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ORGAN OF
ZION CHURCH IN AMERICA.
VOL. XL
SALISBURY, N. C., THURSDAY, SEPT. 29, 1887.
NfJMBEK 39.
-ABOLITION AKD NULLIFICA
^ TION.
BY REV. J. H. AXDERBON.
Editor Star of Zion
My interest in the Action of the
Philadelphia & Baltimore conference,
in discontinuing presiding elders, has
been greatly deepened by t te res
jponse of Bishop Hood.
I could scarcely expect such pleas
ing words of praise, much less the
condescension to reply to my article,
which, in consequence thereof, induces
me to think that it had some appreci
ative learning.
Now for the argument. To do
raway with any permanent court of
appeal is a direct violation of consti
ttufional authority, otherwise termed
“‘organic law.” Our discipline pro
vides four—three permanent and one
conditionally: The court of appeal
effected by the action of tho Philadel
phia & Baltimore conference, is the
district conference, over which the
presiding elder only is the legal presi
* dent, and to which local elders and
deacons only are allowed an appeal.
It is not a permanent court of appeal.
Xioeal elders aud deacons have the
advantage of two courts ol appeal—
the district conference and the annual
conference, (page 112), and why are
they allowed this advantage over
other appellants ? I answer, because
in view of the absence of presiding
elders, there would be no district con
ference, and the general conference,
therefore, recognizing the possible ab
seoce of these functionaries would not
subject this class of membership to an
uncertainty in their privileges.
To disc mtinue the district confer
ence still leaves a court of appeal (the
annual conference), for local elders
and deacons. But when district con
ferences are instituted by virtue of
the appointment of presiding elders,
has the annual conference who does
the appointing, the rignt to secede
from its former action ?—that is, to
cease appointing presiding elders?
We answer, yes; because the dis
cipline plainly says, “The Bishop and
Annual conference shall appoint
presiding elders when, in their judg
ment. it is necessary for the efficiency
of the work.” (page 53.)
' The Philadelphia and Baltimore
conference, after due trial, saw that
it was not necessary for the efficiency
of the work, and therefore did not
appoint any presiding elders.
The Annual conference, in view of
the akove quotation, has the right to
appoint as an initiatory measure, and
cease to appoint when a test has re
vealed its inexpediency.
She is to exercjse her ‘‘judgment
iu the case. Ther is a deeper signifi
cance in this quotation than the mere
‘•how to appoint presiding elders." It
tells us also when to appoint them,
when it is necessary,” and this
word “necessary,” applies when the
system is in operation as well as when
it is not If she fails to appoint after
having operated the system, it is but
the exercise of her “judgement,” net
multification, disloyalty, nor disestab
' lisbment. To disestablish, the system
most be removed, not presiding elders.
There is a nice distinction' here. The
system is one thing, and the presiding
elder another By the action of the
conference, the system remains in
\ Statu quo, but inoperative, and its op
eration is left to the judgment of the
Annual conference. What does the
“organic law” expressly prohibit ? I
answer, the doing away with quarter
. Jy Annual and General conferences.
JIDoes it fdso prohibit the doing away
with the District conference? Not in
the same manner, since the Quarter
ly, Annual, and .General conferences
are permanent institutions, subject to
no discretionary conditions, (the
judgment of the Annual conference,)
cannot in the light of reason, be re
garded a permanent institution, and
is therefore liable to exist or not exist,
just as the Annual conference may
determine. The fate of the District
conference in any case, depends u pon
the action of the Annual conference.
If there be any assumption,
over the “org a n i c la w” the
General Conference has done it,
since the Philadelphia and Baltimore
conference Las only exercised the pre
rogatives and privileges allowed by
the General Conference. The “or
ganic iaw” says, “you shall not do
away &c.,” the general conference
tays, you may exercise your judgment;
in the premises; and yet here is no
legislative antagonism—the underly
ing idea or the constitutional law has
been grasped and utilized in our gen
eral conference legislation; for in
the absence of a district conference
(as in our case), the Jaymeu, officials,
ministers in local and full orders,
have a court of appeal. Cau Bishop
Hood dispute this ? Then in what
sense has the privilege of appeal of
any class of members been destroy
ed or abridged by the annual con
ference action? cud if all, from the
few to the highest functionary, Bish
ops only excepted, in this district,
have a court-of appeal, how the name
of common reason, pan the terms of
the “organic law,” be nullified, or dis
establishment be effected ?
