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ORGAN OF THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL ZION CHURCH IN AMERICA.
Volume XXII.
Charlotte. N.
C., Thurstey, August a*;, 1898.
) Number 36
SEARCHLIGHT SCENES.
Rev. H. C. C. Astwood’s False
Claims—Church Statistics.
BY BEV. J. HARVEf ANDERSON, D. D.
‘4 Figures play fantastic tricks. ”
The sparse membership of the
Northern colored churches before
the war of the rebellion rendered
it easy to ascertain the exact sta
tistics; but immediately after the
war there was a low of Negro im
' migration from the South into the
Northern churches, and this ele
ment, while a fee der to the church
es, operated also as an uncertain
quantity since ot its instability. -
The im migrating freedmen were
either curiosity or employment
seekers, and changed residence in
the North as circumstances offered
advantage. This state of affairs still
obtains, but not to the same extent.
Many people fiom the South re
fuse to remove* their membership
North, it being uncertain as to
their remaining North, and many
others find it convenient to their
purpose and ideal of religious life
not to place themselves under
church responsibilities and obliga
tions, especially where their de
nomination is p Dorly or not repre
sented at all; and yet lay plausible
claim to church membership in a
distant part of the country, while
ma^ny others chim to be Christians
and church members in order to
find introduction into the best so
cial circles.
The unsettled state of affairs in
the South immediately after the
; war made it qui te difficult to ob
tain statistics of colored religion
ists as there was a rush of the
I Negro religious communities for
merly controls d by the individual
master and the white churches to
the independent Negro denomina
tions entering the South; and even
now, the deficiency among the
freedmen to in;ike and keep statis
tical or any other records operates
as a stubborn menace to securing
correct figures
The A. M. E. Church took ad
vantage of these confused condi
tions and began a system of exag
„ geration of her figures; and the
rapid flow to Ihe Zion denomina
tion because o:! her position on the
subject of slavery greatly alarmed
Bethel so that she made a contin
uous “jump” of numerical
strength to attract attention and
share honors with Zion in catching
members and churches in the re
ligious flood-tide.
Without studied estimate, com
putation or sui nmary she ‘ ‘j umped”
her figures so far ahead of the facts
as to completely disgust the more
conscientious men, as the late Bish
ops Payne, Campbell and Ward, and
• Revs. J. B. Stansbury, Hunter,
(formerly of Boston), Dr. Stewart
(formerly of Metropolitan, Wash
ington, D. C., now Chaplain in
the U. S. Army), J. H. A. John
son and many others, and placed
the Church i i humiliating, com
promising attitude before the rea
soning public.-\
It required the labor of ten years
and an expenditure of over two
hundred dollars to straighten out
the statistical accounts of the A.
M. E. Zion Church, previous ef
forts to facilitate the work notwith
standing, but it was thought better
to do this rather than give out
estimates; yet the estimates given
were but an item of difference to
the correct findings. The statis
tics of the A. M. E. Church are
still published by estimates and
given out in abnormal “chunks”
that shock the public sense of rea
son because of such reckless impo
sitiou of false claims; nor is this
loose system consistent with the
intelligence, progressiveness, and
“boasts” of this representative
Christian body of 3a race trying to
establish religious and moral char
acter.
If the A. M. E. Church would
follow the example of her elder
sister and establish a statistical
system commensurate with, her
possibilities, it would largely atone
for her spirit of exaggeration, and
the public would condone her er
rors and impose confidence in the
authoritative utterances of the
Church.
The Church published in 1896
over 600,000 members, .counting
baptized children, outsiders who
pay “dollar money,” the Christian
element from other denominations
worshipping permanently with the
local congregations and the strag
gling and floating membership.
All thescare reckoned together and
thrown out in “guess” numbers
which can appear in no other than
exaggerated figures, and “leaping
reaches” quadrennially; and it is
this method deplored by the ablest,
most influential and leading Bethel
Bishop, H. M. Turner, who says
his Church “ should stop lying.”
The withdrawal of the B. M^. E.
