joseph Gomez, pastor in charge of
Mt. Zion Church, Montgomery, Ala.
They departed this life in the month
of August. I think ‘that there was
About 25 days difference in' her death
and that of the child.' Brother Go
mez has our sympathies in his be
reavement, may the consoler of all
hearts sustain him in this his hour of
trouble. When we pray we say thy
will be done, and when it is done let
us submit to him who doeth all things
Well. I say to brother Gomez your
companion and little infant child can
not come to you but you ' can go to
thorn* then let us smote our hands
upon Our breasts and say not my will
but thine be dono, for the judge of all
the earth will do right. First Thes.
4th chapter 14th verse, “For if we
believed that Jesus died and rose
again, even so them also which sleep
in Jesus will God bring with him*”
Asleep in Jesus blessed sleep, from
trhich hone ever wake to weep. For
in the Christian home in glory there
remains a land of rest; there their Sa
viour & gonev before them, .to fulfill
^heir souls request; there is rest for
the weary, there id rest for theweary,
there is rest for you; on the other
side of Jordan, in the sweet fields of!
Eden, where the the tree of life is
blooming there is rest for you. He
has fitted up their mansion which
eternally shall stand; for their stay
shall not be transient, in that holy
happy land. Pain nor sickness never
shall enter, griet nor woe their lot
shall share, but in that celestial cen
tre, they the crown of life shall wear;
death itself over there are vanquished,
and his sting has been withdrawn,
Shout for gladness oh ye ransomed
hail with jop the rising morn, memen
to, mori.
Dear Editor:—We are bringing our
years work to a close, Rev M G
Thomas, presiding elder, is on his
fourth and last round, very soon we
skal he called upon to give an account
of our stewardship in the Annual
Conference, ok that it could be said,
that of the sheep that were given us,
we have lost none. I have two
churches, I have added 93 to one of
them, and twenty to the other one,
making a total increase of 113 mem
bers and such as I trust will be saved.
.My Sabbath schools are in a very
good condition though not as good as
I could wish, but we are Moving bn.
, . Yeiy respectfully,
Ret. John W. Alptork,
Pastor in charge of the- Opelika cir
cuit..'^.' % •■■■- .
CBAjUE0rN»N 9«*l
October 7,18S4^ }
M* Editor:
Reading the report or proceedings o1
the Genesee annual conference publish
ed In last week’s issue under name
Bishop HiUgry, his expulsion,” etc.'
{ * Wewere much surprised and dis
>. gusted at the unprecedented way th<
l Zion connection was abused by throw
. ing -into her. mouth and causing th<
l organ, the voice or mouth of th«
i church to utter such an unmitigated
, • > - >
- V .■■■■• ■ ■ i.-v<rv*
absurdity that W H Hillery is a
bishop. '• Wc assert ■ this absurdity
front the simple fact that we don’t
know of there being a bishop in the
AME Zion church known by that
name (W H Hillery), .
We understood the general confer
ence held last May in the city of New
York to have divested W H Hillery
of all Episcopal functions. If our un
derstanding be correct W H Hillery
is. ib lottger nbishop. In the article
or report referred to is shbwin his .ex*
pufeion by 17 to 2, therefore Mr. Hil
lery is not even a member of the
church.. 7 ,
Then the report says just below, that
Bishop Hillary .is said to »>e a dogged
fighter. Still, further on the report
reads, “So the bishops have locked
horns.” And the article closes with
the words or . prayer, “may the best
bishop win.”
It is a question as to which of the
two men are the best (morally) in a
connectional light? Or is it a matter
of doubt.as to which retains Episcopal
functions legitimately? The reading
of this article reminds me of the story
of an Irishman at a hotel dining table
after refusing soup the fourth time,
was aroused from sleep that night by
a sick nurse, who, through, mistake,
attempted to administer nourishment
to him as was the custom of the nurse
who waited on an invalid in k joining
room, when the. Irishman exclaimed,
faith and be jaders you will make me
take the soup anyhow.
Now, the charges from Sun Fran
cisco and elsewhere, the investigation
in Kentucky by Bishop Hood, the di
vesting of all Episco pal fun ctions by
the general conference, sent by the
appelate court to the Genesee confer
ence for final adjudication, and that
body duly assembled under legal
; authority, expelled W H Hilleryfrom
the A M E ZHon Church by a majori
ty of 17 to 2, and yet we must call
him bishop. I suppose you to Say we
shall take the soup any how.
