ORGAN
F THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL ZION CHURCH IN AMERICA.
Volume XXII.
'll i
Charlotte. N. C., Thursday, August n, 1898.
Number 34.
*
WOMAN ORDINATION.
An Onward Movement Always
Meets With Fierce Attacks.
UY iUSliOr -T. B. SMALL, A. M., I). D.
Mr. Editor : I am no controver
sial st;|. therefore, I refrained from
saving anything while the tire
!>uraed.1 notwithstanding a great
Merit of unnecessary things have
been said, called forth on account
of the ordination of Rev. Mary J.
Small to eldership in the Church.
It is true, when an advanced
.step has been taken, views for and
■against will be uttered, and per
<011'.ought to be (willing to hear
hotb sides of the question—when
there is a question: but it would do
no harm to individuals if they
would first understand themselves,
•understand circumstances, and un
derstand their subject before they
ni'h to show themselves to a dis
advantage to reasonable thinkers.
1 never have been, and hope never
to be a controversialist; for there
is nht one of a thousand person.
w ho do not succeed in changing s,
discussion from question to per
son; then harm is done—some one
<roes from the field feeling sore
and with some persons the sore
biess opens a eha^m which remains
during life. For this reason 11
keep out of discussions, but I feel
divinely called upon to give my
. views and opinion of the ordina
tion of women in the Church. W 3
think we are entitled to he* heard,
and ii there is one who inmKs
that Bishop Snjill ought to keep
< I'ii let,* we quietW shake our head.
Persons who have made a card
ful study of ti|e history of the
world, are acfijuainted with the
fad that every onward movement
til- progressive step in-the anna s
[of development meets with tieree
:,t t.wks from the thoughtful.(*);
and so much so,, that the rack has
.been called into requisition to
drush the very germ; and yet,
ijyements guided by the linger
Of Providence moved onward —
-f • ■
< s fnaiv said: “If it be of rGod ye
■ nihot overthrow it/’ He was
: hi. | :; > ’ °
Whan Galileo announced that
■IHe-earth is a sphere and moves
round tlie sun, he was brought
o inquisition, and compelled, at
ihe risk of his life, to kneel and
<■ nfess he was mistaken: but lis
from his knees, uttered ir a
■ idle tone: "Still it moves.” Ke
bbous bigots fwhipped the map >s
ies. and J>ade Jhem not to speak
a the name of Jesus of Nazareth.,
diese and a thousand other ques
tions have been.. fiercely foug ht,
■>t because thiey were wrong nor
dse. but because they were out of
b e ordinary course, and men at
tempted to obstruct the move
ments. Paul was honest enough
a confess: “I verily thought with
mvself, that I ought to do many
dungs contrary to the name of Je
ms of Nazareth, which thing I also
did in Jerusalem.” Many oi us
would not be candid enough to con
fers our ignorance.
But, to thy,question. Is it right
.! . - .
or is it against the declaration of
:he word of God to ordain women
to the; Christian ministry ?
Before proceeding, we are car
did enough to confess that it
would scarcely be for the good of
the cause of religion to throw open
the ministerial door, indiscreetly,
ambgo pell-mell into indiscrimi
nately ordaining women for the
Christian ministry—that has not
been done. My reason is a prob
lem of intricate nature: questions
of the kind ought to be allowed to
work themselves out gradually—
not rushed. We proceed:
Two things caused us to become
an American citizen—America’s
tenacious clinging to the Gospel of
Jesus Christ, and her fearless and
liberal recognition of her women.
In pur mind, these are the things
which will make any nation great;
and if this country persevere in
holding up these two principles,
nothing can keep her from stand
ing at the head of the nations of
the worl d—nothing ! noth ing!
nqtiiing ! If a man has nothing
better with which to baffle the suc
cess of a woman than oppressive
legislation—to legislate her to the
rear—he ought to be man enough
and honest enough to let her get
ahead of him—if she has the pow
er and force of character.
| ’ [continued in next issue.]
MRS. ELDER J. B. SMALL.
