THE OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL ZION CHURCH
Voi XXVI
Charlotte, N. C., Thursday, April 23 1903.
No iS
SHORT NOTES.
From The Field.
BY BISHOP J. W. IIOOD, D D. LL. D.
At the Fleet btreet A. M. E
Zioi church, Brooklyn, N. Y.,
Rev. F. M. Jacobs has made a
record which no other man has
equaled in that charge. If men
are to be regarded according to
their real worth, or for what they
do in building up the Connection,
Dr. Jacobs should be counted
among the great men in Zion. He
grows stronger with his people as
the years go by.
At Williamsburg church Rev.
J, F. Waters has exceeded all ex
pectations, That was the one
church in the New York Confer
ence w7hich had made but little
progress in many years. The
change that has taken place in less
than a year’s time is truly marvel
ous. it bids fair now to become
•one of the most prosperous
churches in the Conference.
At Mother Zion Rev. J. S.
'Cooper has succeeded grandly.
He has accomplished what some
thought to be an impossibility
He has persuaded the congregation
to sell the old church and move
up town. We get for the church
$96,000 and are now looking for
a lot on which to build a $50,000
church. Dr. Cooper is having
some opposition which is unreas
onable- The members are solidly
with him, but there is an influence
working against him which ought
to be working for him, if working
at all. I can not understand how
any one who loves his church can
oppose a great movement like this
with no apparent reason except to
hinder some one from getting the
credit for work done.
At Yonkers Rev. J. T. Gaskill
has had much sickness in his fam
ily and has been in poor health
himself, but considering his dis
advantages he has done well.
At Mamaroneck Rev. J. W.
McCoy is remedeling the church.
He has always done well and he is
now overdoing himself. He is a
quiet, pious Christian gentleman,
letting his iight shine.
At New Rochelle Rev. W. H.
Elev is doing a good work. They
call him “The great hustler.” He
has quite doubled his membership
and is laboring to pay off the debt
•on the church
At Portcnester Rev. M. A.
Bradley, who is serving his sec
■end long term, shows no sign of
losing his hold upon the people.
They are begging for him for
another year.
Ai AM'iagepoi i, uuwi., xvtsv. a,
J. Smyer has accomplished won
ders with difficulties to contend
with which would have -disheart
ened an ordinary man. He has
built a parsonage which is easily
the finest and most conveniently
arranged of any that I have seen
in the Connection. There are two
stories above ground and a base
ment. On the first floor is a large
parlor, dining room, kitchen and
pantry. All except the pantry
are entered from a commodius
hall. Ascending an easy stairway
you land in another hall from
which the pastor’s study, the bath
room, the Bishop’s room and two
other bed rooms are reached. It
is connected with the church by a
short closed passage. In the base
ment, besides furnace and store
room, there is a large kitchen con
nected with the church. This is
to be used for cooking purposes
during the sitting of Conference'
[ and for other entertainments. The
i interior wood work is of a beauti
ful white wood trim and there are
brass finished gas fixtures through
ought the house.
Providence, R. I.
A Great Pioneer Gone.
BY KEY. H. L. SIMMONS, P. E.
Rev. Caleb Roberts, a venerable
father and great pioneer in our
Zion, beginning as far back as the
sixties, departed this life January
11, 1903, at the ripe age of 70
years, four months and one day.
He leaves to survive him a wife,
Mrs. Julia R. Roberts, and 13
children. A son of theirs now
pastors churches i n California
Rev. Jacob Roberts, as Isaac and
Rebecca lived faithfully together,
even so did they live faithfully
together 50 years, four months
and one day.
He was ordained Deacon by
Bishop J. J. Moore at Wilming
ton, N. C., December 1, 1868, and
remained in the itinerant work of
the Church until the day of his
death. It seemed his special de
light to organize churches and
bring them to prominence. He
had to do with the founding of
most all the first A. M. E. Zion
churches in Cleveland, Gaston and
Lincoln counties.
He spared no pains in raising
up a respectable family and also
educating them. All the daugh
ters married in the best society.
Some are professional, and all are
doing well. We implore the
choice blessings of our heavenly
Father upon the bereaved widow
and children.
Lincolnton, N. C.
Dr. Corrothers for Bishop.
A correspondent of the Christian Re
corder has nomkated Rev. S. L Cor
rothers for Bishop. His many friends in
this and other cities have taken up the
cry and friends of Dr. Coorrothers are
now active in bushing his claims. The
efforts of Dr. Corrothers friends are en*
tirely without his knowledge. He is de
serving and ought to be made Bishop,
but Galbraith Church would send up a
protest if left to them to say whether he
is to be a Bishop. He is one of the most
energetic workers that ever c.ame to this
Church. Corrothus wou'd make an
ideal Bishop. He is up-to-date in all his
ministerial trasactions, honest and an
untiring worker. He has done more for
the success of Galbraith Church in ten
months that he has served them than
has bt en done in ten years. The Dr, is a
very scholarly man, an able speaker, at
tractive and convincing in his argument.
