Newspapers / The Star of Zion … / July 15, 1897, edition 1 / Page 1
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ORGAN OPJTHE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL, ZION" CHURCH IN" AMERICA. *■ r .i - ' - ■■ . " —-. , 'I .' , , , . : ^ .... .■■■; ' . .: .- ' ■ ■ .. VOLUME XXI. CHARLOTTE, N. C„ THURSDAY, JULY 15,1897.. NUMBER 28 MISSIONARY WORK Bishop J. B. Small la .Africa—Our Part In The Mission Field. BY REV. D. C.^ COVINGTON. We suppose by this time that Bishop J, B. Small is upon the dis —tant shores of Africa, our father-land. It takes a man with a consecrated heart to God and a deep love for suf fering humaniiy to risk his life among savage, ignorant and superstitious races. Nevertheless they must have the light of the cross. Bishop Small exem plied the face by the blessed ex ample of going. He is in line with the evangelic prophet who exclaimed, “Here am I, send me.” The cry for the gospel and Chris tian enlightenment in the dark con tinent of Africa and other heathen lands is growing louder and longer each day. The great A. M. E. Zion Church cannot afford to turn a deaf ear to this awful cry which comes from the black sons of Ham. The prayers of the whole Church should be sent up in behalf of Bishop Small while out upon the dark fields of Af rica, and for the interest of God and Zion. All that the Church needs to day is more consecrated men and women who are willing to "hazard their lives for the spread of the Redeemer's kingdom. Theye is Avast amottnt of work to be done at home and abroad; and the greatest of all questions which come up before us as a Church to-day is that of her mission work. We find it to be the uppermost question among the other great Churches of this age,-and it must be the watch word of Zion. Should our great Church allow herself to stand back, and sneer and jeeij at the thought of sending men and women to Africa ? She will awake some day in the fu ture and find herself a back number. *• Our Lord and Master commanded Hik'disciples to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every crea ture,” etci We should like to know if Africa is not in the world. There is no question about it as we see it. Zion must send missionaries to Afri ca and other foreign fields. The question might be asked' by some, “How is the Church to do this?” I answer by saying that, plans must be put on foot to raise money and con secrated men and wTomen sent. We notice that the other great Churches are making advance steps in this one direction; The following clipping from the New York Age will give us an idea of what the Beshel Church is doing along this line : Missionary Meeting at Bethel Church. —On Tuesday evening of last week a meeting of the Missionary Depaitment of the A. M. E. Church was held at Bethel Church on West 25th St. ‘Bishop A. Grant called the meeting to order and introduced Bishop H. M. Turner, who presided and made a good address on the work of the Department. Bishops Lee, Embry and Salters also spoke. One of the most interesting features ^occupying the attention of this Depart ment of the A. M. E. Church at present is the plan to send missionaries and teachers to what is practically a new field, their work being almost wholly confined to the country of Liberia in West Africa. This new work will be among the savage tribes which are lo cated near Lake Nyassa in the interior of Africa. This work, unlike most Af rican mission stations, promises results from the start, as the board has received communications from the chiefs of sev eral of the tribes which inhabit that lo cality, through an intelligent young na tive of the Ajawa tribe by the name of John Chillembue, who became a convert to Christianity in an English school in the Nyassa neighborhood, and who has been at the headquarters of the Mission sionary Department of the Church at the Bible House, New York, for some time. Secretary of Missions H. N. Parks, said that a missionary party of three will be sent to the Nyassa region, but it was not probable that they would leave before January 1. The party will consist of a minister, a physician and a nurse. The tribes which made applica tion for the missionaries are the Ajawas, Mangolos, Chikundas, Manganjas, Chip etas, Atongas and Angonis. The above shows that the Bethels are not asleep to the interest of their missionary work. Zion is regarded as being one of the most progressive Negro Churches in this country; and it is a fact that- cannot be disputed that Zion is the oldest Negro Church in existence. It is expected^ then , that she will lead along every line. .Our General Missionary and Church sion Secretary, Dr. A. J. Warn er, should put himself iu direct touch Zion minister in order ;hat there might be a great financial revival for