THE OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL ZION CHURCH.
Volume XXV
Charlotte, N. C., Thursday, May 2, 1901.
Number 18,
fifth anniversary.
v. c. E. SOCIETIES—MORE EFFECT- !
1VE WORKERS IN CHURCH.
BY REV. JESSE B. COLBERT,A.M.D.D.
In view of the fact that we are
on the eve of our fifth anniversary
as a distinctive denominational
movement in the growth and de
velopment of the Christian En
deavor society, I thought it wise
to state that we have succeeded (by
the approval of the respective
bishops) in appointing presidents
for the varioits Conferences. This
is done with a view of more con
certed action along the line of or
ganizing and fostering the soci-j
eties in all of our churches as the;
law provides. The duties and work
of the presidents are defined in the
new book of Discipline and the re
vised constitution and by-laws of
the Variek Endeavor societies of
the A. M. E, Zion Church. It is
earnestly hoped that each presi
\f dent will have the unanimous sup
port and co-operation of every
pastor and presiding elder in the
Church in sustaining and foster
ing societies in the churches.
Every denomination is working
and striving as never before to
gather and hold the young people.
The age calls for vigilant care in
the training of the young people;
the signs of the times point to the
need of more efficient and qualified
laborers in the Master’s vineyard.;
it demands more consecrated heart
mind and body. This can only
come from a carefully prepared
k and well-directed course of train
ing. And who is to do this work
if not the Church? The denomina
tion that does this peculiar work
will surely be the one that will
gather and carry the young peo- ■!
pie of to-day. As loyal Zionites
we cannot afford to allow the gold
en opportunity of saving the
young people for Christ and the
Church to pass by unimproved in
this particular.
Let each president that has been
appointed confer with the pastors
and presiding elders of therespec
tive Conferences, and arrange to
call a convention of Christian En
deavor workers for the Spring and
Summer. In this way you can do
more to stimulate and awaken an
interest among the pastors and;
people. There a/re useful and en !
ergetic young people who are anx |
iously waiting for an opportu
nity to do something for the cause
of Christ. They are standing at
the door knocking. Will we not
let them in or will we shut the door
of usefulness in their faces? The
following presidents have been
appointed to date: Kentucky Con
ference, Rev. W. T. Hayes; Alle
gheny and Ohio Conference, Mrs.
Lydia Johnson; Tennessee Confer
ence, Rev. J, H. Branner; Blue
Ridge Conference, Rev. F. R.
Howell;Alabama Conference,Rev.
J. T. McMillan; Central Alabama
Conference, Rev. F. H.Cumming;
Virginia Conference, Prof. P. T,
Parson; North Carolina Confer
ence, Mrs. Epps; Western N. C.
Conference, Rev. H. S.McMullen
South Carolina Conference, Rev.
J. W. H. Blake; Palmetto Confer
ence, Rev. D. C. Baum; Arkansas
Conference, Rev. S. W. Smith;
SouthMississippi Conference,Rev.
A. G. Alstork; Missouri Con
ference, Rev. D. J. Donahoo;Cen
tral N. C. Conference, Rev. W.L,
Lee; Texas Conference, Rev.W.A.
Ray; Oklahomo Conference, Rev
W. L. Brewer; Louisiana Confer
ence, Rev. P. C. Alexander; North
Louisiana Conference, Rev. A. M.
Lang; Arkansas Conference, Rev,
J. H. McMullen; North Arkansas
Conference, Rev. U. S. Jones;W.
Tennessee and Mississippi Confer
ence, Rev. J. N. Abby, D. D,
Other Conference presidents will
be appointed as soon as we can
hear from the proper sources in
regard to the matter.
OUR WORK FOR THE SPRING AND
SUMMER.
We want a number of Y. C. E,
societies aggregating ten thou
sand members in our various
churches. This can be easily done
if a1! of our pastors would simply
do their duty in organizing these
societies i n their respective
churches. This is not an unreas
onable request by any means when
we are brought face to face with
the astounding faet that unless we
as a Church become more inter
ested and awaken to the necessity
of organizing and training: the
young people in the church and
for the church we wild be the ‘los
ers and it wild be astonishingly
visible throughout the whole
Church with in the next eight or
ten years. Will we not take warn
ing now and proceed o-n the axiom
that an 1‘ounce of prevention is
worth a pound of cure?” Will all
of the pastors that have no V. C.
E. society kindly take the hint-?
jSt. Louis, Mo.
Livingstone College.
Special to The Observer.
Salisbury,April 30.—Livingstone Col
lege, the widely patronized institution
for the higher education of both sexes,
under the control of the A. M. E. Zion
Church, is shortly to have another
building, making five on the campus.
