Newspapers / The Star of Zion … / June 16, 1898, edition 1 / Page 1
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»sp« ORGAN OF THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL ZION CHURCH IN AMERICA. Volume XXII. Charlotte, N. C., Thursday, June 16, 1898. Number 26. REDHOT CANNON BALL No Authority In Scripture For The Ordination Of Women. BY REV. S. A. CHAMBERS. I believe in keeping up with the times but I do not believe in gou ing too far ahead. It may become necessary in the far distant future to ordain women to ths office of deacon and elder, but it has not yet coffie and there is r o sign on the horizon which predicts that it ever will become a necessity. When any conference goes so far as to elect a woman to the of fice of an elder it oversteps its bounds, usurps authority backed up by reasons woven o it of frivo lous fabrics picked up here and there, r and neither oi which is scriptural. Christ sent c ut no wom en to preach, the apostles or dained none to the office of dea con or elder, and thei e is not a single line in the Old or New Tes tament which furnishes the slight* est evidence or casts the faintest light favorable to this lew prece dent. 5 The Bible is the highest author ity on earth and if we can get no {~ support from it, “to whom shall we go ?” The Bible only contains the information necessary for the government of the Chu ech. We have no Biblical authority to license a woman to preach and much less to ordain her to “Holy Orders.” Contrariwise, everyth 'ng we read in the Bible where woman is un der consideration in connection with the Church points to the con demnation of this self-authenti cated, self-authorized custom of licensing and ordaining women to ‘‘Holy Orders” which : s too vavory and flimsy to bear the slightest in vestigation. We only have Bibli cal authority to license and ordain men for the ministry and we should go to our divinely-fixed bounds and stop regardless of any | pressure that may be brought to * bear;from any side issue. Wo | maids work in the Church from the earliest dawn till now has been in subordination to mad; and that, too, in a strictly local capacity. Women can do good work in the Church, but not as de icons, elders, presiding elders and Bishops. The “New Woman” is becoming n#>st too new. If we just make another stride like the one recently made we will run clear by the North star, sit down in tunes yet to come waiting for these times to catch up with us. ‘The sun do move.” “Since there is no Biblical authority for ordaining a woman to “Holy Orders,” although it may be done by an annual con ference, is it not suill null and void? The whole act turns on a pivot pending nullification by the next General Conference. It is very obvious that tie ordination of a woman to “Holy Orders,” is nugatory. It is not the mere vote of an an nual conference which makes the ordination of a man valid but it is the Biblical authority behind. The next General Conference should toll the death knell of this petticoat ministry or fix such a lim it as will not leave an annual con ference guilty of transcending its bounds by ordaining women to “Holy Orders” without a scin tilla of evidence or authority from the Bible. I as much doubt a woman’s call to the ministry as I do my ability to fly. The novices of this self-imposed task must bring up the other side. The next thing it will be women pastors, presiding elders and Bishops, then we shall be “into it” up to our necks. We wTrite not out of prejudice towards the wo men or fear of rivalry in the min istry, but because of the absence of Biblical authority to warrant this course of precedure. Rock Hill, k>. C. ' MY CHOICE. BY BEY. W. L. JAMES. For bishops in 1900 I throw to the breeze these two heroes—Rev. W. SC Spencer and' Dr. J. Wa Alstork, of Alabama. They are able and worthy. I read valuable old Negro paper great delight. I am glad to we have so many able men are doing grand work. Prattville, Ala. HAVE REACHED AFRICA. Monrovia, Liberia, May 1,1898. Mr. Editor: Myself, wife and child, who are well, reached here safely May 2. We this day were formally received by the President and his cabinet. They are intelli gent and grand men. I am now in the full discharge of my official duties. I met the Star of Zion at Sierra Leone, Africa; it also awaited my arrival here. Respectfully yours, Owen L. W. Smith, U. S. Legation. NOTICE. Preachers of the Second Educa tional District: Rally this year as never before in the collection of Children’s Day. Lancaster High School and Clinton Institute have boarding departments and large attendance. Outside of the South Carolina Conference I did not re ceive a cent last year from the ministers of the other conferences in the above district. Brethren, I appeal to your loyalty and ask you to stand by these Connectional schools. They are all yours. Do not desert them. To prevent mis*, understanding send all Children’s Day money raised in this district to me as soon as collected. I will publish names and amounts in the Star.—I. C. Clinton, Lancaster, S. C. - ■ your with know wTho ZION’S EMINENT SONS Who Are Brilliant Scholars, Writ ers And Disputants. BY BIIUCIE—GRIT. If any doubt has existed as to the ability of the clergy of the Afri can Methodist -Episcopal Zion Church to defend the principles of their faith in cogent, clean-cut English that doubt has been re moved by the scholarly disquisi tions of the learned Bishop C. C. Pettey and Rev.