the cause of missions ihrcaghout the whole Church. We igai n quote the doings of Bethel’s an nua, meeting of her Missionary So net/ held in New York: “J .t the annual session of the Home and Foreign Missionary-Department of Beth el C lurch, the headquarters of which is in t Jiis city, there were present Bishop 3.11. Turner, the president; Bishop B. F. 3 .ee, Wilberforce, O., Chancellor of Pay le Theological Seminary; Bishop M. B. Salter, Charleston, S. C.; Bishop J. C. Emi ry, of Jacksonyille, Fla.; Bishop W. B. Derrick, of New York; P. W. Wade, if l ittle Rock, Ark., presiding elder of ;hat district; Dr. H. S. Coleman, of Jacl :sonville, Fla., presiding elder of the Livo Oak district, and G. D. Jimerson, 3mi hfield, Ya. They are members of ;he executive committee of the board, assembled to hear and consider the reports of the Secretary relative to mis: ions in San Domingo, Hayti, Barba dos ), Canada, West Indies, South Amer ica and Africa. Among the important mat ;ers that were considered was the new Mission House in Monrovia, Libe ria. Secretary Parks reports showed tha< the amount of money realized dur ing the past year, $6,814, was con srib jted by the Church for African mis liois. The board decided to spend £2,2 X) for a Memorial Chapel in Monro via; Liberia; $2,300 for the expenses of ;h6 annual conference of the board to be iel( next year at Sierra Leone; $1,600 for missionary work in British Guiana, ind $1,800 for work in San Domingo, rhi se appropriations were also decided ipen: South Africa, $1,000; Canada, ^1,200; the Barbadoes and Demerara, ^1,£ 00; Nova Scotia, $1,000; Bermuda, ^50>. This made the sum total of ap propriated for the year $11,400. Bishop rui ner will sail for South Africa to look ive • the fields for missionary work, and Bis iop Grant will go to the West Coast sf j Africa fdr the same purpose. ’he above figures speak very com plifnentary for Bethel, if there is any rea lity about them. Read Bishop Writer’s ringing address to the West eri; New York Conference which ap peared in last week’s Star. Among other things he said: “The next gnat effort of our Church must be in the interest of our Church Extension and Missionary Department. Our crj l from now on must be more mis sicnary and church extension money.” Brethren, read this wonderful ad dress and become inspired. Let us alto think of the home missionary w<rk to be done here among us. Think of the field to which Bishop Jehu Holliday has been sent to labor, Wien we read his article in the Star of July 1st,* we said: “Oh, how m lch do we need money, and good m m in order that strong churches mght be planted in that section for Zi pn.” We feel safe in saying with a st ong man at the head of our Missionary and Church Extension Department like Dr. Warner, the c£ use will be carefully looked after. L it the brethren encourage him. Charlotte, N. C. By chance 1 read your paper oc-. c£ siqnafty. It is one of the finest I h> we ever read. I am agent for - the Indianapolis Freeman and would li re to take the agency of your b: illiant paper. The St. John A. M. E i Zion church located ' on George si reet under the able pastorate of Rev. Eh R. E. Wilson is doing a great wbrk. Dr. Wilson is just the rr an, for Cincinnati and his large con g ‘egation is much pleased with him. E,e is a man of ability and Zion s’lould feel proud of him. ifev. J. I. Moreland, the founder of St. John c lurch, was in the city shortly after centennial to visit his family. Cincinnati,' 0. H. B. Brooks. ; The 27th of January our church v -as honored with a visit from our es teemed Bishop G. W. Clinton. All i earts were aglow because of his pres «nee. Notwithstanding the weath er was severely cold the auditorium (f old St. Mark Zion church was (ompletely filled by 7.80 p. We 1 ad arranged a unique reception for 1 im and the program represented by I he various working clubs of the (hurch began promptly on time. ' Sach society had either contributed to eome new improvement on the i hurch or to the pastor’s comfort. The Bishop was introduced and made fi warm response to all he had seen I .nd heard, commending in the most ’irofusive terms the work of these Various organizations, calling upon ill to be loyal to the claims of their thurch. He said I thought this was in “Ideal Pastor” ana an “Ideal ; church,” Hie remarks were re vived with marked demonstrations if approval by all, after which we partook of an' eloquent repast pre >ared by the board of Stewardesses. Athens, Term. Rev. H. L. McKinney. ■ ' .... - ■ ' 1^ RANDOM_SHOTS. Unexpected Encomium—Let Not Praise Turn Our Heads. BY REV. W. H. MARSHALL. The recent conference of the A. M. E. Zion Church in this town was a splen did exhibit of the moral and intellectual progress of the colored people since emancipation. In slavery days a colored preacher was looked upon with a sort of Christian disdain, but the pulpit efforts of the colored clergymen in the pulpits of Chambersburg last Sunday were reve lations of eloquence to congregations that had heretofore listened only $o white pastors. The fact that the black preachers were invited to occupy the pulpits-of their white brethren was in it self a sign of mighty revolution in pub lic sentiment. It was a proof that the white people have broadened in their sympathies and rid themselves of some of the unchristian prejudices that were once almost universal, as well as an ex-, hibition of extraordinary development and growth on the part of the colored Methodists.