CHARLOTTE, <N, C.
ANUARY 21, 1915
WHY NOT EQUAL V.
LAY REPRESENTATION?
By Mh. B. T. Parsons.
Its Organization
- >i,’or ;over a hundred year's this
Church of ours has come down,
tniough: changing scenes oi thJ
ages playing its part in the -woUx
oi the galaxy of the churches.
fts organization and through. tjht
sueceeuing years the church wuo
.. • arfd has been composed in genera^
of .’Superintendents or Bishops, min
isters and laity.
Ojegts oi Its Organization.
The objects of such important
organization aside from its desire,
to withdraw from its mother church
where it could have a better oppor
tunity to worship God; can be sum
med up in the following:
1. To perpetuate itsellf as an or
ganized ibody;
2. To prepare and send forth
such a well-trained God-called min
istry that it might do its part in
Christianizing and evangelizing the
world; .
3. To so educate and train the
rank and file of its communicants
that they might be fully qualified
not only to fill any , position in the
secular field, but to occupy, success
fully operate and administer any i
position given by the General Con
ferenge the highest tribunS^ of our
Church; _ _ | J|
4. 'to lay, foster and carry on
\ , . - v r uaixj c.:
financial system that all its opera
tors and institutipns might be main
tained;
t>- The power to so legislate for
the ^/harmonious working of the
whole.
InteclectuaeStandcoint.
■ ->
In the early history of the
it coula» be l^ttftl)iml sald. 'i
V'
try" was”tar above that of the large
j. constituency of the church in gen
eral. The Bishops, with the other
parts of the ministry at that time,
could promulgate, and of necessity
was and should have been the
great promulgators of the aws that
should gowern the church. The
part of the great body had by intel
lectual fitness, personal contact and
practical training prepared itself to j
dictate the policies of ithis great
body and see that the mandates of i
these laws were carried out. In!
this matter the laity was not pre
pared to take an pqual part with
the ministry. /
But since then a mighty change
has taken place. 'The first great
step of civilizing any race or peo
ple is to create a desire, and ways
and means prepared to satiate saiu
desire. If a race or people knows
nothing, it desires nothing. If it
sees nothing it willing follows
wherever any one leads. Gov.
Berkley, the tyrant of Virginia in
colonial days, seeing the great pow
er in*'educating his people, said, ’
thank God that there are no free
schools and printing press; and 1
hope we shall not have any thes.
hundred years.” a.s soon .
pie begin to read, write and under
stand^ they begin to feel their pow
er and rightfully so, and they be
gin to desire to assist in making
laws for governing themselves.
Does one think or say that the laity
of our church are different from
a like number in any other organ
ized body? Should they not aspire
for those prerogatives that any oth
er intelligent people would content,
for? Most as3unedly they should
Fifty years of training ijf the
sabbath schoos has given them a
fair kno<wedge ot and prepared them
for the greater wor'k of the church
proper; fifty years sitting under the
preached word of God and the ad
ministration of the laws of the
church has instilled into their hearts
and minds the great under lying
principle that should govern all re
ligious bodies and the polity of the
church of their choiqe; fifty years,!
they have been taught and trained'
organizations and thus become ver^
by contract not only in the various I
proficient in the science of great j
conventions, but the thousands of;
■public free schools, and the ^hun
dreds of higher institutions of
learning have turned their intel
lectual guns on the forts of igno
rance, the walls have largely been
battred down, and the prisoners at
out real men capable of handling
anv position in life.
To say that the laity are incap
able of equal representation from
Intellectual deficiency is to condemn
the work of these thousands of free
sinoois atl over this country,; tnese
nuuureusr Oi mgher institutions ui
ieaiUi.11^, saytng nothing 01 tne in
struction tnat is Deing given uy our
feignt achutus tnat are lostereu auu
uiainUtiheu Dy* the thousands o*
uouars that are willingly contrib
uted annually by the npyai members
ot the connection. -: ivvhy not equal
representation; f.
B UEUKA Bsaueks.
