th
OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL ZION CHURCH
No 17
Charlotte, IN. C., Thursday, April 1903.
- -
FACTS VERSUS FICTION
Why Attempt to Befog the Issues?
by bishop w. hood, d d. i,l. d.
Letter No. 14
When a man of great natural
ability and a splendid education
attempts to befog the issue, he
thereby confesses the weakness of
his case. To make a long argu
ment against an assertion which no
■one has made, may exhibit a man’s
ability to find words with which to
form sentences, but such articles
contribute very little to the bene
fit of those who are seeking infor
mation.
I have been led to this line of
thought by an article which ap
peared in the Star some time ago,
designed to show that our present
prosperity is not wholly the result
of making but one Bishop at the
last General Conference. If any
one has made such assertion, it has
escaped my notice* Why set up
a man of straw to fight at?
Our present prosperity, under
Divine blessing,is largely the result
of wise legislation at the last Gen
eral Conference. But that was
not the work of those who were
clamoring for more Bishops and
General Officers. They admit
now, that our course was wise.
That is, they camp three years
later, on our ground: and yet, they
want us,now, to set aside our .(judg
ment and accept theirs, which has
proven to be a three years’ after
date judgment.
W hat we claim is, that the mak
ing of but one Bishop enabled us
to reap the full benefit or this great
prosperity. What ad v a n ta g e
would there be in the increase of
funds, if it were ail exhausted in
extravagance and waste., and the
institutions left nn the same
crippled '•condition *,s before*? For
many yeans, -on the last year pre
ceding ihe Gen ore I (Jouiterence,
our instir-.ci'U'Ons were in a pretty
good condit ion.; but the action of
each Genetal Conference 'for 16
years, except the last one, bag giv
en them a back-set. And the one
held in 1896 did, by tar, the worst
of aii Its -eiiosi reduced the pro
rata to Livingstone College to less
than $2000 In T&8S, when we
had .only five Bishops, they ..ad
vanced from their own salary fund
$2500 to the College.; and it never
received less than that amount un
til after the action in 18$6._
It is admitted that 'tikgT assess
meat system has been a success:,
but that »hs adopted in spite of
the opposition of the minority
who contended for the doltar sys
tem. With all our present pros
perity, we combi not have reaped
the benefit of it if wo bad made
two more Bishops, or even one
more With only eight Bishops,
the General Steward pays in full
iin the third year; but thereis still
an amount due for the two preced
ing years. Livingstone College has
her $6000 for the first time, with a
considerable amount due for the
two preceding years. Other ben
eficiaries are also short. If we
had made one more Bishop, we
should have been $6000 at least be
hind on the third year. And as
the Bishops are paid in full, that
shortage would have fallen on the
other institutions.
By the wise provisions of the
last Genera! Conference, we have
now two churches in Chicago; one
estimated at $45,000; and by cash
paid and interest guaranteed, the
Connection has raised nearly one
half of the amount that it cost.
Then we are making from the
Correctional Funds, monthly pay
ments on the Tubman Home; and
several other important enterprises
are receiving help, which would
have been utterly impossible, if
we had made more Bishops.
The great conservative portion
of our ministers are willing to
bear the burden of supporting all
the General Officers we need; but
they do not see why they should
be taxed with an unnecessary bur
den simply to satisfy some one’s
ambition to have a good time car
rying an official title around the
country. They are not carried
away by the silly fad of plum
hunting; but are hard down at
work, trying to build up the
Church and collect its necessary
benevolent claims.
A considerable number of An
nual Conferances are still short of
their assessment, and with nine
Bishops, we shall need the full
amount from all to put 11s in good
shape. One of the conferences is
still about $800 short. One was
over-assessed to the amount of
$500 at least. If there is to be a
large increase of General Officers,
the assessement upon all will have
to be increased, and a greater ef
fort will have to be made to bring
up the amount.
* * *
I BKO. WILLIAMS’ OBJECTION.
! Mr. Editor: I see that Rev. A.
| A. Williams has got it in his mind
that he wants to take issue with
| Bishop Hood. That is not a new
j idea; there are a good many peo
| pie who think they would like to
j differ with Bishop Hood about
something, but it seems to me that
Brother Williams has not been
happy in the occasion of difference
selected, fie seems to have the
impression that it is proposed to
appropriate something from the
General Mission Board to carry
on the New England mission work.
In this he is entirely mietaken.
Notwithstanding that Conference
has raised more money for mission
ary purposes than any other Con
ference of its size, in the Connec
tion, yet it is not asking for an ap
propriation, from the mission
board.
