ORGAN OF THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL ZION CHURCH IN AMERICA.
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Volume XXII.
Charlotte, N. C., Thursday, October 13,1898.
Number 43.
Y. P. S. C. E. SOCIETY
Why the A. M. E. Zion Church
Adopted the C. E. Society.
BT| BISHOP A. WALTERS, D. D.
The African Methodist Episco
pal Zion Church, which has a half
million communicants and about
4,000 preachers, at its General
Conference held at Mobile, Ala.,
May, 1896, adopted by a unani
mous vote, the Young People’s
Society of Christian Endeavor as
the yjoung people’s organization of
our Church, and appointed Rev.
J., B. Colbert, A. M., of Washing
ton, D. C., (one of our brightest
young men) to organize a society
of Christian Endeavor in every
churfch in our Connection. 1 am
here! to give some reasons why
such faction was taken.
FIRST, WE ADOPTED THE CHRISTIAN
ENDEAVOR SOCIETY BECAUSE IT
ENLISTS THE SYMPATHY AND AC
TIVITY OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE.
How to reach the masses of our
young people, especially the edu
cated ones, so as to enlist them in
the active work of the Church, was
for years a serious problem with
our 4olored Churches. Whenever
this class of our young people
were asked to take a a active part
they would inform us (and I must
confess, in many instances,- not
without reason,) that our manner
oi conducting tne regular weeKiy
meetings and our method of hold
mg revival services were anti
quated, and, therefore, repelled
them; not withstand in g they were
anxious to engage in the work,
they |were unable to do so because
of thjese hindrances.
THe Christian Endeavor society
has Solved that problem for us by
proposing young' people’s meet
ings; and further, has taught the
young people how to 3onduct their
meetings successfully , Whenever
our 'Christian Endeavor societies
successfully operated—the
the consecration meeting
are
ple<
and the work of tho committees
insisted upon—such societies
bring about the needed reform in
our Churches. It daes not take
the older members lor g to discover
the benefit of the new methods;
they are rapidly learning that the
methods of 50 years ago will not
work successfully to-day. We
are for the Christian ^ Endeavor
society because it greatly aids us
in the development of our Church
work.
SECcjlsD, WE ADOPTED THE CHRIS
TIAN ENDEAVOR SOCIETY BE
CAUSE IT STANDS FOR THE DEEP
ENING OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE.
We live in an age of loose
nesssof morals in Church and State;
an age in which men call license
liberty: an age in which the Bible
tr uth is so distorted as to make men
believe that they can commit all
manner of sin with impunity so
long as they believe on Christ;
that! to accept the rig hteousness of
Christ means to have none of their
own. Men seem to forget that the
object of , Christ’s ccming into the
world was to save men from their
sins. The object of the whole
plan of salvation is the complete
restoration of mankind to the
image of God.
Purity of life has ever been the
theme of God’s messengers. The
patriarchs, prophets, apostles and,
reformers have all urged purity
of heart. Moses, in his farewell
address to the children of Israel
said: “And the Lord thy. God
will circumcise thine heart, and
the heart of thy seed, to love the
Lord thy God with all thine heart,
and with all thy soul that thou
mayest live.” (Deut. xxx:6.)
Isaiah says: “Wash you, make
you clean; put away the evil of
your doings from before mine
eyes; cease to do evil.” (Isa. i:16i)
Ezekiel says: “Then will I sprin
kle clean water upon you, and ye
shall be clean; from all your filthi
ness and from all your idols, will I
cleanse you.” (Ezekiel xxxvi:25.)
John the Baptist came preach
ing the doctrine of repentance—
the forsaking of all sin.
The Master in His sermon on
the Mount, said: “Blessed are
they which do hunger and thirst
after righteousness, for they shall
be filled.” Again, “Blessed are
the pure in heart, for they shall
see God.” And again, “If thine
right eye offend thee, pluck it out
and cast it from thee; for it is
profitable for thee that one of thy
members should perish, and not
that thy whole body should be
cast into hell. And if thy right
hand offend thee, cut it off and
cast it from thee; for it is profit
able for thee that one of thy mem
bers should perish, and not that
thy whole body should be cast into
hell.” Finally He said: “Be ye
therefore perfect, even as your
Father which is in heaven is per
fect.”
Purity is one of the chief themes
of the Pauline epistles. To the
church at Rome Paul writes:
“Shall we continue in sin that
grace may abound? God forbid.
