VOL. XXXIX
No 86
16, 1915
r.
RED HEAD
ED SQUIBS
By Rev. W. L. Lee, D. D.
THE SUPREME NEEU) OF AN EDUCATED
MINISTRY.
Once again we find ourself speak-]
lag out on this subject that lies scj
close to our heart. We cannot,
promise when out final word wilj be
said on this suojeet—surely not uru
eil we see the principalities ani
powers of Zion lined up to meet this
need and to supply this demand
Until then we purpose to continue,
this agitation for:
. “The cause that needs assistance.'
Against the wrong that needs re
sistance, %
For the future in the distance;
And the good that we may do.”
The cause is not ours it is the
church’s, the peoples’ the Lord’s.
And we stand at the ministerial
armegeddon and we battle for the
church, the people, and the Lord.
Who will come to the help of the
Lord against th\ mighty- Let each
of the conferences put one good
man in school and help him to se
cure the needed training to fit hipa
for the duties of the office of the
gospel ministry in our own church
that would mean that between now
and next June at least forty men
would enter some one of our schools
for the .displacement of his illiteracy
and hear me! twenty years of such
campaigning would bring results
that would more than compensate for
every doliar expended in its behalf
This need rises to such height and,
assumes such proportions as. to
eclipse all of the rest. Let us give,
it the first consideration when tj
subject of education comra up in ti
forthcoming General COnfeten'
CONTIGUOUS DISTRICTS.
The Rev. E. M. Argyle very sober
ly and very righteously says as to
the possibility of contiguous dis
tricts, “All is over but the shout
ing.” But why should we have
such districts? Surely if we had no
other reason than to lead those who
are without to believe that we are
sane, and that we have a right to
be on the field and at large and not
in the asylum.
This however is not the best nor
the chief reason why we should have
them so arranged. First there are
times when the Bishop needs to be
fn close touch with his brethren oil
the field, an emergency arises that
demands his presence, and he must
cross a half dozen other districts
before he reaches his own. He is
the chief Pastor and is sometimes
needed at some point to handle some
matters that cannot be delayed, and
this is as old as the system itself and
will never cease to be.
Secondly: The church is still in
its incipient period, and the greatcv
Zion is yet to be built. Our 'benev
olent enterprises need the inspira
tion that the bishop can give them
.when he 'is close enough to the
work. For example, we need leu
missionary conventions to be held
on ten episcopal districts annually,
instead of the small one held
in the name of the whole Church
annually, and which represents one
tenth per cent of what is possible
to the church. Ten contiguous dis
tricts where none of the delegates
would have to travel over four hun
dred miles (and we are giving this
the maximum stretch) to reacn the
seat of the convention, they could
muster three times as many women
as has ever attended any one o£ our
General meetings, and roll up ten
times as much money. Bet us re
member that in 1911, our General
Missionary Convention met in Knox
ville, Tenn., and raised about three
thousand dollars, and one-sixth of
the C. M. E. Church, viz: Bishop B
S Williams, and his District, met in
Charlotte, N. C., where they had no
church and where we have alwayrf
had and where we still have every
thing speaking from a Method1 st
viewpoint, and his little contiguous
district raised three thousand dol
lars for education and missions.
Finally we want such an arrange
ment for the sake of less^travel and
more work. In the name of com
mon sense, in the name of progress
in the name of justice to the church
let us have contiguous districts';
■Let ring from ten thousand throats,
CONTIGUOUS DISTRICTS!
J
the Episcopal Iommitt^e.
We very haptoily -fcgree with Dr
A^gyler as to . how tjiis committee
could be comped'buj wej^o further
ai?d> say that each dhnultl eonferhnce
.elect their representative to
sit‘ in this |tody of n|en, and that
each bishop* should go before said
committee ah# be examined as to
jfo abilttyj^o. serve the 'Church in
|pat capacity.j*nd'as to his conduct
in office. > This of course would be
^ radical-departure for Zion but this
prs-imple and mmbn pure Methodism.