Now, Mr. Editor, it is unfair and
an untrue light to put the connection
in before a religious world.
Whatever the organ of the church
says it is suppose l that the entire
church says. The man we call bishop
we want the public to recognize and
treat as bishop. Now, we^ have ex
hausted all legal means to. get rid of
Mr W H Hillery as a bishop Snd will
the church be forced | through her
organ to call the man bishop thntfhas
been so much trouble and such a per
petual disgrace ? If he has antagoniz
ed Bishnp Thompson by suit for $20*
000 .be is not a bishop, nor would not
have been had the Genesee confer
ence cleared.'him.
The general conference put on and
took off the Episcopal robe and nc
other body could do either.
& -When the power that creates de
stroys a thingit Ought to be discon
tinued in name as it is in effect, More
anon. R. S. Rives.
Notice.
Notice to all of the ministers of the
East Alabama conference, both elders
deacons, preachers, delegates and al
of the whple church, will bring up t(
the annual conference one dollar foi
printing of ^ie minutes, for 1884, anc
all of the members of the anndal eon
fereoce will ’ .prepare to meet % deb
of-$85 for-th^ye^r. The minutes«
b''-an<
this
I hope, the eastern .conference will nc
be behind the western. . ■ V-• ' =
A. Hannah.
if:
CONFERENCE STEWARD’S NOTICE.
Wilson, % G\, August 13.
£>ear Brethren ,—I issue this circu
lar to call your attention to matters of
the utmost importance to us as mem
1 bers of the North Carolina conference.
1st. The conference year is eight
months gone, and we voted at the last
conference to raise $300 for mission
purposes, $100 for our member at Zion
Wesley Institute, and $200 for the
Raleigh mission*'which will make it
$75 to each presiding dlderV district.
This divided into circuits and stations
will make it $7 50 for e^ch minister
in charge to raise and forward to the
steward as mission money, to which
only Goldsboro and Tarboro ha3 com
plied, and the last meeting of the
General conference ordered that we
collect and forward the general fund
monthly. I received a letter from
Bishop Hood calling our attention to
the condition of the church at Raleigh,
and it is hoped that each minister
will bring to conference $5, to enable
. us to save the property.
Yours for Zion,
W. J. Moore,
North Carolina Conference Steward"
NOTICE.
Athens, Tenn., September 29.
Mr. Editor :
Dear Brother,—YoujVill please no
tify" the members of the Virginia con
ference, that conference will convene
on Thursday, Noy. 12.,^instead of the
20th, as the North Carolina Central
meets on thea26th.
Yours truly, 5
S. T. Jones,
Bishop.
NOTICE.
Mr. Editor:
Please admit me to say to the min
isters that our District Conference
will openat Mt. Airy on^the’21stday
of November. I will expect all the
ministers having, charges to have a
correctfreport from each circuit.^:All
ministers£will*cpmo p-’-epared^to'go on
to the AnnuapConference *as it will
meet'on theYollowing' Wednesday.
’ You rs^respectfully,
A. M. Barrett.
NOTICE.
. The dedication of Jones’ Chapel in
Brines George county, about two
miles from tliO city, will take placo on ,
the 4th Sunday,}2(>l{h insfc. Rev J H
Wilson is pastor, he has extended an
invitation to have several ministers
present; the members andf friends are
working to have a grand and pleasant
time; the city members and friends
are invited.
BISHOP T. H. LOMAX.
Appointments for October 5th to
the 27th:
Beafort Ootober 5th.
Whiteville, October 19th, Sunday.
Flemington, October 20th.
Evergreen* October 21st, at night.
Graham Chapel, October 22d, at
night.
Shoe Heel, October 234, at night*
Hickory Stand, October 24,
Raleigh, October 26.
Henderson, October 27.
• Charlotte, October 29th to Novem
• ber 4th.
I
. : The next session of the Virginia
t annual conference of the A M E Zion
f church in America will meet at New
| McBride church Comdem, N C, Wed
j. nesdtvy November 12th, 1884 at 10
o’clock a m, Bishop S T Jones, D D,
will preside. v ?