—Chambersburg (Pa.) Pub lic Opinion■ • Steady! Steady!! Boys, steady! 1! Another community has awakened to the fact that the Negro in the dying hour of this century is not the same helpless, ignorant, hopeless creature who in despair saw the present cen tury ushered into being. Another community has learned that the slave of ’61 is no more the freeman of ’97 than the savage, whom Julius Caesar found roaming over the British Isles, is the proud Lord during the Beign of Queen Victoria. Another communi ty has opened its eyes to behold no longer a cringing Negro, but a man, black though he be, asking no quar ter, seeking no favor and desiring nothing but to be let alone and t6 be given the privileges to which an American-born citizen is rightly en titled. Great is the distance from the auction-block, the slave-pen, the rice-swamp and the cotton-fields of the sunny South to the pulpits of the cultured whites of Pennsylvania; and that in so incredibly short time the journey should be accomplished is perhaps the greatest marvel of an age so remarkable for its achieve ments. History is being rapidly made in these days. The Negro has capacity; and he 'is therefore but the legitimate off-spring of an age of won ders. Though Chambersburg, Phoenix like, arose from, the ashes into which it had been burned by a guerrilla band of Confederates; though it marked almost the Northern limit to which rolled the waves of Rebellion; though its homes, halls and streets were made historic by that Prince of America and “Comrade of the -Cross,” John Brown; and though such orators of our race as Day and Douglass had plead there thirty years ago—yet, singularly enough, the city was full of “unchristian prejudice” against thei Negro; and the best defense the city conld make for the 'prejudice was that “it was almost universal.” That this city, the Pearl of the Cumber land Valley, bears witness to the “ex traordinary development and growth on the part of the colored Methodists” is indeed gratifying. It is impossible to always cloae the eyes to merit. Prejudice has no foundation upon which to stand when ignorance has been destroyed. Not only in Chambersburg, (which indeed was no worse than the rest of the State), but everywhere, the peo ple’s opinion of the Negro is chang ing; and the day is not many decades away when this country shall be ashamed to know that it was ever un fair to those who in spite of injustice, were always ready to die on the field of battle to preserve the nation’s honor and it& liberty. * * * * * But the victory is not yet obtained. Why, boys, you’ve only driven back the skirmish line. The main body of the fiendish “Army of Unchristian Prejudice" with unbroken ranks and strong fortifications is just beyond. Don’t stop! Don’t let a little praise (deserved though it be) turn your heads! Don’t throw down your arms and rush forward crying, “Vic tory ! Victory !!.” Steady ! Steady ! ! Boys, steady !! ! Look around you. See, here; there, everywhere your people dying for want of knowledge and moral training. See our poverty compared to the wealth of' others. Then go to work as you never worked; people, “We !<re as far advanced aa any one else.** It ia not ao, boys, and you know it. Our greatest bat tles are yet fa be fougbt. Pot on, keep on the panoply of war. Pray, preaob, study,'work, economize ! Steady ! Steady!! Boys, steady !!! -- * ♦ - THE SERYjC^TIIAT PAYS. PERFORM THL LITTLE DUTIES, AND THOSE IMMEDIATELY AT HAND. BY REV. FRANCIS H. HILL. Some people find that in order to do what they regard aa the work of their lives, they have to go some great distance to begin; but it is not so with the minority of people. _ The majority will ind the work of their lives lying near at hand. Even where they st^nd, there it begin* What fault is there more common, and to poor mortals so easy, as mark ing and pointing out the mistakes of others. If the^ be Weak in any point, we spy*it out, .as'it were with an eagle's eye, and make it plain to the eyes of others;.and then in the “I am holier than thou” spirit Bet out