.In the matter of running any
organization, one of the serious
prooiems that confronts the opera
tion or directions is to provide ways
anu means necessary ior its suc
cess wui operation. ih< plan may
ue perfect and the ways wef.
thought out, but If the burden-bear
ers uemur and strongly note ob
jections to the .plans and <withhot.u
the means, the successful operation
of that organization will ue much
handicapped, work hindered and
many of its institutions irreparably
crippled,
-But the laity of our Church ar^
willing intelligent -burden-bearers in
most cases, not from standpoint o.
fear, ibut from a standpoint of love
of the cause and denomination they
represents. The pastors’ sa/laries
are agreed upon and paid; the lhity
earnestly ' bestir themselves raise
amounts* pays the same, -besides
pounding them and making othe.
donations if the pastors are giv-,
ing satisfaction; the P. E.’s salarie;
are laid iby the District Conferences
the reports are carried to the laity
vfith the aid ot the pastors th
money is raised and the P. Elders
gib on their way rejoicing. The
(General Conference agrees upon a
budget to run the General Chucrn
the iBishops and their cabinets, aft?
th£ amoutns have been assessed by
the: committee on the conferences};
assiss thafer amounts among thte
churches &L,*. their conference dis
trict; if properly presented the
me*bers Mk these churches set
assessments with "but little irr a
kicking. The bishops are made tc
feel glad and aill concerned are
happy. If there is a Varick’s Me
morial Fund to be riasea present
the cause to the laity and the sa<n
is an accomplished fact. But what
say you about' that $37,50’0 Girl Dor
have had the matter in char,
they will telil you that most every
circuit and station of the connection
ansiwered JO. K. I will venture to say
that 80 per cent of the budget is
paid iby the la’ty saying nothing of
the buying building and beautifying
churches and parosnages. Why not
an equal lay representation?
YAKIOK OHKIST1A1N EMJKUOli
UNION.
“Persanal Service Campaign”
On May 20, 1915, it will be three
years that we have headed the
Variclk C. E. Union. Daring all
this time we have made po special
request upon the local workers for
support, Put all have been urged
from time to time to support the
pastors, presiding elders, and gen
eral church, leaving the Union to
be supported as the law directs and
as one’s conscience may dictate.
Reports from pastors and presid
ing eiders at quarterly, district and
annual conferences, and ^hundreds
of letters that we have received, show
that thousands of dollars have been
raised by local Endeavor era and
others who have been influenced by
Christian Endeavor principles all
of which went directly to the local
and general church and to the sup
port of the ministry. We ares, re
joiced to know that Christian En
deavors have helped so much in this
way.
We have now inaugurated a
“Personal (Service Campaign” to
raise sufficient flunds to carry out
our plans to advance 'Christian En
deavor throughout Zjon during the
year, and ask that every Endeavorer
and member of the A. M. E. Zion
send us a personal contribution.
In every church we desire a num
ber of ladies and young people to
solicit donations for the Union and
for this purpose we will supply all
who make application with authority
to go before the' public. Send for
authority to solicit for us. Who
will be the first to send in $1.00,
$5.00, $10.00, or $25.00r to help
spread Christian Endeavor in Zion
and throughout the world. \
Remit all money to Varick €. E.
Union, Aaron Drown, Secretary,
Box 859, Pensacola, Ela.
j-iie south
once ot the
.Uetuo : ' XUt. _
i >a. ist>e. j-i
presiding, xa.es/. j
i>usu*r.
'u^tiuisaatiou:
s. aT;
bitacdstioian, ;ijf
Marshals, (Revs,*
u. Bundy; li
Derry.
Ji-ijer the el«
marks and
Bishop the
^reached by K
Me gave us a
which was well
iJ. Banders
3nee was electrified
Sa-ryou felt like ttuaiki
speech.
lAt 7 p. m., 'Rev. Wl
preached an acceptable sermon bash
ing his discourse imainl; s on prayer
as a theme. After
the welcome exercises
First on the prograd b
ti lis service
took place,
was His
Honor Mayor D. iM. MoJ Coy judging
Irom the' length of his
vere led to think that h
n deeds than words,
he conference tha| h(
jsted in us and our v ark to the
extent he would leave i iff his busi
less acairs which wet s niujmerous
ind important to be in
He said that notwiths
jact that only a ismaill
Pampans 'were church
he city is domnated
nfluence.