'Departure from this rule is good
only for thfe/mdiTidual but never
In the scramble for official pre
ferment we itpar * much about the
word “Pull.” It purports to repre
sent popularity ,and desirability. It
may or may not represent merit cr
fitness.v 'Pull represents what others
may do for one push represents
what one dote for himself. Pull is
from vsSth^i ,Pusb comes from
within., \^Wjsjpf*the pull If it comes
but have Ihd^jgb.
. fHg FIBOT^^raCOPAL ADOBESS. ■
This was delivered in the year of
im by {Bishop William McKenJr^e.
It was to the first delegated confer
ence of the MethdStfist Episcopal
Church. , In the M. B. Church only
the regularly ele‘ted delegates anft
the alternates exercise the/ right to
voj^ the gen erM. conference*
^^SK^fer^sQiaan^pndatibhb' contained
a^Bteat^i^fl - was as' far aS^he
. matters, -they
not deprive our bishops of the right
to vote. It went out from the meet
ing at St. Loum, that only the dele
gates and the alternates within the
several districts would vote in the
next general conference. This how
ever would not stand in bar of the
General Officers and Officers of the
various boards.
■Brooklyn, N. Y
NOTICE.
TWO MISSIONARY CONVOCATIONS
TO BE HELD BY THE WOMAN’S
HOME AND FOREIGN MISSION
ARY SOCIETY AND ITS AUXIL
IARIES.
Rock Hill. S. €*, October, 6th and
7th.
Conferences:
South Carolina,
Palmetto,
Western North Carolina,
Blue Ridge,
S. W. Virginia.
Goldsboro, N. C., October, 14, 15,
16
Conferences:
Virginia,
, Albemarle,
North Carolina,
Central North Carolina,
West Central North Carolina.
The representation will consist
^)f the district officers from each deJ
partment, all local officers and a
-delegate from each society, and any
person who will pay one dollar as a
membership fee.
IMPORTANT NOTICE.
By Rev. E. F. Rollins.
All General Officers, Fraternal
Messenger, ancl visitors, who ex
pect to attend the Cape Fear An
nual Conference which convenes at
Southport, N. C., Nov. 18th 1915,
will please inform me at once. In
order that arrangements can be
made for their entertainment. /
Southport, N. C.
NOTICE.
The New Bern District^ Confer
ence, V. C. E., Buds of Promise, Y.
W. H.' and F. M. Society, and the
w! H. and F. M. Society and the
Sunday school convention of the A.
M. E. Zion church will convene at
St. Matthew chapel, Trenton, N. C.,
September 21, 22, 23, and 24, 1915.
Wm. Sutton, P. E.
CONNECTION
IMP]
A Man Overlooked
Worthies—A b»
Oar General Ol
their neei
■r a few
It, it was
KT. Clinton,
Imaging. I
le I believe
■ities of the
I have 'been silei
months for reason
claimed by Bishop G
That my articles wer
refused to reply bei
in respecting the au;
The distinguished ileitleman I re
fer to; has been of nfipld worth to
Zion from a pioneeri
ary standpoint. He
g And mission
his built and
organized more churi ieq in the Dis
sttte of Mary
nian. He is
wbuld honor
far seeing, he
real mind, un
rnment and is
■ration of the
sterling quall
raoter and a
trict of Columbia an(
land than any othe
fully prepared an<|
with grace any $bsition in the
church. He is a graduate of Lin
coln University, he if *-l'"
has an astute metho
derstands church go
well versed in the o
Church, and a man o
ties, untarnished c
high class Christian g entleman. He
has served the church profitably for
more than thirty yealrs; yet he has
not received the consideration and
defference from the general Church
as have some others) men who are
less capable than heji
Is it possible, that [the great Zion
Church who has be
real men to grapple
affairs of a great
overlook this dist
acter? Among the
he has ibeen oiverlo
theless he is deserv
considerations. I
and present the I
in search for
,nd master the
ihuTch, would'
uished char
rorthies of Zion
:ed yet, never
g of Episcopal
;ow nominate
ev. Dt. Logan
Johnson of Washing ton, D. C., and
the Philadelphia an< j Baltmore Con
ference, as a fit suibj< bt to be honored
of the Church.
with the highest gfi
No man in the < tiurch it better
prepared from an ii tellectual, mor
al and spiritual standpoint than the
above named gentleman. If service
and fitness amount)* to anything
and is appreciated by the Church
then he should he (Considered.