to correct that and the hundreds of others we discover in them. It may not be wrong for one to correct the mistakes and faults of an other; bat it is duty to correct the faults of self. It may not be as easy to see one’s own faults as those of another; or to conduct our own homes, our own business, our own church as well as we often think we could manage some one’s else; but it is duty that we should. And men will give themselves any amount of worry and trouble, only to be the doctor of other people’s deformities; and almost immediately abandon every effort t6 correct their own, looking for some other, 'and what they regard as greater work to do. In the church, that member who finds his duty nearest at hand and can always Be depended on for sup port and service, and who does not stand idle, waiting for the opportu nity to come for him to do some great thing, is filling his life’s measure to a grandjgood purpose. Few, if any, men live to any purpose who live only to do the great things of life; fe.w, if any, members of our churches contribute their proper and lawful service to the church who act only in some great crisis in the church. Among us as ministers of the gos pel we find some who in their desire to achieve success in their calling, and to gain fame, it may be, are looking far away to other fields, neglecting the duty of cultivating that field, the church, that little world in and about them. That minister is most useful and most suc cessful who labors faithfully in that one field in which he is set. That member of the church is most useful and successful who willingly, gladly and lovingly performs each duty in turn, whether it be small or great, to the glory of God, the upbuildin'g of the church and a benefit to his fel low man. He whose life is consecrated to the duties and service immediately at hand will have joy in his life. And they are the happiest Christians who are always fining something to do for the blessed Master. To him the world appears to. be, and really is, growing better every day, because every day he is doing something to make it so. He knows nothing of that anxiety and disappointment which many others feel who are al ways sighing and pining to do the occasional, the remote and unreach able thing. The man who is always seeking to do the great things, and always failing in the attempt, will become weary and dishearted; but the man who daily proceeds on life’s journey doing the little things, and doing them well, one after another, patient ly, cheerfully and faithfully, will find always something to do that keeps his h^art glad, and makes the hearts of otl .ers to rejoice. Brighter and brighter shall the - light of glory shine around him, until the final hour of his life si all come; and when in the glorifie^ .presence of the Lord he shall stand,' then shall he hear the blessed wo'ds of welcome—“Enter thou into ti e jpy of thy Lord,”—and realise, tllroughout eternity, the 0reatnenM.. t u> crr&ndeur and worth of of Gk>d in forever the CHARLOTTE DISTRICT. Hard Working Ken .Who Are True As Steel To Zion’s Interests. BY BEY. H. L. SIMMONS, P. E. I have made the second round on my district in the Western North Carolina Conference which is much improved with: n the past six months. Clinton chapel, Charlotte, is now recruiting from the long and tedious law-suit for her retention in Zion. Too much canr ot be said of our be loved Bishop Lomax, who was then And is now our presiding Bishop. His material stftngth and timely counsel were a great stay for Zion. He is still looking to her several in terests. Rev. R. H. Simmons, D. D., was the pastor is charge during the great church fi ght here. His excep tional knowledge of law, both in Church and State, and the tenacity with which he holds td what he be lieves to be right, reflect much credit jupon, him. It is thought by some that it was a -God-send that he was the- man in charge at that time. There had bee a some unrest with oc casional threa;enings long before his pastorate of this church, hence there could have been no better time for the break. The members of his church also deserve much commen dation for their loyal support ren dered him anc. the church. Rev. J). C. Covington succeeded him here and is doing nicely. He has added nearly a hundred mem bers to his ch irch since conference. His church is full at all the serv ices. He anl his members have raised • considerable money on the debt of the church, etc. He is much loved by his people and is a good pastor. Rev. R. B. Bruce, in charge of Grach church, is serving his third year and seems to grow stronger with his people. He and they are very successful in their financial rallies. They anticipate building a fine brick church in the ne.ar future. f Rev. H. B. Moss has had charge of the Little ltock church here since last-conference and is succeeding most admirably. When he took charge they were veiy much in debt to a first and second claim on the building and Jot. H( and his people have paid off the fi 'st claim and are now getting ready to pay off the second. He is giving lerfect satisfaction. Rev. S. hi!. Pharr, in charge of Center Grove circuit, is succeeding grandly. He is raising money to build a new church on his work and also remodel another. He is a great worker and a good pastor. * Rev. Wm. Massey, in charge of Little Hope church, is doing nicely.