Inasmuch, therefore as no one is de
barred the privilege of appeal, the
question is narrowed down to this:—
have the aantial conferences the right
to discontinue the use of presiding
elders ? We are confident from the
construction of the law that they have.
The Bishop nominates or appoints
when he deems it prudent; he is not
compelled to do either, nor is the con
ference compelled to elect. To this
Bishop Hood must, assent.
So the action of our conference was
purely legal. We have what is tech
nically termed, presiding elders, ap
pointed by the Bishop, but they are
presiding elders which do not preside.
A presiding elder necessitates a dis
trict conference, otherwise they exist
merely in name. We are by no
means opposed to the presiding eider
system. Were I in the New England
conference I should be as strong the
other way. There it is needed, and
in the “fulness of time” it will be
needed here. Modesty and proper
respect forbid my further antagoniz
ing the opinion of my worthy and
able Bishop, unless he make a re
quest.
NOTICE!
Ms. Editor : Permit me to say
to the Annual Conference, Sunday
Schools and churches to hurry up
with the centennial donation and save
the banner. Send all moneys to
Rev. L C. CLINTON,
Lancaster,
Box 143, S. C.
Lancaster, July 8, '87.
NOTICE!
The Semi-Annual Session of th
Board of Bishops will convene in
Chattanooga, .Tenn., on Wednesday,
September 28th, 1887, at 12 m.
By order of the chairman,
; S. T. Jones, D. D,
C. R. Harhis, Secretary.
A VOICE FROM THE EAST
the Place of light.
BY REV. G. H. wkraiKGTON, T. IS,
NliW ENGLAND DISTRICT.
Mr. EraronMuch haft been said
for and against the Presiding Elder
System. I desire to pen a few practi
cal thoughts in Javor of the system,
-and my experience of' its workings
for the last filly two years, up to the
present. Fifty two years ago, Zion
Connection had but two Annual Con
ferences, ! namely, New York and
Philadelphia Conferences, and in
those two, there were but very few
station?, but chiefly circuits, and as.
there were but a few elders, they ac
ted in the capacity of Presiding El
ders, holding charges of stations, hav
ing two and three men under them as
licentiates traveling preachers, and
they doing that part pf the work that
could n )t be done by those preachers,
and they receiving for their labor
from one hundred to one hundred and
fifty dollars per year—and at the
hightest not over two hundred and fif
ty, and their licentiates not exceed
ing seventy five dollars a year, and
often lt-ss and working at their trades
and business during the week, and.
traveling and preaching Sundays, to
make our beloved Zion what it is. to
day. Your writer joined the Annual
Conference "that was ' organized in
Baltimore, 1841 under the adminis
tration ol Rev. Jacob J. Moore, the
lamented lit. Rev. ChistophCr G.
Rush presiding. I think there is but
one minister, uow living, beside my
self, who was in the organization of
that conference, and that is Rt. Rev.
J. J. Moore, D. D. I at th.tt time
was a licentiate traveling preacher,
and ! superintended the building of
the Spring street chapel under the
Presiding Elder system. Rev. Jacob
J. Moore ss my Presiding Elder
which church is now held by the Beth
el Connection. ' la lg46 I left the
South for my liberty; two years after
I became a member of the New En
gland Annual Conference the first
yeiar after its organization. At the
time the name of the circuits was
changed to mission fields, as we had
begun to form mission societies in the
conferences to assist missionaries in
their fields, but practically they were
under the preeiding elder system and
the first year I was sent out od a mis
sion field, as was also Rev. John F.
Lloyd, and the lamented Rev. James
Simmons was stationed at Bridgeport,
who was our presiding ejder. Since
that time I have filled every station
in this District, and served three years
as presiding elder in British North
America, on a mission field of one
thousand miles, having two men under
me as licentiates viz : Jos. G, Smith
and Thomas Davis. I succeeded
in organizing for or five societies, and
to day they are in a flourishing con
dition under the A. M. E. Bethel
church that has the Nova Scotia so
cieties in their church since then. Your
many readers will note that I claim
that the entire South that is now in
Zfen Connection has been brought in
throgh the labors of tbs Elders sent
out under the Presiding Elder’s sys
tem, duringthe late rebellion namely :
Bishop J. W. Hood, D. D. one of our
present Bishops, Rev. David Hill,
Rev. John Williams, and last the la
mented Rev. X J. Clinton, D. D.