A BAD POLICY TOR THE CHURCHY
The policy of concentrating the
nancial interests of the Church in
le present Quadrenbium is a bad
ae, I do not oppoSf concentration
t finances if it is j done properly.
le have made a serious blunder at
Concentration of finances con
ot be successfully operated with
le plans in vogue at the present
ne. I ,
This plan calls f<P* a board and
e power must be |entered in the
iard and not in t|e treasurer ot
icretary. *■ §
The trouble lies ip the mode of
.eration; Conferee *s are assessed
i pro-rata basis, thj s assessment s
xpropriated and ej pended before
e receipts for wli eh, Teaches the
Bee. The calculi tion to begin
ith is spurious; * r the treasurer
.lculates and giver his word what
i will do, and wPfilthe time comes
he has receipts, for the cash, and no
cash. What is he to do but go out
and borrow and pay an enormous
bonus for money, and when he at
tempts to pay back tne loan and
the - bonus with the interests, it
leaves a depleted treasury, and he
has really given away thousands of
dollars from the coffers of the
church; whicn on its ace looks ugly,
when he says, I have no moeny in
hand. Stop the Bishops from col
lecting money,, with receipts, pay
them $3,000 a year as salary, and let
business arrangements be entered
that the office may pay them month
ly and therelby. relieve them from
embarrassment. They need money
every week and must have it.
The large bonuses is the thing
. that is wrecking the whole church.
Put the affairs of the church in the
hands of men who have business
acumen and not the favorites from
any section. Let the bishops look
after the Churcn and not the money,
and let the affairs of the church be
governed by administrative boards,
and these boards meet and make
appropriations, tl is too, burden
some for these Bishops to worry
with the temporal concerns of this
church; they are to look after the
salvation of souls, and keep harmony
in the rank and file of the churches.
I think if the Annual Conferences
were thus operated by boards we
would have better results. When
you pay your claims so far as you
are concerned, the conference is
over. If a man has the genius to
get out on the field and maneuver
plans to raise money fofr the Confer
ence he‘ought have sense enough to
;bount it and have some say about it,
after he gets to the Conference.
My God! where are we heading to
s a Christian institution. I sound
tvo. now, Jest to-morrow be
^ Elimination by crmbination is
cropping out again. It is now moot
ed, that, we eliminate the office of
General Secretary 'they say it is a
fifth wheel. It is strange after all
these years we have just found out
it is a .fifth wheel. It has served
for years to answer the means of
the machine as to place somebody
there to keep it from crying.
Then again, they said for economy
sake lets combine the Church Ex
tension and Missionary Societies.
The difference between the two, are
as distinct as day and night, at
water and oil. The Church Exten
sion Society is the Realty and Oalat
eral holding society of the Church
and deals with business only of this
nature. <A layman may be Secre
tary of the Church Extension So
ciety but not of the Missionary So
ciety for it has to do with things
out of his elements.
• It is all tommy-rot, to continue
experimenting with Church concerns,
there are laws peculiar to each de
partment and violate them, and in
solvency is the next thing. Put
each department separate and dis
tinct, let it have a board headed by
a Bishop, to govern and appropriate
its funds, let each have their own
depository and form or build its
own credit, and if the General De
partment is in tough coTrall youT
Influence and rescue the situation.'
