Newspapers / The Star of Zion … / Sept. 29, 1898, edition 1 / Page 1
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-1----:i ORGAN OP THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL ZlON CHURCH IN AMERICA. / Volume XXII. Charlotte, N. C., Thursday, September 20, i8g8. Number 41. SMALL DIFFERENCE Between Us—Discipline Will En lighten Dr. Price. -BY BISHOP J. W. HOOD. ijlr. Editor: When I closed my last article I had no thought of writing another word in answer to what Dr. John E Price might say; and on reading his last arti cle, the margin of difference be tween us seemed so small, that it seemed unnecessary for me to write again. But [ see that you think that a furthei word from me is demanded, and that my silence would be disappointing, at least to you, and possibly to others; hence, I add the following : jbr. Price says I admit a differ enbe of membership in the quar terly conference. 1 should hardly put it in that slmpe. It is not merely an admissio n on my part, bqt it has been n y ruling when presiding in the annual Confer ence, that while the traveling preacher is a member of the quar terly conference, he is not amena ble to that body. This is the only difference which the law knows. He is not “ex-officio,” as Dr. Price has it, but defacto a mem ber. Ex-officio means by virtue of office. The traveling preacher did not get his membership in the quarterly conference by virtue of his office; he had bis membership there before he had his ministerial office, and it clings to him. He is declared by the Discipline to be a component part of that body, with all the rights of any other member, and with the addi tional right of exemption from trial by that body. The traveling preacher is the fii st person named in answer to the question: “Of whom shall the quarterly confer ence be composed ? Ans. All the trav eling and local preachers,” etc. There is not even a comma, sep arating the travel ing from the lo cal preachers. There is nothing in this passage—-nothing in the Discipline anywhere, even intimat ing that the traveling preacher is any less amembe:: of the quarterly than any other member. The only difference shown in the Discipline is, that the quarterly conference is not authorized to examine his character, while it is author ized to examine the character of the local preachers and other mem bers. . Likewise while the Bishop and Other ministers are members of the local church where they reside and pay their dues, they have the h right, (not enjoyed by others,) of Exemption from trial by the local church. The local church can no more try them tian the quarterly conference can. This is admitted in one case, and must hold good in the other. Dr. Price insists that the pastor is not authorized to collect the general assessment from the bish op and other traveling ministers. If he is correct, it is the strangest assessment ever levied. Every law making an assessment, authorizes some one to collect it. But if the pastor is not authorized to collect this assessment from the bishops and supernumerary preachers, no one is. The pastor, alone, is au thorized to collect the general fund assessment. He can appoint assistants, but he is responsible to see it collected. The bishop and other preachers can pay the tax to the steward, at the Conference if they choose, but the steward is only authorized to receive what the pastors have col lected. The law does not even suggest that he shall collect the assessment from the bishop of su pernumerary preachers. The fact is, that the law which authorizes the pastor to collect all, or as much as he can of the general fund, is too plain to need any argument. Now, Mr. Editor, you seem to think that these questions are on the wav to the. General Confer ence. If you mean for a judicial decision, and refer to the two questions which Dr. Price and I have been discussing, I cannot aorpee with you. There is nothing in either of them for I the exercise of the judicial function of the Gen eral Conference. The legislative function of the General Conference may be exer cised. It may repeal the law which makes the traveling preach er a member of the quarterly con ference. It can also repeal the law by which bishops and other ministers are assessed. But I think it will be late when it does. Or to accommodate any feeling against the having the pastor to collect from the bishop and travel ing preachers, who live within his charge, the General Conference may, if it chooses, designate some one else to collect from them. But what would be the advantage? I believe in the sacredness of the ministry, but 1 do not think that a minister is so holy that no one can collect money from him. Nor do I think that they should be exempt from contributing to the cause of God according to their ability. They promised to do it when they joined the Church, and that obli gation is still upon them. Sanford, N. C. WIFE WANTS TO COME. BY REV. J. H. SLIGER. Letters are continually coming in asking for special preparation for umy wife, as she wants to at tend the Annual Conference.” I take this medium through which to inform the good brethren that its a task to solicit homes for the wives who belong and I can’t in sure any brother special places for them. While I regard them and would be glad to say, come one, come all, I can only do my best to make the delegation comfortable. Abingdon. „ Va. Rev. R. C. Nash, of Canton, Miss., has had chills and fever. He is getting over them. . SEARCHLIGHT SCENES Ordination 01 Women And The General Conference. BY REV. J. HARVEY ANDERSON,D.D. The Bishops of the A. M. E. Zion Church are on record as fol lows: Mrs. -Julia A. Foote, or dained deacon by Bishop J. W. Hood; Mrs. Mary J. Small, or dained deacon by Bishop A. Wal ters; Mrs. Mary J. Small, or dained elder by Bishop C. C. Pet tey. Bishops T. H. Lomax, C. R. Harris, I. C. Clinton, G. W. Clin ton and J. Holliday, not publicly committed. Bishop J. B. Small, open advocate of ordination of women to holy orders. The Bishops, in ordaining fe males, have in no way transcended their authority nor antagonized the polity of the A. M. E. Zion Church, and have furnished no subject for the prosaic or legal consideration of the General Con ference. They base their action upon the “equality of the sexes” as ordered aid recognized by the Church, no ’imit nor restriction, being imposed upon female mem bership than upon the male. It is not a question of Biblical authority, but of the A. M. E. Zion Church polity, with which the ac tion of the Bishops in ordaining women is in perfect harmony; and no man who is delicate in the ex posure of his ignorance will think of mentioning the matter in the