The law provides that one-third
of the missionary money raised by
the society shall be used for local
purposes, one-third be disbursed
by the annual Conference, and the
other third be sent to the General
Mission Board, Now after the
New England Conference, like the
other Conferences, has sent its
portion to the General Mission
Board, will Brother Williams ob
ject to its spending its own portion
of the money in building up mis
sions, within its own bounds2
This is what it is doing.
Now let me give a little history.j
For a long period previous to 1S&©
the New England Conference was
composed of nine churches and
three or four missions; including
in all 600 members. There was
no chance to establish more
churches at this time, because
there were not enough colored
people in the other towns to sup
port a church, yet in 1863 this
small Conference raised a sufficient
amount of missionary money to
send three missionaries to North
Carolina; as a result of this effort,
we have the three North Carolina
Conferences, the Virginia, the
Tenuesee, Blue Ridge and two
Conferences in South Carolina—
eight Conferences in ab, which
Conferences raised nearly une half
of all the money raised in the Con
ference to-day. Is not this a pretty
(Continued On Fifth Rage.)
CHURCH EOTSM DAY.
Special Donation—Mve Thousand Dollars
Specially Needed.
To the ministry and laity of Zion
and all lovers of race elevation
and Christian progress:
Greeting:
Nearly one year has passed
since our Church Extension
Board began operation under the
management of the zealous and
efficient General Secretary, Dr.
W. H. Coffee and the General
Committee which heartily sup
ports his untiring and already suc
cessful efforts. During the eleven
months which have passed, the
Connection has been aroused in
the interest of this important and
indispensably necessary depart
ment of our Church as it has nev
er been aroused before. Although
the Church Extension Depart
ment of our Church is but an in
fant, comparatively speaking, its
work apd worth have been felt for
I good in many parts of our great
Zion. The demands upon its re
sources have been far greater than
the income, but it has made a
record unparalelled for a depart
ment so young and starting out
under such disadvantages. In or
der to keep the well begun and all
important work in operation, and
that the splendid openings now
presenting themselves at many
strategic points may be utilized to
the good of our great Zion and
the glory of our Lord and Mas
ter, we deym -’t necessary that a
special, a unitdd and universal ef
fort be made during the season of
the Spring Conferences.
May 24th, Sunday, has been
set apart as Church Extension
Day, during which day a special
rally, during one service, shall be
made for the Church extension
cause.
As all of our Spring Confer
ences except one will meet before
that Sunday, the: pastors and
members of the churches compos
ing the Conferences are earnestly
asked to set apart a service pre
vious to the Annual Conferences
which are to convene previous to
the fourth Sunday in May and
put forth such an effort as will in
sure a creditable collection for this
glorious cause. Let each pastor
set apart a service, a Sunday af
ternoon., if a more convenient
hour cannot be arranged, plan
well, urge a large attendance, use
special services and at the ap
pointed time let every member
and friend of Zion rally unitedly
and heartily for Church exten
sion
Now is the time for Zion to
plant her banners and strengthen
her stakes as never before. In
addition to what may be done on
the rally occasion, which is simply
the carrying out of the law pro
viding for a special Church exten
sion rally, each pastor, officer and
member is urged to make a per
sonal free will offering of such a
sum as can be given to extend the
borders of our Church and for
ward the same with the special
collection the same time to the
General Secretary, Dr. W. H.
Coffey, 1708 Page St., Philadel
phia, Pa,
Let each pastor and Sunday
school superintendent make him
self an active agent to sell the
Church Extension Souvenir ar
ranged by the Secretary. We,
the chief pastors of the Church
and General Committee, assure
one and all that if anything like a
united and liberal effort is made,
we shall be able to apportion the
income among the churches that
are now laboring imder speci il
disadvantages in such a manner
that all will rejoice that a sacrifice
was made to help the Church ex
tension cause. The effort to be
made in answer to this appeal will
do much toward deciding what
shall be the future success of the
Church Extension Department.
With earnest prayer to God
that all make a united anu hearty
effort, and that a gracious Provi
dence may give us a favorable day
and abundant success in every line
of church work, we remain your
chief pastors and co-worKers,
•J. W, Hood, T H. Lomax,
C. R. Harris, I. C. Clinton,
A. Walters, G. W. Clinton,
J. B. Small, J. W. Alstork.
A Word to Pastors and Superintendents
OF THE A.M.E. ZION SUNDAY SCHOOLS
THAT ORDERED SUNDAY SCHOOL
LITERATURE FROM THE A,M.