The Ship has certainly watched
the controversy between the two
factions of the Zion Church regard
ing the bestowing of elder’s orders
upon Rev. Mrs. J. B. Small with
interest and amusement as well as
indignation; and while we approve
kf Let your women keep silence in
thje churches ” as far as preaching
is {[concerned, yet, we do not admire
the spirit characterising many of
the brethren opposing Mrs. Small’s
appointment, unless the law of the
Cpurch—the written law—prohibits
It,! While ye editress does not ap
prove female preachers, she feels
that she nor any one else has any
right to say what profession Mrs.
Small or any other lady should
choose and adopt. Mrs. Small has
as much right to practice preaching
las she has to practice medicine, law
or any other chosen calling; and we
are of the opinion that envy, jeal
jousy and fear are keeping these
brethren “a cussin’” more than
anything else.
y For shame, gentlemen! A wom
an's duty is to fill her husband’s
place, profession, trade or any
kind of business in his absence,
find to be companionable in his
presence. To do this, she must do
what he does to a certain extent;
and as long as you brethren let the
women kill themselves working for
the preachers, you ought not let
fear of their surpassing you, cause
you to oppose their preaching, if
they so desire; and, too, brethren,
you are kicking5 too late! Sister
Small is already ordained. Ha,
ha, ha!—Bristol (Tenn.) Ship.
DR. DAY’S MOTHER.
-•
She Was The Embodiment of
Great and Noble Qualities.
BY MRS. BISHOP €. C. PETTEY.
[continued from east issue.]
In order to prepare the race for
the exercise of civil, political lib
erty and the freedom of the ballot,
it was essentially necessary that
they should be trained in the&School
of religious liberty for a nvimber
Re*. Wm. HOWARD DAY, D. D.
of years. To this end God ‘created
another star, mighty in magnitude,
in the person of Va^iak. Far
above his fellows he rose as tihfl
apostle of religious liberty. Thus
began the A. M. E. Zion Church
with Mrs. Eliza.Day as one of its
most polished and powerful oj>1
umns of support.
From early youth Eliza Dixon
was the embodiment of great and
noble virtues, rare qualities, capa
bilities and tendencies labled from
the day of her 'birth to aj future
fraught with great and glorious
achievements.
Reaching womanhood, she was
married to John Day, a sail-maker
by trade; but after a few short
tleeting years the. angel of death
o’ershadowed this happy home, and
ruthlessly snatched from the em
brace of Mrs. Day, her beloved
consort, leaving four small chil
dren to her care, and William
Howard, the youngest of the four.
Being a woman filled with Chris
tian zeal and piety, she heroically
braved her double responsibilities
and determined to rear her chil
dren up in the fear of the Lord,
and endeavored to instil within
them the principles of virtue and
morality. She never wearied in
pointing out to them the way, the
truth and the light, and led a glo
rious example along the path of
ri 2rht and duty.
Her labors were crowded with
abundant success, and she be
queathed to the world and to our
own Zion an immensely rich legacy,
in the person of William Howard
Day, D. D., who was born in the
city of New York, Oct. 16th, 1831,
and was baptized by Bishop Varick,
the founder of Zion Methodism.
Cradled and nurtured in youth
by a great and noble Christian
mother who recognized t he Father
hood of God and the Brotherhood
of man, it was but natural that
William Howard should rise pre
eminently above his fellows, and
shine as the brightest star in the
intellectual constellation which
gathered about him. He easily
ranks as one of the greatest, grand
est and noblest men of the nine
teenth century.
[concluded in next issue.]
TOPICS OF THE TIMES.
BY REV. W. H. DAVENPORT.
We have received through the
kindness of Rev. J. E. Rogers a
neat and well-edited “Annual
Summer Program of Ocean Grove,
New Jersey.” The program, if
not the best, is the first one of its
kind ever issued by the camp
meeting association. It contains
short biographical sketches of the
leading lights of Asbury Park and
Ocean Grove.
Among others is that of Hon.
Jas. A. Bradley, the founder of
Asbury Park, and the special
friend of our people; Bishop Jas.
N. Fitzgerald, the cri tic and schol
ar, who was profoundly impressed
with our exercises last year; and
that of the late Dr. El win A.