The humorous (Doctpri Pittman of
Bethel Baptist church addressed on
>ehalf of the twenty Negro church
js and 4000 members ii^ the city or
iampa. His address w as practical
ind genuine and his w elcome cor
lial. An ’excellent ipapar <wds read
jy /Miss iHenry; Solos w[ere sung by
Ir. (Ernest Norwood,
id:\ Docor
another
address we
fe (lives more
He assured
was .inter
our midst,
anding the
per cent ot
people that
>y religious
Miss Juanta
tagep, ahd Mrs. Stella, Alexander.
Ilid program
n given the
he program in every
igh class.
.Following this splen
fas the grand receptio
onference by Mt. Sinai church
lemjbers. This sumppuoois feast
losed at high twelve
or our homes. The ' veather was
hilly overcoats and wjraps were a
ecessity and oil heaters were in
all (blast.
FRIDAY.
with short
tidotes re
emporarily.
ng Eld errs
(Rev. J. R.
Business was light, I ocket hooks
lin and the results < f the panic
lore and more-apparent, 'visiting
reaohers came in and -1 *
vely speeches and ah
vened the situation
Reports of Preisi
mature" of afternooji,
hepard read his report j for the Jack
inville 'District. This report show
i that (both PresidinJ; Eider and
i^3tai}S /bad " woi1kedfla|th£ully anid
accessfully during t-fie year. A
umber of missions had been organ
:ed an'd one church bujllt.
Rev. R. W. Ballard -(tread the re
orts of 'the pastors of the Tampa
•istrict. From these Reports Rev.
. L. Higgs stands at' the head o'
ie class.
respect' was
SATTTRDAYj
The W. H. and F. IVf. vvomen ha*-’
ood programe -which i was enjoyed
v all. - i
SUNDAY.
Preachers: Bishop Geo. W. Clik
■on, D. D., 11 a. m., Rev. J. k.
ouiepaird, 3 p. m., Rev. 1. Sims at
. :30 p. m.
Appointments
Jacksonville District: Rev. R. W.
Ballard, P. E. c
■Walters Chapel—Rev. W. W. Blair
High Spring Circuit—Rev. J. E.
L*undy.
L Evanston 'Circuit—Rev. F. (Sims.
! Orangebend Circuit-—'Rev. J. M
Jenkins.
Center , Hill Circudt-^-Rev. R. M
Williams.
Bartow Circuit—Rev. J. M. (Phillips.
Lee£burg^-Rev. W. J. Adams.
Haines City Rev.—O. E. Griffin.
Gainesville—IRev. J. R. Montgomery
Seville idtrouit—Rev. S. M. Davis.
Putnam -Hall 'Circuit—Eli Martin.
East Port—-fliev. W. W. Spann.
.Romeo Circuit—‘Rev. J. W. Whig
ham. -
Key West District, Rev. W. J.
Sanders, P. E.
Oonish Chapel-—(Rev. J. R. Sheuard
Mt. Sinai—-Rev. Cihas. A. Ransom.
Plant City and Seffner—Rev. A. L.
Higgs.
lAlafia—Rev. G. W. Cook.
0Jbor City circuit—'Rev. L. L. Whit
fg field.' "
j:St. Petersburg—Rev. Jas. A. Dud
K le*
Palmetto and Bradento—Rev. F. R.
If McIntyre.
piomelahd. Circuit—Rev. W. O.
Perry. W:.
.-Kissimmee—Rev. J. E. Westberry.
‘Miami and Coca nut Grove—‘S. A.
f; Chambers.
Fort Lauderdale and West Pallm
Beach—Rev. iW. G. Clark.
Nassau-—.Rev. W. A. Bain.
Dir. 'Clement:—
Happy Mew Year to you, the force
of the Stab of Zion and to all the
readers of this article, 1 am still at
the old stand 3600 Federal Street
doing (business for the church I love
so well. We have been in this city
over three years, organized a Zion
church and have (kept it in first
class running order ever since.
Dr. iH. J. Callis is the hero of
Waiters A. IM. E. Zion church.* -His
recent rally shows that he is the
right man for the place. He raised
$il2.5.!0l0, Hurrah for (Dr. Callis! yes
he* won the fight, a bitter indeed!
Dt. Callis is in the race for the
Bishopric well he is a good man
and should he considered by the
Church.