(Let some business man get at
these departments not because a
man had a rally, or built a church,
or held a revival, he given as a rea
son, but let it be the “survival of the
fittest.”
To be Continued.
Baltimore, Md.
~ New Song Books.
We have “Soul Echoes,” the
charming song book of Bishops
Caldwell, Coppin, Blackwell, Dr*
Tindley and others for sale. A
choice collection of songs for only
TO cents each or $1.00 per dozeD
by mail ptepaid. Order now.
We are prepared to send you
Fields Hand Book on Theology
for $1.00; Hints to Self-Educated
Ministers for $1.25, and Outlines
of Church History and Outlines,
of Bible History 60 cents each
Send order at once.
MISSIONARY
CONVOCATION
ME WOMANS HOME AND FOR
EIGN MISSIONARY GETTING
THE “VISIO^.”
Two Convocations, for the Month of
October.
ROOK HILL, S. C., OCTOBER 6th,
7th.
GOLDSBORO, N. C., OCTOBER, 14,
15, 16, 1915.
By Mrs. A. W. Blackwell.
The fact that the territory covered
by the Woman’s Home and Foreign'
Missionary Society is so large and
that the expense to reach the Gen
eral Meeting, so great, has influenced
the Foreign Mission Board to adopt
the plan offered sometime ago, to
group the conferences into Mission
ary Districts and hold convocations
in different sections of the church
during the Quadrennium and the
General meeting at the close of the
Quadrennium.
Acting upon this decision, two
convocations Jiave been planned for
the month of October. The first to
be held in Rock Hill, S. C., October
6, and 7, comprising the Palmetto,
South 'Carolina, Western N. C., Blue
Ridge and S. W. Va., Conferences!
the second, Goldsboro, N. C., October
1# 15, 16, conferences: Va., Albe
marle, North Carolina, Central N.
C., West Central N. C.
The Presiding Elders, pastors,
District. and local officers have for
the most part been personally noti
fied in all these conferences. Those
who have not received notice is be
cause their address is not known.
Many ^have re
inspiration * to opr women.
Every district and local officer should
plan to be present and have a re
port from her work and society re
gardless of the sacrifices she may
have to make 'to get to the meetings
as it will mean a broader and bet
ter service for the local and gen
eral church.
There will be “conferences,” by
the district officers each day and the
difficult problems of the work will
be taken up and thoroughly discuss
ed, and the best methods offered for
their solution, so the women may
be able to do better work on improv
ed plans in their local society.
There will be model business
meetings and Mission Study classes
held to give practical demonstration
of the best way to reach and keep
our women actively engaged in the
Missionary work, so there will be
fewer dead and dying societies.
The Song and Praise services will
give the “upward pull” so necessary
to the strengthening and fortifying
the spiritual life of those who are
to carry on the work.
In order to increase our funds and
make the convocation a financial
success. (We are asking all societies
to report in clasess. We have used
this method in two former meetings
with very great success, and we be
lieYe that we shall not fail now.
Any one reporting $(20. will (be
placed in Class A; have front seats
in the meeting and receive a yellow
badge; $16 Glass B, blue badge and
seated in rear of Calss A, and so on
through all the classes. $16 Class
C, red badge; $5, white badge, less
than $5 a purple badge. These
badges are beautifully made and
have a medallion photograph of *our
Missionary, Mrs, PeJters, attached,
which makes it doubly valuable as
a souvenir.
Besides these class badges to the
individual contributor we are offer
ing in each convocation a prize ban
ner to the DISTRICT, that sends up
the largest amount of money,
do hope the presiding elders
pastors will encourage and cooperate
with the missionaries in their re
spective districts and put forth extra*
effort to secure this banner. If
there is no real competition in the
effort to secure it there will be no
material gain in awarding it. We
feel the honor of being the Banner
District is worth while the effort to
secure it.
Now let the departments in each
district combine their efforts and
secure the Banner. Let every one
who can possibly do so report in
Class A.
We /
and
Philadelphia, Pa.