As a Bishop, the weak churches in this
connection would become strong. The
Bee seconds the nomination of rf. L. Cor
rothers for Bishop of the A. M, E Zion
Church.— Washington Bee.
Bishop Harris’ Appointments.
APRIL
17-May 1-Charlotte, N. C.
MAY.
2-20—Greeneville, Tenn.
21, No. 122 Georgia St., Knoxville, Tenn
22, Morristown. Tenn.
24, Asheville, N. C.
25, Salisbury, N. C.
SOUTH FLORIDA CONFERENCE: NOTES.
Conference was held at High Springs,
Fla., April 8-13, 1903; adjourned to
meet at Tampa the second Thursday in
March, 1904.
General Conference Delegates.
Ministerial:—L. A. Patrick, W. J.
Sanders and J. C. Thompson.
AlternatesA. Jackson and S. M.
Gaines.
Lay Delegates to General Conference:
Mr. Ross and Mrs. Leferidge, Alter
nates: A. R. Simmons and Mrs. Susan
Harris.
Rev. M. E. Church is Book Asrent
and Corresponding Sscre'ary to Star
of Zion; also reporter to the Star, and
will, doubtless, make full report of the
Conference.
CHILDREN’S DAYS.
The Queen of Our Benevolent Days Fast
Approaching.
The attention of our pastors and
superintendents is called to the
rapid approach of Children’s Day.
Arrangements have been made
this year to distribute programs to
all our Sunday schools gratuitous
ly, only requiring the schools to
pay postage.
The pastors and superintendents
are hereby notified that the pro
grams will be ready by May 1st,
and they are requested to forward
postage at once, so that there need
be no delay in their receiving pro
grams. We hope to be able to
send the schools all the programs
they will need, and the brethren
may forward postage accordingly,
and they should do so early in or
der that the preparations for Chil
dren’s Day may begin in due time.
We have some of the splendid
programs of last year on hand, and
any schools that did not use last
year’s programs may have as many
of these as they wish, as long as
they hold out. We must make
the next Children’s Day the best
in the history of the Church. Let
us hear from the brethren.
S. G. Atkins,
Educational Secretary,
Winston-Salem, N. C.
mm extension food.
In view of the great demand for
Souvenirs, Rev. Dr. W. H. Cof
fey, Secretary of the Church Ex
tension, has given such a large or
der recently that the publishers,
to whom he has given the contract
for the same, have made a reduc
tion of fifty (50) cents. This re
duces the cost of a Souvenir to
the nominal sum of fifty (50)
cents, the original figure suggested
at the outset by Rev. Dr, Coffey,
which could not be met at the
small order first suggested by the
body who inaugurated a Souvenir
of the Twentieth Century Move
ment to extend the Kingdom of
God.
The Real Estate & Exchange Co.,
[Publishers,
414 So. 11th St,, Philadelphia, Pa
Dear Pastors.
BY ELI LEE.
As vice president oi the mission
ary society of our Conference, I
wish the pastors and every church
in the Louisiana Conference would
please be kind enough to organize
the W. H. and F. M. society in
their churches as the law requires
on page 566 in ihe book of Disci
pline. The offices of the society
shall be members of the quarterly
conference and shall report to
each quarterly conference. The
brethren that have taken new
charges, if they don’t like the way
that the society is arranged, then
arrange it in your own way, just
so you have one in your church,
for it is law, and it must be car
ried out in society form so that
our Bishop can make a good re
port in the General Conference,
Now, brethren, you may be bish
ops some day, and you will need
the society.
Amite City, La.
Missionary Convention.
All the members of the W. H.
and F. M. Society of the Western
N. Y., Conference district will
meet in Convention at Syracuse,
N. Y., on June second at 12 M.
All other ladies who are interested
in missionary work are invited to
meet with us. We need a better
understanding of the work, both
Home and Foreign. In churches
where there is no W. H. and F.
M. Society, I hope the pastors will
sand a delegate. Let us come to
gether with an earnest desire in
our hearts to do more for the
spreading of the gospel in all the
earth.
Mrs. J. W. Lacey,
V. P. W. H. and F.M. Society,
Schoharie, N. Y.
The Star And Its Editor.
OPINIONS.
Dr. J. W. Smith is the scholarly and
brilliant Editor of the Star of Zion.—
Athens (Ga.) Clipper.
Editor Star of Zion : You are ren
dering good service to your Church and
race.—Bishop C. &. Smith, Detroit,
Mich.
I am delighted with both the literary
and mechanical appearances of the
Star. Your editorials are able and
strong and attract much attention.—
Bishop A. Walters, Jersey City, N. J.
Dear Dr. Smith; You still hold the
championship of Negro editors. The
Star of Zion is the best Negro paper
published in America, ‘‘even our ene
mies being judges.”—Rev. J. S. Jack
son, Birmingham, Ala.
Dear Mr. Editor: Believe me, I think
the last issue of the Star is the best
you have put out yet. Your editorials
are just superb. Bishop Hood’s arti
cles are profound and interesting.—
Rev. M. 1'. A. Easton, Washington, Pa.