* He is quite an enthusiastic preacher and warms up his people from his pulpit. The/ love him very much. He promises :o raise all Connectional claims. and never people are’wi Eev. W. It Moore’s San< and gives > Rev. H. B. Bennett pastor of Weeping Willow and Steel Creak, has been very successful this year. He has conducted very excellent re vival meetings in his charge and has had great many accessions and con verts. Rev. B. F. Martin, D. D., pastor of Jonesville cl urch, is a - very strong intellectual p reacher, and to this end i§ capable of anything in the gift of He is making it nicely serving his second term in the China Orove sta tion. He has also organized a mis sion on the east side of the cjty of Charlotte, that part o? the city called Brooklyn, 'die outlook is fair for a good church lere. He is taking steps to pay for the lot and asks for the co operation of ill the pastors in and out of the city and friends in general to help in hi) rally to be on the 4th Sunday in July. Rev. D. E. Best has charge of. Rockwell station. He is getting along very well with his people since the Spring hia opened up. They are giving him a full house and a better support. V\1 Rev. M. \Oaldwell has charge of Jonahville circuit. He is a hustler ils to succeed. His pleased with him. exander in charge at is a good preacher as a pastor.'' at con Rev. S. W. Jackeon is serving his third term on the Pineville circuit. He is moving along quietly in his charge. The outlook is favorable for a great harvest at the end of the year. Rev. H. S. McMullen is a model pastor. He has charge of the flow ing Glade circuit. He is a success wherever he goes. He is doing nice ly in his charge and will make a good report on all lines at the ensu ing conference, God willing. Rev. F. L. Bell pastor of Biddle circuit, is doing as well as could be ex pected, or as well as any that pro ceeded him. This circuit by some means has never been thrifty since my knowledge of it. We hope for the better. Brother John Hunter has charge of the St. John’s and Greenville mis sions and is doing very nicely at St. John’s. He having purchased a good lot there expects to build a church in the near future. Brother J. G. Williams in charge of New Bethel mission is succeeding nicely. He has made some improve ments on the little church and had f ome accessions. We hope to beat the record on Children’s Day in the Charlotte District. We are giving all possible encouragement, to the collection of our General Fund, The Western North Carolina Conference is assessed $2,000 to be raised thi^ear. I have great hopes that the Charlotte district will raise her part according to mem bership. I take the opportunity to say to the brethren of this Conference that I received several weeks ago from Rev. B. F. Wheelar, D. D., a very neat and well arranged album in which to deposit silver presentations to the Rt. Rev. J. W. Hood, D. D., between this and the time of his 25th anniver sary of the Bishopric in our beloved Zion, to takA place at his home in Fayetteville September next. I have furnished nearly all" the ministers in my district and they have taken some to present to whoever will take part to this end. I still have some on hand and will send to any address one or more with the Bishop’s self addressed envelope. Send a two cent stamp with order for the book.. Now is the time for an expression of our appreciation of that great man whose worth to the Church no man can calculate and whose labor for race elevation has been untiring. Charlotte, N. C. HEWING TO THE LINE. BY S. A. LEAK, JR. I see so many communications in the Stak and so few from this place antil it looks as if Pine Bluff is notin it. I am glad that Bishop Hood has called a halt on the personalities used by some of our writers. I saw a great long letter some weeks ago in the Stab from Asbury Park, N. J., in answer to a letter from Lancaster, S. C., full of strong personalities. Correspondents must follow in the footstep of our bishops. If somebody in North Carolina writes about honorary degrees, somebody from somewhere else in the next issue of the Star is going to phoot off a big gun of personality. Some of us take