How shall we that are dead to sin
live any longer therein?”
Again: “Let not sin therefore
reign in your mortal body, that ye
should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Neither yield ye your members as
instruments of unrighteousness
unto sin; but yield yourselves un
to God, as those that are alive from
the dead, and your members as in
struments of righteousness unto
God.”
To the Church at Corinth he
says: “Wherefore come out from
among them, and be ye separate,
saith the Lord, and touch not the
unclean thing; and I will receive
you, and will be a Father unto
you, and ye shall be my sons and
daughters, saith the Lord Al
mighty. Having therefore these
promises, dearly beloved, let us
cleanse ourselves from all filthi
ness of the flesh and spirit, per
fecting holiness in the fear of
God.”
[continued on fiith page.]
SOME RANDOM SHOTS.
State C. E. Convention—Black
Warriors—S pai n—Douglass.
BY REV. W. H. MARSHALL.
In brilliant “Majors and Minors”
the notable productions of Prof. W.
F. Fonvielle, reference is made to
the fact that for the *last few
months “ Random Shots” have not
been shooting. A certain physi
cian upon being' asked why he was
away from horn a when there was so
much sickness,thus responded: Oh,
I am givingmy patients a chance to
get well.” Bui: now, as by this
time all the victims (readers)
of “Random Shots” have had suf
ficient opportunity to fully recover
their equilibrium, once again will
I draw “ a bow at a venture.”
By the way, the Wofessor men
tioned something about a B-o-o-m.
In strictest cor fiqenpe, all inquir
ers are hereby i informed that my
Boom is—but (as Kipling says)
“ that’s another story.”
The Pennsylvania Convention
of the Y. P. S. C. E. was recently
held at Harrisbfirg. Our jolly,
brainy layman, Prof. J. P. Scott,
was a conspicuous member of the
committee of arrangements. The
printing departlSfent was under his
personal supervision, and he made
a wonderful success. Zion had
more ministers in attendance at this
great Christian gathering than all
other Negro denominations com
bined. The following were pres
ent: Revs. J. H. McMullen, A. M.,
B. J. Bolding, B. D., P. A. Wal
lace, A. M., S. S. Wales, P. E.,
Presiding Elder W. H. Snowden,
J. S. Caldwell, B. D., S. J. Clem
ens, Dr. A. J. Warner, J. Q.
Adams, Dr. Wm. Howard Day,
G. W. A. Tolbert, James Stokes,
G. J. Hawks and T. H. Scott.
Zion’s Juniors under the direction
of Miss Lillian Stuart made a mag
nificent showing and received a
memorable ovation. Glory to God,
Zion is marching on.
In spite of the fact that his un
equaled heroism in the revolution
had wrung wo::ds of highest com
mendation from the “Father of
his country;” notwithstanding his
fortitude without which Jackson
could not have been the victor at
New Orleans;, and disregarding
the intrepidity which he manifested
throughout the late rebellion, there
were still a few who elected to be
lieve that the Negro was a coward.
No one who has heard of the cour
age of the Nint a and the Tenth Cav.
airy and of the Twenty-fourth In
fantry in the Battle of San Juan
Heights will ever again ask, “Will
the Negro fight?” The desperate
charge of those black soldiers was
by all odds the most brilliant
achievement of-the American Army
in the~ Spanish-American war.
How can prejudice raise its hateful
head after such a blow!
Next to emancipation, El Caney
has done more to remove from
American eyes the scales which
colorphobia had placed there, than
has been been done by any other
event. In a recent issue of the
New York Mail Excess the fol
lowing appears editorially:
“ What folly it is for the nation to
discourage citizens showing this valor by
closing th 3 door to promotion for colored
men ? T iree Negro colonels, one in
Ohio, one in North Carolina, and one in
Illinois, hive been appointed; but in the
earlier oiganization of regiments the
path shou d have been as open to col
ored as to white regiments in the Na
tional Gut.rd of the various 8tates, and
if the Southern States had been wise
their quota would have been filled with
colored as well as with white citizens.”
Poor Spain! Where will it next
break loose? And now one of the
authenticated (?) remains of Chris
topher Columbus is to be borne to
Spain in solemn estate. What’s
the difference? This hemisphere
has at leist one or two more well
authenticated (?) tombs in which
can be found the dust (?) of Colum
bus. So Spain can have another
tomb and more of Columbus’ dust
if she will only be real good. If
our discoverer could come from
the grave now and behold deterio
rated Spain, he would probably
exclaim: “Thank God, Colombo
(for that’s my right name) was
born in Italy.”