The new building will be three stories
in height and will contain the offices
and principal lecture rooms. The pres
ent prosperous condition of the college
is very gratifying; to Salisbury. There
is not any where a better behaved body
of students, and in this connection the
creditable fact may be mentioned that
all the faculty and officers, from Presi
dent W, H. Goler down, are colored
men and women.—Charlotte Observer.
Operation of Hysterectomy.
Successfully Performed by Dr. G. H.
Wilkerson, Colored.
Dr. G. H. Wilkerson, the Negro phy
sician who came to Birmingham some
time ago, has the record for making the
first operation known as hysterectomy,
as far as colored physicians go, in Ala
bama, and his patient has just been dis
charged. Dr. Wilkerson is historian
for the Colored Medical Society of Ala
bama, and the de’ailg of the operation
have been noted and will be reported
at the next meeting of the society. Dr.
B. G.Copeland watehed the case in par
ticular no little, and has given the op
erator due credit for the able manner
in attending the case and conducting
the operation. There are now more
than three colored physicians in Bir
mingham, while three drug stores are
being conducted by that race.Birming
ham Daily Hews.
REV. TUGS. H. SCOTT.
Brief Sketch of a Beloved And
Useful Pastor.
BY A FRIEND.
This brief sketch and the accom
panying “cut” will introduce to
the many Sh'AR readers one of
Zion’s most beloved pastors in the
person of Rev. Thos, Henry Scott.
He was born in Dinwiddie county
Virginia in 1842, his parents being
Lydell and Nellie Scott. At the
breaking out the war he became
greatly exercised about his free
dom and soon found means to en
ter the Union Army as an em
ployee as at that time the enlist
ment of Negroes was not allowed.
He served throughout the War
j and witnessed the surrender of
I Gen. Lee at Appomattox Court
1 House.
Rev. Thos. H SCOTT.
Ja tile Fall of 1865 he’Was'hap
pily converted in Zion church,
Philadelphia, Rev. J. P. Hamer,
being pastor at that time. Shortly
after his conversion, being thor
oughly convinced that God'desired
him to preach the Gospel of peace
he applied for and received local
preacher's license. For over four
years he faithfully and acceptedly
served the Philadelphia church as
local preacher under the adminis
trations of Rev. M. M. Bell and
Rev. John E. Price. In the mean
time assisted by his wife, Sophia,
who like her husband wa? a
preacher, he established the Zion
church at Frankfort, Pa. In 1881
Bishop Hillary ordained Brother
Scott as Deacon after having been
received a year previous into mem
bership of the Philadelphia and
Baltimore Conference. Until 1888
he served the Philadelphia church
as Deacon. \
His first charge was at Williams
port, Pa., where his success was
most notable. Upon request of
Rev. M. M. Bell, Rev. T. H. Scott :
was removed in the midst of his
Williamsport work and was sent
to Mount Holly Springs where he j
built a new church and greatly ^
added to its membership. Spruce ]
Run church was attached to Mt. j
Holly. He repaired the former and 1
nearly doubled its membership.
Before leaving this church, which ]
was dedicated by Bishop J. W.
Hood, LL., D. D., he paid all the
debt except about $75. At his next
charge Newtown, Pa., he made a
great reputation as an evangelist
and he also improved the property.
He was next assigned to Mt Cal
vary, West Philadelphia, and after
doing good work he was sent to
Williamsport a second time. In
1892 he was delegate to the Gene
ral Conference which met at Pitts
burg. Great success attended his
efforts at Salisbury, Md., where
he conducted a successful revival.
In 1896 Rev. Scott was a dele
gate to the General Conference at
Mobile, Ala. His more recent
charges have been Middletown,
Pa., and Saint Luke’s East Harris
burg. He is at present the beloved
pastor of the latter named church.
“Father” Scott, as he is affection
ately called, has the love and con
fidence of all who know him. His
piety, his earnest, soul-stirring
sermons have earned him an envi
able reputation. Recently he was
tendered a public reception in Har
risburg, and the city’s best known
people thronged the hall. He is a
strong spiritual gospel preacher,
sweet singer and a power in prayer.
Bishop I. C. Clinton’s Appoint
ments.
MAY.
5th, Biddleville, N. C.11am
5th, Clinton chapel. .8pm
6th, Center Grove.-.7:30
7th, Mowin glade..7.30pm
8th, Matthews Station.7.30 p m
9ih. jonesville ....7.30 p m
10th, Pineville No 1.7.30 pm
11th, China Grove. .11 am
11th, Pineville No 2.7.30 p m
P. O. Address from May 4-10,412 W.
Hill St, Charlotte, N. C.