I must congratulate you for the
splendid work that you are doing,
you are doing your work ‘well and
why not the Church gratify your
greatest ambition (by electing you
Bishop in 1916. The man who was
born in Zion, sucked Zion’s milk,
rocked in the Zion jDradle raised
up in Zion worked in Zion all of
your life, suffered in Zion as well
as having a good time in Zion and
is still ^working and looking after
the church, you are the man who
ought to he honored to the Bish
opric and I trust that you will be
one of our next Bishops and the
Hon. John C. Dancy he placed at
the head of the Publication House.
Our Bishop the Rt. Rev. G. L.
Blackwell visited our city and
preached a great sermon the sec
ond Sunday in Dec.. (His visit whs
very satisfactory to the members
and 'pastor of ‘Walters A. M. E. Zioh
. church
Mjss Stubbs one of the nurses
of the Providence Hospital treated
Transue Gospel Temple, Sunday
school with a nice Xmas tree which
was enjoyed by the little folks.
Mr. Wm> Birdine is the Chicago
correspondent to tne Western Star
of Zion. He writes some good
news.
i Chicago, 111.
* New Hymnals, 60 cents each by
mail perpaid. This is the regular
Dollar Hymnal with music. Send
for one. Six Dollars per dozen
express not prepaid. Send for
a dozen
SOME REFLECTIONS
By Rev. J. H. McjMullen.
Bet us "forget the things that are
behind and reach forth for those
which are betore us," is the ad
vice of the great apostle to the Gen
tiles- The year la 14 is a thing of
history, but it holds many sad inci
dents, forget it. In this connection
let us forget the unpleasant state
meiits the intended assaults, and un
intentional injuries hurled at us
during the past year, and remem
ber, all of us are thinking beings,
and that wisdom does not die with
any man or (with any* set of imen.
Dr. J. H. Anderson is one of the
fairest writers among the staff of
correspondents to" the Stab of Zion
and one who is not afraid to give
credit to one deserving it, no mat
ter whom it offends t He is the only
writer to our connectional organ
who 'believes and says that the Rush
Church in New York Git$ should
ha-ve 'been built to save Zion there
and who does not curse the man
who made it a possibility, even
though the General 'Church was in
volved heavily for its maintainence.
Being human, ,Dr. Anderson has us
under lasting obligations to him for
kind and truthful compliments,
whqn the sting of ibitter criticisms
have ipelted us for the thing which
our ordination to the Zion min
istry demanded of us and which
our chief pastors send us forth to
do. Thank you 'Dr. 'Anderson. If
your election to the Stab editorship
was dependent upon us you are
elected now. Fairness is a most
commendable trait in an editor and
you possess that quality in a high
degree.
If iwe have entertained ill feel
ings toward any. one |we have left
it behind us in the old year, and,
the only thing we are unwilling
matters which concern us'as greatly
as they concern any others with
respect to our Church. A sad day
that will be when to think dif
ferently from even, the Bishops, one
must be put to death, or exiled as
they do policemen in New York City
(when they dare carry out the law,
or do their full duty as their oath
of office requires. And so with
malice toward none we must think
and act as we see it, and not in
the groove of another’s mind cir
cle;
I wonder if any other Zion preach
er has dared run to shelter of the
old “ship of church’* in a crisis in
order to save the local situation,
and if so, we shall “wdtch and
wait” to see if he is crushed ibetween
the ujpper and nether mill stones
of (bitter criticism.
Our recent fair realized the sum
of One thousand sixteen dol
lars ($1016.66) and sixty-six cents,
and we are now engaged in a re
vival for the salvation of men and
women (with fair prospects for a
successful campaign.
Between the Democratic admin
istration and the European (war
there is no telling what 1015 will
bring forth, but one thing is most
certain that after two years more
the Democratic (party will end its
control of the government, and the
youngest voter now will Ibe an old
man before it gets control again.
Away with the "new freedom” and
Democratic “forward looking” as-^
advocated President Wilson.
To one and all we (wish you a
happy New Year. We shall do our
whole duty by the General Church
but /we shall not forget that with
out the local church there can be
no General Church.
Rochester, N. Y.
New Disciplines, Name in Gold
Engraved on Cover.
One of our men in Our Own
Job Department will put your
name on 1912 Discipline in Gold
Leaf,
Send us One Dollar and we will t
send you a Discipline with your
name on the cover for^ Fifty
Cents more. Fifty Cents for the
Discipline and Fifty Cents for
Engraving name.