General Conference, and attempt to plead wisdom above Bishops Hood, Walters, Pettey, Small and the General Conference of 1868 that made the woman the equal of man in the A. M. E. Zion Meth odism with the absence of every and all restrictions as to females previously. It is fair to presume, whether the non-conimitted Bishops have assumed their prerogative to or dain women or noi, that they do not in the least doubt their right to do so; arid that the lack of the ordinary fitness, votes and qualifi cations are the only barriers to it. They, wir;h others, may not see the “necessity” of it, but the lack of necessity has nothing to do with the right. Right here the Bishops are a unit, j The Scripture argu ments in the Star are learned and instructive in several instances, but they “cut no ice” in this case. The rights of female membership in the Church are defined,—“she” being entitled to the same immu nities as the “he,” from start to finish. The General Conference will have to reverse itself from the action of 1868 to prevent the Bishops from ordaining women, and the General Conference of 1900 will not designate the Gen eral Conference of 1868 a farce, and itself play ridiculous pranks before the religiqus worlds. Resolutions ‘“not to ordain any more females, to confirm the ordi nations alraady made, to limit the ordination to deacon’s orders, etc.,” wou'd only spring from that body of thought which is not only ignorant of its own Church polity and government, but trailing la mentably behind the age, and showing itself the ecclesiastical counterpart of the Negro element following the brass band. Other Methodist bodies, under standing the A; M. E. Zion Meth odism better than many of its own thinkers, have long watched to see what would he the result of a pol icy regarded by them as a too rad id advance of the female element in Methodism. They knew we were committed to the ordination of females,—not in theory, but in fact. Their long patience is re warded, and they will see that the A. M. E. Zion Church will sur vive her policy, will not “drag an chor/’ There will not be indis criminite, imprudent and compro mising ordination of women in the Church, but the Church will not by an}' means “weigh anchor” on the su nject. The Bishops undertand their prerogatives and are exercising them. The “night-mare spasm,” and “scare crow fright,” afflicting the experience of so many serious, solemn, apprehensive, far-seeing minds, will exhaust itself in news paper arguments, and vanish in queer glances at the General Con ference. Binghamton, JV. Y. GOOD TIMES. BY .7. L. BLACK, On July 2, in company with Rev. J. Frances Lee, of Greensboro, N. C., I arrived at Mount Pleas ant church at 3:30 p. m. and found Rev. J. J. Stubbs and the good people of his circuit waiting the arrival of Rev. Lee who preached a splendid sermon. His sermon and conversation impressed me that he is a careful student. He has pledged himself to raise $250 of the $700 needed to complete a brick church in Greensboro. On Sunday at 11 a. m. the people from Concord and from all parts of that country densely filled the church. We broke the bread of life. The power of God was among us. At 3 p. m. papers were read by Su perintendents and teachers from the different churches of the cir cuit. The choir rendered excel lent music. Collection for the day $20.30. Rev. Stubbs is a good pastor. His people love him. Some of the cider people of his church tell me that when they consider the condition of the church when he came to it, it is a miracle to them to know how he has succeeded so well. It was our pleasure to stop with Rev. J. S. Reid and kind fam ily while in Mount Pleasant to whom we wish to return thanks for kindness. It is a treat to hear Rev. Reid tell of Zion’s early his tory in North Carolina. He was present when Clinton chapel was organised in Charlotte, and fol lowed the pioneers to Pineville where they organized the second church in Mecklenburg County. Charlotte, • N. C. TRIBUTE TO DOUGLASS Miss Susan B. Anthony Gives Reminiscences of Him. OUR DEPARTED LEADER. The introduction of Miss Susan B. Anthony was received with ap plause. This gifted woman spoke in her delightful, reminiscent man ner, and recalled the familiar re collections of her younger days, when her father entertained on many occasions the late Frederick Douglass and his family. To Miss Anthony had been giv en the privilege of providing a suitable inscription for one side o| the monument. Only lately had she found time to gather from the priceless literary treasures written by Douglass in letters to herself a sentence of his own which she esteemed suitable. This sentence was: “The cause of woman’s suf frage has underneath it a truth as eternal as the universe of thought, that must triumph as long as this planet exists.” Miss Anthony went over the list of famous men who were the pio neers of the cause of woman’s suf frage. “What a galaxy of splendid men,” she said ; “bu‘t let me tell you behind each one of them was a magnificent woman. I am sorry to she these men get the honor,” she continued, “but I want to say, as Platt said to Conkling at that great convention, ‘Me, too!’” She beseeched the colored men not to imitate the white men, but to stretch .across the chasm and grasp the hands of the noble white women and together fight against the social prejudices and for the enfranchisement of women. “Look at what we women have done,” exclaimed the fervent wom an. “We women were behind the men in the Revolution. We are behind their greatness, and yet they carry on wars without our consent, they take the mother’s son with the father’s leave alone,, and now the great flag is about to spread its folds and take in and enfranchise those thousands of half-civilized creatures in Porto Rico, Manila and Cuba, while we women are shut out from any voice in the government;of this country.” Scathing, indeed, was Miss An thony’s denunciation of the man agement of the war. The idea of putting men in positions that re quired the knowledge of expe rienced women housekeepers; the monstrosity of placing a young man who couldn’t find his own clean shirt on Sunday morning to nurse a typhoid case. She claimed that such women Its Josephine Loy al and others scienced in charites, food supplies and such matters should have been named on the commission of investigation ap pointed by President McKinley. —Rochester {N. Y.) Democrat, Rev. H. H. Gray,, of Forks, Md., is succeeding grandly and arranging to re model his church. _
The Star of Zion (Charlotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Sept. 29, 1898, edition 1
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