Dear Bro. Smith: Your pen has been
a tower of defence to the Connection,
whether against the foes within or foes
without, and every general interest has
found in you an unwavering and vigor
ous defender.—Prof. S. G. Atkins, Win
ston-S:dem, N. C..
It is needless for me to tell you, Mr*
Editor, that your editorial manage
ment of the Star is gaining for it many
fiiends and supporters and making for
you a seat among the greatest journal
ists of the land.—Prof. T. W. Wallace,
Livingstone College.
Well, old boy, let me congratulate
you on the Star and the grand write-up
you gave the men who attended the
Bishops’ Meeting, Where did you
learn so many adjectives, and how' to
marshal them in such fine stj le?—Dr.
John F, Moreland, Chicago, 111,
The Star of Zion comes filled to the
brim with blight rays of Connectional
news. Our Dr Smith, the brilliant edi
tor, stands head and shoulders the
leading Negro editor of this country.
Bishop Hood’s article is calm and sooth
ing, and carries in its wake wholesome
advice to our great Church.— The Link.
No doubt we have all read that most
interesting religious paper, The Star
of Zion. It is also a weekly paper,
published in Cha> lotte, N. C. ‘ Rev. J.
W. Smith has done a great deal toward
the advancement of this paper. When
you consider the fact that it takes a
great deal to publish a paper, you will
see that the Negro is surely advancing.
— The Dunbarian.
uoou Material lor editorship.
Rev. J. H. Anderson, D. D , pastor of
Avery A. M. E. Zion churcb, seems to
be regarded by the real leaders of his
denomination to be the leading candi
date for editor of the Church organ,
Star oF Zion in 1904. Dr. Andersou is
a strong writer and displays the quali
ties of an earnest religious editor. In
this community he is appreciated as a
great preacher.—Pittsburg Independent.
Mice.
Members and Friends of the Pine
Bluff (Ark.) district: Owing to the
amount of taxation which we put upon
our members for General Fund purpos
es during the Episcopal visit of the
Bishop, we have postponed the meet
ing of our district conference indefi
nitely, as the Bishop is on hand. Gov
ern yourselves accordingly. District
conference changed from 30th inst.
J. S. Lewis, P. E.
ORGANIC UNION.
Resolutions of the Central Georgia Confer
ence
OF THE C. M. E. CHURCH. 3|
At the late session of the Cen
tral Georgia Conference of the C.
M, E. Church, held at Milledge
ville, Ga., Nov. 26-30, 1902, the
following resolutions wore unani
mously adopted:
To the Bishop and Conference:
Whereas, our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ in his last great in
tercessory prayer interceded for
the churches, “that they may be
as one as we are/’ and
Whereas, We believe that the
movement for organic union be
tween the C, M. E. Church and
the A. M. E. Zion Church origin
ated through the self-same spirit
that actuated that prayer, and
Whereas, We believe-that the
union of these two great Negro
Methodist Churches would make
easier the union of all Negro
Methodists in this country which
is a thing devoutly to be wished,
and,
Whereas, I he spirit of the age
is one of consideration of force
and energies so as to destroy
harmful competition, better to ad
vance and further the common
good of all concerned, and,
Whereas, the union between
these two Churches would serve
to do away with the unseemly and
unholy rivalry which now weak
ens, divides and brings into disre
pute Negro Methodism in many
towns, villages, rural places in
this land, and
Whereas, The singular and
beautiful harmony of sentiments
on the subject of commissioners
from the two churches, who re
cently met in Washington, D. C.,,
to arrange for such an union, evi
dences that the hand of God is
surely in this movement; there
fore, be it
Resolved 1, That we hereby
heartily endorse the articles of
agreement and modus viciendi
entered into by the Joint Commis
sion from the two Churches.
Resolved 2, That we enthusias
tically urge organic union between
the C. M. E. Church and the A,
M. E. Zion Church.
Resolved 3, That we hereby
petition our Bishops to call a ses
sion of our General Conference to
ir^eet in 1904 to deliberate on
whatever the A. M. E. Zion Gen
eral Conference may do towards
Organic Union,
Resolve 4, That a copy of these
resolutions be sent for publicition
to the Christian Index and to the
Star of Zion.
Respectfully submitted,
N. F. Ha ^ good, M. Walker.
Signed in behalf of said Annual
Conference,
L H. Holsey, President.
F. M. Hamilton, Secretary.
We Are Coming.
WILLIAM DAVIS.
After a long, rainy, cold Winter, the
roads are now being crowded with peo
ple coming to church to hear the Gos
pel. We raised our General Funds on
last year and paid other Gonnectional
claims, and I intend to do the same
this year. Why so many people are
tired of preaching is because some
preacheis merely take a text on which
to hang pretty things without any re
gard to its true meaning. If God
really thought it worth while to give
us a book, surely we should give its
truths the maaning he designed. Dr,
J. W. Smith ard Dr. J. M. Hill, Mana
ger, hammer on, and you will get the
Negro’s ey*s open after awh'le.
Sharon, S. C.