Church from the clandestine union
with Bethel lost to that Church
28.000 members. The withdrawal
in the Sawyer split has lost to it
18.000 more. The split in Georgia
and Florida, led by Rev. George
Hopkins, who has established an
independent church, is a loss of
50.000 more, aggregating a loss of
91.000 members. The member
ship in Africa is composed of na
tive poligamists and semi-Moham
medan population who are simply
“covered ” by the A.M.E. Church
with the understanding that they
retain their social and civil forms
“ regardless” of the doctrines and
Discipline of Bethel Church, the
power of the A. M. E. Church be
ing impotent to Christianize the
natives like the M. E. and A. M.
E. Zion denominations. This char
acter of membership, whatever its
numbers, is an uncertain quantity.
Should it become necessary, we
shall show the numerical strength
of Bethel. Just now it is not jus
tified. This little reminder may
occasion the Cuban Missionary to
leave statistics alone, especially
Zion’s.
Binghamton, N. T.
REV. J. T. MATTHEWS.
A Brilliant Divine— A1 Sketch of
His Life and Wfcrk.
A SUCCESSFUL MINISTER.
The subject of this sketch, Rev.
John T. Matthews, was. born Nov.
7th, 1863, in Calvin county, Mich.,
to Henry and Sus^n Matthews.
REV. J. T. MATTHEWS.
He attended the public schools of
his county. After the death of
his fatheir he was taken to Mill
Brook, -Mich., and from there to
Stanton in the Same State where
he was etiployed by a white fami
ly named Richards. In this fami
ly he received his first religious
training.. He was entrusted with
the affairs of his employer, being
the leading clerk in a hardware
store.
He afterwards moved to Johns
town, N. Y., where he was em
ployed as a coalman by Hon.
David A,. Wells. While in the
employ cf the above named gen
tleman be professed faith in the
Lord Jee us. At a revival meeting
under tha pastorate of Rev. C. D.
Hazel he joined the church and
served in every capacity from
trustee to looal preacher.
In 1892 Rev. Matthews was ad
mitted to the Genesee Conference
at Binghamton, N. Y. He was
afterwards appointed to our church
at Oneida where he served three
and a half years during which
time he was ordained both deacon
and elder by Bishop A. Walters,
(1894j-9£.) His success at this
point was unprecedented; his la
bors were blessed by a large and
glorious revival and many of the
present members were converted
and joined the church at this time.
He was married to Miss Sjpah
E. Leggins, which union hasbeen
blessed with one son.
In 18 36 he was transferred by
Bishop Walters to the Virginia
'Conference and stationed at Nor
folk where he is now serving his
second year. Since he has been
appointed to this charge the
church has been greatly improved
both spiritually and materially.
The me mber9hip has been greatly
increased. A large revival wave
swept over his church last Winter
which was said to have been the
largest for a number of years.
The church has been re-carpeted
and thoroughly renovated. The
increase of general fund last year
was $40 over previous years. The
pastor and congregation antici
pate rebuilding at an early date.
Plaris have been formulated and a
sinking fund has been started for
that purpose.
He has recently organized a V.
C. 1). Society which bids fair to
add much to the spiritual and
financial success of the church.
He is loved and respected by his
members and identifies himself
with all the movements of his city
which have a tendency to elevate
and improve the race. He has
won the esteem and respect of all
denominations by his Christian
bearing and pleasing manners.
He is attracting attention toward
Zioa in the city of Norfolk as nev
er before.
We venture the prediction that
if Rev. Matthews is allowed to re
main at this point another year, if
not longer, Zion will have no cause
to regret it, but such an event
wo aid add greatly to her status
and prestige in this important sea
port city around which clusters
mu ch historic int erest. — Varick
Christian Endeavorer.
BISHOP HARRIS’ APPOINT
MENTS.
August 26, Swanannoa, N G,
Rev W J Williams.
“ 28,11 a m, with
Rev J W Wright.
“ “ 8 pm, West End
Mission, Rev B J Hill, Asheville, N C.
August 29,11 a m, Shaw Creek
... Yol?,NO.
“ “ Rev E Z Goodman.
** 31, Hendersonville, N C,
Rev W H Allen.