Stokes, who could not contain him
self after our first appearance on
the Ocean Grove platform. The
cuts of all the lead ing pastors' in
the community are published.
There are 21 cuts in the program,
all white except the sut of Rev. J.
E Rogers, pastor of the A. „AT.
E. Zion Church.
From this program we quote
the following: “The large colored
population in the vicinity of Ocean
Grove has provided itself with
many places of worship; chief
among them the A. M. E. Zion
Church, the oldest Church organi
zation in the vicinity, started in
1S72. The present pastor, Rev.
J. E. Rogers, is serving his sec
ond year, and doing good and last
ing work. Mr. Rogers is a cul
tured and scholarly gentleman, a
sweet singer and an evangelist of
no mean order.”
When we went to Dr. Stokes a
few years ago asking for, a place
on the program, In; did not know
the Church. He fad a vague re
collection of having heard the
name at sometime, but lie did not
know when nor where. We told
him who we were, and Bishop
Hood, with a calmness born of
greatness, impressed the venera
ble president that Zion would not
put to blush the friends of the As
sociation. We hf.ve been going
there ever since. Hitherto it has
not been necessary for us to make
apologies for a pour showing, and
on that account to petition for a
change of a very undesirable (Sat
urday), or to plead for an extra
service.
Elder Rogers is to be congratu
lated upon his success in meas
uring up to the requirements then,
and maintaining, : f not improving
upon the status of the Church. If
the reader will pardon this burst
of vanity, the writer will intimate
that no faithful history of the
Zion Church can now be written
without having him in it.
[continued in next issue.]
‘j I
CHURCH AND CLHRGY.
Succinct Reports Indicative Of
The Progress of Zion.
DOING A GREAT WORK.
Brackesville Sunday-school
yet progressing. It is leading the
lambs to Christ. The children!
spoke nicely on Children’s Day.—
Charley Johnson, Sharpsburg,
Miss.
—o— ;
Our beloved Bishop Lomax was
with us June 2bth and was greeted
with a crowded church. He preach
ed powerfully from Heb. 11:1, on
“Faith.” His comments were rich.
—Rev. D. C. Kyser, Gravella, Ala.
—o—
We had a grand time at Mt. Zion
church, June 24th, in a basket
meeting. Raised $11. Our pastor,
S. R. Lloyd, is the right man for
us. May Dr. Smith and Dr. Black
well live long to give us the noble
and readable Star.—Price Brown,
Warford, Ala.
On account of inconveniences we
could not have Children’s Day be
fore the second Sabbath in July.
The children met with theif nickels
and dimes and recited and chanted
lovely. Collection $3.55. Num
ber of children, 35.—Mrs. Thorn
ton Corrah, Wilmot, Ark. ,
I am doing all I can on all lines.
I raised $3.15 Children's Day mon
ey and sent same to Dr. B. F,
Wheeler. I have added nine mem
bers to the Sunday-school, making
the whole number 27. My circuit
includes Wade and Albion. You
may know I am not asleep.—Rev.
J. M. Jenkins, Wade, Fla.
—o—
At our district conference, Rev.
Y. Carr, P. E., Bishop G. W.
Clinton was present and delivered
the opening address on holiness.
Me advised the ministers not to
tight it. but to teach the people to
live it, but not as a “second bless
ing.''1 Elder Carr reported his
district in good condition.—E. D.
Brooks, Sebree, Ivy.
—o—
I have lately joined good old
Zion. I am a Zion descended from
my great, great grandfather and
mother who came out of the white
Church of New York and were in
the first Zion church organized in
that city. I was appointed by
Bishop A. Walters to the Arring
dale mission. I have bought land
and shall try to build a good church
at Burksville.—Rev. Sam’l B. W.
Trent, Belfield, Va.
—o—
Rev. L. D. Workman, of Shiloh
circuit, is a hustler. I passed by
Dresser after the storm had blown
down his little church, and found
him with his coat off working.
His church is going up. It is a ,
dandy, 30x40x14, and 16 windows,
fine alcove and a bell tower. It
will be the finest church on his
circuit. He has 30 members.
Bishop Lomax has but one Work
man.—By a friend, Montgomery,
Ala.