E. ZION PUBLICATION, LO
CATED AT CHARLOTTE,
N. C.
For your information, I will say
we have filled every order received
asking for literature for the second
quarter. I will confess that we were
one week late. But, it could not be
helped. It was caused by our hav
ing lost our pressman and two of
our best feeders, hence it took a
little time to replace them, all of
which has been done, however,and
our work is moving on nicely.I have
received several letters ard postal
cards within the last eight or ten
days, asking why your literature
had not been sent. Well the above
statement answers the questions. I
did not answer your letters and
cards of inquiry because we were
busy at work night and day trying
to get the literature to your school
at the earliest possible moment.
Now, I will say to pastors, super
intendents, teachers and scholars,
vou need not entertain any further
doubt as to your receiving your
literature on time. If you make out
your orders plainly and give the
name of your postoffice address,
St. and St numbtr, State and the
name of the party who is to receive
the literature, I will assure you
that your orders will be filled
promptly. I am sorry to say, that
some of our friends ordering litera
ture, send the moneybut fill to
give us their names; now, you
know it is impossible for us to
send the literature to you unless
you give us your name. We have
several orders here asking for lit
erature and the name of the post
office, we do not know the name
of the parties who ordered the
literature.
The Pastors or Superintendents
will please see to it, that the par
ties ordering literature give their
name and the name of their post
office, ^lso see that the cash acc »m
panies the order, for your Manager
cannot run this House on credit j
We have to meet our bills on tbej
first of each month as they fall due,
and this cannot be done without
money. I know if our ministers and
friends just knew what we have to
encounter here, you would moder
ate your criticisms considerably.
General Business Manager.
Rev. D. W. Williams, the excellent
pastor of A.3a circuit of the Luverne
district is very low. Let the entire
church pray for him —Rev. 8. M.
Washington, Luverne, Ala.
God estimates us not by the position
we are in. but by the way in which we
fill Edwards.
AN APPEAL.
TO THE PASTORS THROUGHOUT THE
CONNECTION CONCERNING THE
VARICK CHRISTIAN EN- _
DEAVOR SOCIETY.
BY BISHOP J. W. ALSTORK, D. D.
Dsarly and much beloved breth
ren, who have been called to the
ministry of Christ through our
ministry, this comes to you greet
ing. Through the last report
made by the President of The
Young People’s Society of our
Church known as the Yarick
Christian Endeavor society, we,
your chief pastors, were pained
to learn that there yet remains a
vast deal of inactivity on the part
of some of the pastors of whom we
had expected otherwise. We look
upon the Christian Endeavor
movement as one of the most po
tent for the good that has been
inaugurated for the moral, intel- *
lectual and spiritual development
of the young people. Wherever
the society is organized in a
church, it has strengthened the
church. We must busy the young
people: they are ready to be used
by the Church through the medi
um of such agencies as the Sunday
school and the Endeavor society,
and for a pastor to say that he
cannot organize the young people
into such, we your chief pastors,
take it for granted that you have,
no control over them. Therefore
we press upon each one who has
been callous about this matter, to
bestir and show yourself master
of the situation Organize an
Endea\or society in each church.
You can, if you will; will and it
is done.
We shall expect each one to joirn
hands with the president and bend
every energy to build up the En
deavor Department of our Zion.
Rev. J. B. Colbert, the president,
has labored hard to build up the
work, but he cannot do the work
alone; he needs the help of all. Let
us concentrate our forces. We
are glad to inform you that our
Zion is in very good condition.
We are more than holding our
own along other lines; let us not
fail in this.
We are yours in the cause of the
Master,
J. W. Hood,
T. H. Lomax,
C. R. Harris,
I. C. Clinton,
A. Walters,
G. W. Clinton,
J. B. Small,
J. W. A1 stork.
. Our School.
BY REV. WM. SUTTON, D. L>.
Dear Dr. Smith: Oar siho ,1 j8 Dro_
greasing nicely. We have a large at
tendance representing f.mr counties.
We have a large attend-mce of teachers
in our school who a>e preparing them
solves to do hett* r work.
We have four departments, to-wit:
Preparatory, Normal, Industrial and
C assical. We also have a Bible class
tor ministers aud Sunday-school work
ers, We give three years in Latin and
Irreck and a full courso in SciGncG. W©
have added to the science of Agricul
ture, Botany, Geology, Zoology, and
Chemistry, which makes a very com
plete course in that branch of our
work.
We have a nice building fur school
work aud one dormitory. We are tak
ing our young people out of the Catho
lic schools down here and are educating
them in our own Zion school. So you
see the Uatholic3 will not get them
now, on the plea that they wi'l educate
them. I tell you, Doctor, if you set
hen eggs under a duck, tne little biddies
null follow the duck down to the water,
see! New Berne, N. C.