great pleasure in blowing off through the Stab. We forget we don’t know it all. Some writers make regular mule-daddies of themselves in try ing to make small of some one else who ofttimes is our superior in every particular. " ^ As a colored race we will never be a people until we stop . writing such foolishness. It will not cost any more to write privately to the person than it does to write to the Stab. Some of our young fellows are so ambitious to hurry to the Stab to let the readers know you are living. You must learn to practice race-pride. Don’t you let your education tud away with yonr good judgment. I see in the Stab where the Editor says long letters will be boiled down. We hope he will boil down some ol you young fellow’s tomfoolery, or better still, light his cigar with them. Take Bishop Hood’s advice. Stop and con sider. . „ , Pine Bluff, Ark. WBTUfMPgA DISTRICT. It Must Lead The Other Alabama Dis tricts Oa All Lines. BY REy. JOSEPH GOMEZ, P. E. Almost without exception the work is encouraging. The brethren all se?m more determined to make this the most successful year of any cf the past. - , : Rev. P. W. Laramore, at Wetump ks, is not only holding his own, but is grandly pushing the workonwrirds. .Elder A. W. Williams, at Bibbtown, has made another payment of $55 on that church and is hopeful of soon ’ making a still larger payment. His church is increasing in numbers and i« interest. Elder Williams is a stir ring man in Zion. •Brother C. T. Green is pastor of tl-e Oak Grove circuit. He is one of the elders truly loved by his people arid is endeavoring fo finish Troy Chapel and add new life to the whole circuit. Brother F. H. Alston is one of our coming young men. He has the Pike Road circuit. He is arranging to repair Zion Pilgrim, and he says that — his wants to get all of that property ■tb our Connection this year. May God bless his efforts. Rev. E. M. Brooks is holding his 0 wn on the Mt. Meigs circuit. He is building up in every right way and . i$ adding to our Church members throughout the circuit. He is a good manager and a good preacher. Rev. J. Goode is pastor of Chehaw circuit. ' He is doing the best he can there. Because of bad weather dur ing Winter he lost some ground, but 1 t is hoped that he will regain it soon<^ j Rev. Robt. Taylor is holding the fort on the Tallassee circuit. He is one of Zion’s good preachers and is planning to build a church at Frank lu. He has many good offers and promises made him by both white and colored citizens of that community* '' ’ -v-;t ; Sweet Gum circuit is pastored by that zealous, strong and excellent preacher, Rev. J. H. Hubbard. He 4 holding erery thing together on • that circuit and has considerable money on band to remodel Mt. Zion church, which when done, will be an ornament to our Connection in that place. ' >; Ft. Hull circuit is held by Elder J. S. Chambliss, He knows h“ow tp make one happy who 'visits his work. He is a man of noble qualities, a good example. He *is en- - %eavoring to rebuild at Howard School House. ; That pious, energetic and far-see ing man, Rev. J. C. Laramore, holds Cotton Valley circuit. He is raising = fioney to finish payments on •Fine drove church that he completed thg^ building'of last year, and has pur chased the material pith which to complete the ney church at Liberty ter-~ ; Hev. D. D. Green, pastor of 'Walk er Chapel circuit, is bringing things together there in a splendid manner. This is his first year on that work. He is completing a new church build ing. Brother Green is a most excel lent man and truly a Christian gen tleman. r St. Luke circuit is under the pas toral care ofjiev. T. R. Rodgers. He iiaS not been able ’to give all the time accessary to make his work a com plete success, but he has done a good work under the circumstances. ■■■ Elder Gill is pastor at Pine Grove circuit No. 2. Because of Elder Gill’s sickness, and bad weather, he has been prevented from doing as much as he would have done under chore favorable circumstances. « Our pleasant, reliable and up-to date brother, Rev. J. W. Billingslea, is rallying Zion’s army at Chrenshaw Zion. He is much loved by his peo ple and is doing well. Rev. C. F. Brown is another of our i intelligent young men who has the Verbena circuit. He is doing well there and carrying the work success fully onward. ' As relates to general fund and oth er Connectional interests, it is a com mon sayinf among the brethren that our district must hot fall behind, but must, if possible, lead, not only those of the Alabama Conference, but those of the State of Alabama. Tuakegee^Ala. . - v f
The Star of Zion (Charlotte, N.C.)
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July 15, 1897, edition 1
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