These men, with many others, acted
in the capacity of Presiding Elders in
the establishing and organizing of so
cietiia and forming churches, over
which bur beloved Zion to day ir re
joicing. Now brethren, if we yfjsl^ to
condemn men plated in the position
of Presiding Elder, not qualified lor
the office, say soj but don’t let us
condemn a systqm that has done so
much for our, beloved Zion. Now a
few words in reference to the necessary
qualifications to lfill the office. It
should be a man paving the love of
the ( onnection ;At heart, willing to
make aacnfi&s m ^cuniary matters
in order to buildup the wast-j places
in Zion, and not ^ftok for the precious
doll ra but for the welfare of souk.
He ought to be thoroughly acquainted
with our church economy, and the
Discipline of the J same. Ho eh ould
seek to gain the tpve of his brethren,
and give proper notice to them of the
time to hold his quarterly conference,
and to be punctual himself, and preside
over his brothers in love as a father,'
and not as a tyrant; and should there
be any misunderstanding between him
and any of bis brethren, not to let
that misunderstanding appear in the
quarterly oonference, but settle it be
tween themselves some where else. I
think if this course were pursued there
would be no objeflffons offered b* any
one to the PfOstdfhg Elders system.
Now let mo gi*e jyon the practical
working of the wpjto in-this District
for the last three Ifeais. The Presiding
elder aud his m4n ne one in love, one in
practice and one|fi^jthe advancement
of the i ago-1 was
given the overnight of the following
charges as P. E ,—Boston, Provi
dence, Worcester, Attleboro,
Middletown, New Haven,
Bridgeport and Waterbury Mission,
Gambridgepert mission, Derby mis
sion, Norwich Mission, and Great
Barrington Mission. Since that time
these missions have become stations,
having fine chapels built in which to
worship, and ministers stationed there,
and the new missions added are as
follows: Meriden, Taunton, Danbury,
South Providence, Windsor, Haden
ville and Hamden mission, all brought
in under the Presiding Elder system.
The first year the presiding elder’s
salary was $33 but he worked up an
interest among the people and his
salary was increased to $400.00, and
this, year it is increased to $535.00,
and so wo believe •< in working up the
system gradually.. We gave you the
round sunt that has been raised this
conference year for building chapels
and paying debts on churches which
is $7,771.
ness and energy of
near, pastor of the
our large frame <
VIRGINIA NOTES
; Our church and property at this
point redeemed through the faithful*
Rev. Mack Ly
Rerkley circuit,
church that was
uum u_v xvbv. i). W. Bowe, but not
paid for ; for which cause the church
was sold and got into the hands of
others. Deacon Syuear was appoint
ed to this circuit two years ago, aud
he being determined to have a church
in Berkley, bought a site and was
about to build, when the owners of
the •former church
brother Mack, and sold him the
church upon the most reasonable
terms, the first payment having been
made and satisfactory arrangements
made for the balance. Rev. Mack
has met with grand success this year;
he recently held a two weeks protrac
d meeting, 19 were converted, 15
joined the church.
%
ch
was not standing room. There were
several converts ; the outlook for Zion
in Berkley is bright for the future.
Deacon Lynear is a good manager;
for which the members are well satis*
fied. This point from out observa
tion is very important in the interest
of our church. Too much praise can
not be given in honor of the noble
Christian way in which deacon Mack
has conducted the affairs in Berkley
in the interest of the connection,
Would to heaven we c >uld say the
same of the entire district.
Respectfully yours,
J. MoH. Farljsy.
SOUTH CAROLINA NOTES.
BY REV. G. W. CLINTON.
T herewith send you a copy ©f the
minutes of our Sunday School Con
vention. I wish you- to please insert
the following notice in the Star. :
Brother ministers and Sunday
school superintendents of the South
Carolina conference: It a fiords me
pleasure to inform you that our Con
vention minutes have been published
in neat pamplet form. Besides the
daily proceedings they contain the ex
cellent essays and addresses delivered
before the convention, the Constitu
tion of the convention and the consti
tution of the Home Mission Board.
The minutes contain 33 pages of mat
ter, worth 50 cents to any true mem
ber and lover of the A. M. E. Zion
church. The cost of publishing the
minutes is $29.00- The convention
placed only $6.10 in our hands, and
we have only received 40 ots. since.