<'\Mr. Jno. A. D. Bloice which have' appeared from time to time in the columns of the Star of Zion. Both of these ex cellent gentlemen have shown a familiarity and acquaintance with scriptural and historical theology which places tt;em in the front rank among the .advanced thinkers in the Negro Ch urch in America. As. controversialists, they have dis played not only great learning and great ability in the analysis of the points upon which they differed, but they have also shown that Negro gentlemen may differ and still be gentlemen. The whole discussion of the noted question as I noticed it was characterized by the utmost good fueling and cour tesy on the part o^ each disputant, and the public was treated to a battle royal by these knights of the quill which icannot but have a most salutary e’ffect upon the re ligious thought of the A. E. Zion clergy arid all others who have read their excellent and thoughtful papers. Both the Bishop and his doughty adversary, Rev. Mr. Bloipe are men of su perior minds and are ornaments to the noble profession to which they have consecrated their lives and their brilliant talents. Another bright mind in the A. M. E. Zion Connection is the good Bishop G. W. Clinton who strikes me as being a man of uncommon native and acquired abilities, with a' clear head and a ready flow of language. ][ have read quite a number of hisj public utterances in the Star or Zion and I very cheerfully testify to my high appreciation of his noble character as a Christian gentleman and to his 'loyalty as- a champion of the cause that neecfs defending. * * ' ■* * * * Then their is your Bishop A. Walters, than whom you have not in your entire Connection a man more superbly equipped for genuine hard fighting in an emer gency than he. His masterly and exhaustive delate with the Rev. John M. Henderson of New York a short time ago on the question of the antiquity of the A. M. E. Zion and A. M. E. Churches proved him to be a foeman worthy of any man’s steel and a leader whom any mar would be proud to follow. Knowing his ground so thoroughly, he approached the discussion with absolute confidence in his ability to, rout his opponent and to preserve to future gener ations unsullied and untarnished the traditions of the Mother Church. Bishop Walters is alf right. * * jk [ * * The gentleman with a French name who makes the sparks fly in the Star when lie's feeling well is one of your most entertaining and instructive contributors. I am very fond of Monsieur De Fondvielle’s rhetorical and eloquent flashes. He is a writer who commands at tention because he always has some thing to say and always says some thing. If the enlarged Star of Zion is fortunate enough to retain his eminent services as a special contrib utor to its columns it will go a long ways toward increasing its subscription list and in helping to make the Star of Zion one of the most attractive and entertaining religious newspapers in the coun try. Prof. De Fonveille is happy in the expression of bright and original ideas and is felicitous in thought. His “think thing” is built on correct principles and he thorough y understands its work ings. Long may he wave. Albany, N. Y. riORAL DUTY. * BY REV. E. J. BUTLER. Man is the masterpiece of God’s creation. God breathed into him the breath of life and he became a living soul governed by mind. Man is a twofold being. He did not commit the unpardonable sin, but the sin of sorrow; not death eternal, but temporal in this state. One of the first duties that wdf owe to Duraelves is to keep our bodies in perfect health. If they suffer with disorder our minds* will suffer with them, and we will be unable to make but little prog ress in knowledge because we will be unfitted to discharge our duties to others. Elmira, N. Y. Information comes from Irwin that the A.. M. E. Zion people are negotiating for the purchase of a beautifu site upon which they will, at an early date, erect a handsome church edilice. Rev. A. Gatter, who has charge of the mission ;here, raised recently at a camp-meeting over $300, all of which was used toward the secur ing of the place referred to.— Pittsburg Press. Rev. A. Mclver’s services at the A. M. Ei. Z.church will not be soon forgotten. It is said by those who heard him, that his efforts were grand and his sermons ex ceedingly reviving and spiritual. Rev. Molver is one of the strong men of his church and it would be well for the church to recognize this fact. The Reverend will go North this Summer and if he goes —well—the members of his church at Newton would like to know what struck them. Keep your eyes skinned.— Winston {H. C.) Herald. •' •o CHURCH AND CLERGY > - Succinct Reports Indicative Of The Progress 01? Zion. DOING A GREAT IwORK. — The series of entertainments given at the Old Ship A. M. E. Z. church has been very impressive. Five hundred dollars has been raised. The contract for remod eling the church has been let to Abe C. Caffey. The church when completed will cost $3,000. -Mont gomery {Ala.) Press. —o— Rev. K. T. Thompson, pastor of St. Paul A. M. E. Zion church of Little Rock, preached a very in teresting sermon, Dec. 26th, on duty of members toward their church. He is preparing to reno vate his church at great cost, for to entertain the next annual con ference, which meets there in No vember.—Morrilton [Ark.) Stan dard. * —o— Rev. Lang, former pastor of the A. M. E. Zion church of this place was in the city on Tuesday g,nd lectured to the young people at the A. M. E. Z. church. He has gone out to Sheran visiting one of his old churches out there. The Reverend is now pastoring at Kos ciusko and is reported doing a good work. We can sny for him, he is an ’honest and good preacher. — Canton {Miss.) Baptist Safe guard. Rev. A. L. Green who formerly pastored Pilgrim Rest Zion church at Whistler, Ala., has been ap pointed to pastor the church at Livingston, Ala. Rev, Green is an acceptable preacher, keeps pace with the times and loves the name of Zion. We bespeak for him abundant success in his new field of labor.—Mobile Weekly Press. Rev. T. H. Hall the Evangelist of the A. M. E. Zion Church, preached a soul-stirring sermon to our people last Sunday, all day and part of the week. He is a power indeed. We congratulate the Zion people in securing such an eloquent and logical minister for their pastor.—Raleigh {N. C.) Gazette. —O-H- : " 1 . Rev. J. W. Levy is a faithful minister, and we wish him great success in his ministerial labor. His people at the above named churches we believe will do their duty by him. Rev. Levy’s father and myself have sat together year& ago in conference on committees when his sons, Revs. Matthew and James were small boys. Brother Levy, preach on until you have completed your work here—Pee {N. O.) Herald. T 1 —O— Last Sunday, April 24th, was the occasion of the grandrally at Zion church. / For working pur poses the church was divided into two divisions, under the leader ship of S.. D.< Taggett and J. Barnes: rr As the result ;of their com l&ied efforts, $70.18 wa&raised. This sum was raispd on the. churchE debt. - Tuscaloosa \Aftt.) Ghronide. >>
The Star of Zion (Charlotte, N.C.)
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June 16, 1898, edition 1
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