In a re sent issue of Wi&Astonisher,
Editor J. Gordon Baugh very
rightly 1»ok exceptions to the fol
lowing irom the New York Sun:
“ Douglass was almost a statesman;
but theE it must be remembered
that his lather was a white man, and
besides he was married to a white
woman. ’ Without discussing what
influence his father had upon his
destiny, Editor Baugh says, “Doug
lass had made his reputation before
his marriage.” The N?mwill have
to try again.
Harrisburg, Pa.
A FEW NOTES.
BY MRS. BETTIE E. BOHANNON.
Presiding Elder E. J. Carter
held his last quarterly con
ference here August 27th, 28th,
and preached two powerful ser
mons on the Sabbath. The V. C.
E. tendered him a grand reception
on Monday night and a fine pro
gram wis rendered. Rev. W. L.
Lee, ou r pastor, and Rev. W. L.
Carr spoke in high terms of him
as a pre siding elder. Mrs. Bettie
E. Bohannon delivered the wel
come address which was ably re
sponded to by Elder Carter. Prof.
N. A. Wilson, of the city school,
complimented him in behalf of
the citizens. The sum of $4.50
was donated to him.
Our church is moving on nicely.
Rev. W. L. Lee, our pastor, styled
the logician of the West Tennes
see and Mississippi Conference, is
an up-to-date speaker. We all are
looking forward with anxious
hearts t'j the coming of our wor
thy Bishop G. W. Clinton. He
always crings good news and glad
tidings to us.
God bless you, dear Editor, for
the able wav in which you are
holding up Zion. May you con
tinue to go higher and higher in
Zion’s ranks.
Coffeeville, Miss.
*
ZION IS MARCHING ON.
Bishop Walters At a Big Hotel.
The Clerk Astonished.
BY REV. JAMES E. RODGERS.
The annual convention of the
Christian Endeavor Societies of
the State of New Jersey was held
last week in this our city by the
sea, Asbury Park. Zion was ably
represented by her brilliant, mag
netic leader, Bishop A. Walters,
D. D.
His entrance to the exclusive
hotel“Albermarle” caused the dig
nified clerk to almost collapse, he
not knowing that a colored man
was included in the number, of dis
tinguished State officers who were
assigned quarters in the aforesaid
hotel. He quickly recovered up
on the black Bishop presenting a
letter from headquarters and very
pleasantly assigned him to one of
the best rooms in the house.
After delivering the best address
of the session everything changed,
and the best places and people
were none too good for the Bishop.
He was lionized, congratulated
and sought after to such an extent
that it seemed that he was the only
man of prominence at the conven
tion. His address needs no com
ment It Was complete. We send
you. a full printed copy. Only
three were printed and the Bish
op’s was one of them. Zion was
much helped by his being present.
Your humble servant was hon
ored with a place on the execvtive,
finance and reception committees.
No other colored body had ever
before been remembered in this
way. Zion had to lead so that
others could follow.
It was hinted when we were as
signed to this work that it was un
desirable and discouraging, but by
a hard effort on our part, and the
good work of our predecessor,
Rev. W. H. Davenport, who res
urrected a dying church, we have,
succeeded and improved the church?
internally and externally, and also
noted a spiritual and numerical
growth. The doors of the most
exclusive and cultured homes are
open to us. Zion is marching on.
A number of white clergymen
were shown the Star of Zion re
cently and were greatly surprised'
to see such an ably edited and
neatly printed paper produced by
our Church and races. Their com
ments were highly favorable.
The New Jersey district confer
ence and Sunday-school conven
tion held recently in Matawan, N.
J., showed signs of marked im
provement along all lines of church
work. Rev. C. D. Hazel, of Pat
erson, was elected president for
the ensuing year.
Asbury Park, N. •/.
-—nr
Rev. F. M. Jacobs, who has been quite,
sick, is convalescing. His church work
in Brooklyn, N. Y., is in splendid condi
tion. He is studying for a physician.
He puts on his apron and goes to the
hospital nearly every time a dead or live
man is put on the dissecting table He
will be prepared to give the boys pills at
the next General Conference.