The whole responsibility is resting
upon the president. We have paid
all of the bill, but $14 00 and we hope
that the ministers will come to the
rescue. Brethren, I have paid $27.50
of my individual money on our confer
ence minutes this year, and $11.00 on
the Sunday School convention min
utes. Will you not come to the res
cue and help me in this time of need ?
If you will-send in the money requir
ed I will forward you the minutes.
You need the minutes for your Sun
day schools, and the Constitution of
the Home Mission Board for your
own guidance. There never was a
time when Home Mission funds were
more needed. Elder Hinton will
ueed $300 the 1st day of Oct, to make
the final payment on his lot He
needs money now very badly. The
work in Columbia is prospering be
yond onr most sanguine expectation.
Elder Hinton has received into
Ziou connection a good frame church
with the pastor and forty members,
five miles south of Columbia. His
mis sion in the city has grown so fast
that he has beeD compelled to arrange
to add ten ft more to the chapel which
was 30 ft long when erected. C«me
to the rescue every lover of Zion,
north, east, south and west. Unless we
raise $300.00.by the 1st of Oct., we
may lose our all in Columbia. Let
each minister raise the $5.00 asked
for, and our friends abroad do what
ever they will. Send all money to
Rev. I. C. Clinton, box 143, Lancas
ter 8. C. Send for minutes, of Rev.
G. W. Clinton, box 33 Union, S. CT.
*
A rising Zion star eclipsed by death
Rev. Z. W. Cloud, one of our mo«t
promising, intelligent and progressive
young men fell asleep in death at 4
o’clock p:m Sunday, Sept. 4th 1887.
He died in the full triumph of Chris*
tiau faith. He leaves a circuit which
he had lab .nred arduously to upbuild
against adverse circtftastances, and a
beloved wife and, three dear children.
You, shall hear more of him later,
‘ w^ ^ -A \ t- „ T' ■
I - - -—— -- ,
I Elder Blake has repaired his church
in handsome style, for the ensuing
Annual conference which is to con
vene on the 3rd instead of the 2nd
Wednesday in November.
*
ftev. T. P. R, Moore closed a very
successful campmeeting a few days
ag ; several persons were happily con
verted, five being ] romising young
men of Cedar Grove church,
*
Our summer revival closed last
week adding 50 persons to our church,
21 ef whom have made profession of
religion during the meetings.
He
Mrs. Amanda Ingram, mother of
student, Jf. I. Ingram departed this
life a few; days ago. She was the
able leader of the Auxiliary Ladies
Home and Foreign Missionary socie
ty at Mt. JZion church.
I NOTICE.
The Goldsboro A. M. E. Zion dis
trict conference and Sunday School
convention will assemble in the beau
tiful thriving town of Greenville, N.
C., on the 25th day of October, 1887,
and continue in session three days.
The first two days will be devoted to
the business of the conference and the
third day to the Sunday School con
vention. Rev. A. F. Moore and his
members asked for the conference to
meet with them ; secondly a majority
of the ministers favor meeting at
Greenville; thirdly, there has been
no connectional gathering of any
kind there for years.
Ministers will come prepared to
make settlement for the minutes, also
remember the assessments made by
the annual conference for the church
es at Raleigh, and at Kittrell. Why
not let this be the banner district in
all things ? for the joy of Zion is our
strength.
Rt. Rev. Bishop J. P. Thompson,
Hon. John C. Dancy, and others are
expected to be present and take part
in our deliberations. v
Yours for prompt meeting at ten
o’clock am.
J. H. Mattocks.
P. S.: If the water happens to be
low at Wilson, N. O., go to Green
ville by conveyance the dirt road. All i
local elders, deacons and preachers, vf ?,
or members of the district conference
also Superintendents of Sunday
Schools.
4-t J, H. Mattocks, P. E.
THE WORK *IN FLORIDA.
BY 8 L MCrONALD.
Mr. Editor: Please allow me
space in our Star to say that Florida
is not dead. We are living and liv
ing for Zion. Having just returned
from district conference, I will say
that the outlook for Zion is grand.
We had our district conference 150
miles east of this place at Cottondale.
That is a fine countiy. Farmeis
make plenty of cotton, corn and vege
tables of all kinds. The pastor is do
ing a good work; Rev. W. A. Baine
has put up a common church and. is
now getting ready to build another.
Sister Mollie L. Goodwin a worthy
member of our church has donated
the ground and as much timber as
will be needed. Would to God that
we had a few more such sisters. I am
doing very well in the city. There is
a good deal of sickness at this tin*..
We had a pleasant time and the pre