Se ptember 2, Waynesville, N C,
Rev William Anderson.
“ 4, Leadvale, Tenn,
Rev W C Vanhook.
“ 6, Dandridge, Tenn,
Rev F N Neeley.
“ 7, New Market, Tenn,
Rev R Williams.
“ Oakland circuit, Smith
wood, Tenn, Rev M D Smith.
“ 11, 11 a m, Logan Chapel,
Rev F R White.
“ “ 8 p m, Clinton Chap
el, Rev G W Brazelton
“ 13, Middleboro, Ky,
. Rev E P Mayo.
“ 15, Pineville, Ky,
Rev E P Mayo.
The Cape Fear district conference
and Sunday-school convention will meet
at Ingold, SampsAn County, N. C., Sep
tember 20th. You are invited to attend.
S. B. Hunter, P. E.
The pastors of the Canton district ex
pecting to attend the district conference
al Glenarchy chapel, August 24th', will
notify me at Sharon, Miss., the number
oif delegates they will have, in order that
I may make the necessary preparation
for them.—iW. A. Garner.
Rev. A. F. Goslen, of Amite City, La.,
* ell known in North Carolina as a gos
pel preacher and sweet singer, is having
splendid success as presiding elder in
L ouisiana, He congratulates the Editor
and Manager on the improvements made
in the Stab and Publishing House and
writes this poetry:
The Stab of Zion,
As Judah’s lion,
Is truly up to date;
Small at the beginning,
But it kept winning,
And now it’s shining.
In golden lining,
In pages I see eight.
OUR ZION ADVANCING*
Leading Other Negro Denomina
tions On Several Lines.
BY REV. R. A. MORRISEY, A. M.
_t ’
Pioneer work: in our Church is
now being done almost exclusively
by one man, namely Bishop Holli
day.« The missionary spirit sent
him to the West and Southwest to
plant the banner of the A. M. E.
Zion Church where "before her
name was not known, and to build
up the missictn work already
started. The Church as never
before is spreading her borders in
that section, mainly through his
incessant labors;, and the A. M.
E. Bethel Church has begun to
look “after her fence.’’ Bishop
Holliday, though an old man in
years, is full of young blood and
activity. He lives more and ac
complishes moi;e in the spread of
the Christian Church and the ele
vation of the race in one month
than one-half of the Negro preach
ers do in ten ' years. The one
great need of Zion is more of the
pioneer and missionary spirit as
found in Bishop Holliday.
It is now conceded that the A.
M. E. Zion Church is more pro
gressive than any other Negro
Church and some have begun to
predict that she is advancing too
rapidly ahead of other Churches
along some lines; but let them re
member that Zion almost invaria
bly leads in e very great measure
looking toward the welfare of the
cause of Christianity and the race.
She was the first to establish Ne
gro Methodism in this country.
She produced the first great leader
of the race—Frederick Douglass.
She has now the greatest religious
paper and Publishing House of
the race, and hence there need be
no uneasiness if she leads in other
measures not inconsistent with the
teachings of the Bible and Meth
odism. And ,any who claim that
she is violating the teachings of
the Bible as she moves along pro
gressive lines, it remains for them
to prove conclusively from tho
Bible that Zion is in error before
criticising or calling on her to
vindicate herself.
Dr. J. W. Smith with singular
ability and phenomenal success
stands at the head of the Negro
Editors of religious journals. He
is a brilliant quill-driver, an irre
pressible controversialist. The re
cent improvements make it to-day
the leading Negro Church paper
in the world.
The Publishing House, recently
remodelled by Dr. G. L. Black-;
well, is the greatest of its kind
among Negroes in the world. The
Doctor deserves great credit for
the sucess achieved.
Birmingham, Ala. < .
Mrs. Baker, the\elpful wife of Rev.
5. B. Baker, of Montgomery, Ala., is
ery sick. Hope she is convalescing.
Mrs. 8. Banks, of Mobile. Alabama,
ongratolates the Stab in her beautiful
ew dress and thinks it an excellent pa
,er to be managed entirely by Negroes.