Bishop hood’s Appointments.
MAY.
Sunday 19, Maxton circuit, .... N. C.
“ 26, Concord,. “
“ 27—29 Salisbury (Com.’t)
Thurs. 30 Blacksburg,.S. C.
Fri. 31 Clover,. “
JUNE.
Sun. 2, at 11 Ebenezer. “
‘‘ 2, at night Yorkville ... “
Tues. 4, at 11 Unity. “
Wed. 5, at21 Liberty. “
Thurs. 6, at night Rock Hill.... “
Fri, 7, at “ Chester mission “
Sun. 9, at 11 Rehoboth. “
Mon. 10. Foundation. “
Tues, 11, David Stand.
Fri. 14, McCall’s station .... “
Sun, 16, at 11 Mt. Zion.N. C.
“ 16 at night Clio. “
Mon. 17, Dyer Hill.... . “
rues. 18,.
19—28 Fayetteville. “
Sun. 30 Carthage..\ “
Bishop Alstork’? Appointments.
3th, Walnut Grove. Ark.
)th, Parksdale. “
LOth, Holly Grove. . “
Llth, Montrose.. *•
2th, at 11 A.M Thompson chap. “
2th, at 8 P. M. John Wesley.
Wilmot..;. “ J
3th, Zion Hill. “
5th, Murrell.... “
6r.h, Dumas. “ |
7th, Young’s chapel. “ >
8th, Grady... “ j
9th, Pine Bluff. “ <
1st, Warren. “ }
2nd, Monticello. “ ^
Address from 8th to 13th Wilmot ]
3 to 22 Monticello, Arkansas. ]
■
CHURCH PROPERTY.
Hew It Can Only Be Legally Hort
gaged or Sold.
BY BISHOP J. W. HOOD, D. D. LL D.
Mr. Editor: The announcement
that I was authorized to explain
the action of the Board of' Bishops
respecting the mortgaging of
churches has brought to me ques
tions enough to keep me writing a
longer time than I have at com
mand. I may state, however,
that there are just two things that
all ought to understand.
1st. That the local trustee®
have no right to sell or mortgage
any of our church proeprty with
out the consent of the membership.
This consent must be given in a
duly called church meeting, pre
sided over by the pastor. My
opinion is that the quarterly con
ference should be consulted before
such action is taken.
2d. As,I understand it, the ac
tion of the Board of Bishops had
reference to churches which have
been deeded to the Connection,
directly. For instance: The
church lot at Durham, N. C., was
bought with money contributed
by the ministers in the Cfentrali
North Carolina Conference, and/
yet the church was mortgaged
without proper authority. The
church at Raleigh, N. C, was
bought in the same way, and the
local trustees would have no right
to mortgage it. Clinton chapel at
Charlotte, N*. C., after a long liti
ga ion, was, by order of the Su
preme Court, deeded directly to
the Connection. There are a con
siderable number of churches in
different parts of the Connection
deeded in some manner directly to
the Connection, or to some Con
ference or mission board.
The purpose of the Bishops was
to give notice that such property
could not be loyally mortgaged
without the consent of the Con
nection, given by some competent
Connectional authority. I may
add that some preachers, with a
portion of the trustee board, have
mortgaged church property with
out the consent of the members.
This they have no right to do; and
people who loan money un
der such circumstances may take
notice that it is not a safe invest
ment.
lishkill landing, N Y.
Commencnientg.
The Commencement of the Lancas
ter and Industrial Institute, Lanc&s
te-n Si G’£roL M D- Lee> Principal,
will close May 23.
The Commencement of Livingstone
College will close May 29. On account
of the large number of students and
for want of room it may for the first
time in the history of college beheld on
the campus. See futures notice.
Rev. R. B Bruce, editor of the Sun
day school literature, has been invited
to preach the annual sermon at the
jotnmencement exercises of Clinton iin
Jtitute, Rock Hill, S. O , Prof. R. J,
Drockett, President, the second Sab
jathiuMay. ®
The Commencement of Bennett Col
ege, Greensboro, N. C., Dr. J. D«
Chavis, President, will be May 19-22.
Phe baccalaureate sermon by Dr J P*
Morris,Vice-President,May 19th In the
svening be the sermon before the Re
igious Societies, by the Rev. J. P.
i’ranklin, B. S , Mount Airy, N.O. The
Lnnual Address will be by Rev M C B
lasoD, D D, on Commencement Day.
lay the 22nd.