Newspapers / The Star of Zion … / Nov. 29, 1923, edition 1 / Page 1
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thf nrnciAL organ otthe African metbopistepiscopal zioim church vdLUMB FORTY-SEVEN CHARLOTTE NORTH CAROLINAi THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1923 NUMBER FORTY-EIGHT THE NEED OF i THE CHURCH AS SEEN BY A WESTERN LAYMAN. Episcopal Supervision and Lay Representation. Mr. Geo. A. Johnson. When epee you have visited in the middle west, and attended a Zion church, you are brought lace to face with a very deplorable condition. One visiting from the East and South where the Church is so very strong must be very much embarrassed as he witnesses such a vast change in church conditions- As he sees the Zion Church and compares it with the M. E., C. M. E or A. M. E. Churches, he wonders why the dif . ference. T0 the Zion member who has spent his entire life in this middle j, western section, the situation caused ■comment, as he hears of what a mighty force the A. M. E. Zion Church is, with her six hundred thousand members. He wonders why more attention is not paid to the work out here, and why a Bishop does not make this section his home. He sees the great Mother Church spending thousands of dollars for her work among the colored people. He sees a bishop of the African Church almost daily on the street, and con stantly ,in conference with the presid ing elders of his district. He witness es one bishop after another of the C. M. E. Church coming and going, preaching and lecturing to the mem bers of his Church, and then he won. , ders why so little concern on the part of Zion. His connection is so of ten criticised by other Churches and he is toftd that Zion is non-progres sive. As he sees and hears, he can - ' :-r --- - — ~r-~~ " out wonder. Then as he takes up The Star of Zion and reads what the Church is doing, east and south, and notes where the bishops live, he wonders if the Church and bishops care any thing at all about the struggling con gregations in this section. As he wonders about all of this, and realizes what a burden the Church is upon his shoulders, he wonders if it pays to continue oai trying to up hold the flag of Zion, with so little interest manifested upon the part of the General Church. He realizes that it this section is to be developed, it must be by Connectional and Conse cration. As a member of the Zion family for all the years that Zion has been in Kansas City, I am in position to know whereof I speak. As a lay man I am thoroughly convinced that Zion must have better Episcopal su pervision. There must be a bishop living in close touch with this wes tern work, one who can witness con stantly the embarrassments that come to the humble Zion member as he shoulders heavy responsibilities, and plods along under the load and one who will lend his influence, and that of his family in helpnig to raise the ■standard of our work The office of a bishop is a high one, and naturally carries with it in fluence. This influence should be used for'the good of the Church at the op portune places and where it really means help to the Zion Church. Why should the home of a bishop necessarily be in the hot-bed of Zion Methodism? Zion Church has its standing in the East and South, and wou’d flourish if never a bishop vis ited . But out here where the names of onr bishops are not known by our members or other church members; out here where we are lookd upon as the last of the Methodist family, we see a bishop only when he holds a conference, and the other folks never see him Oh! Church! You have to he out / here to know it as-it is! The General Conference should remedy this con dition. Make twelve districts, desig ned twelve centers, strategic cities, where the bishops should live, and then compel them to live there. If the bishop forces his pastor to live on ir's pastoral field, then why not the bishop likewise- be compelled to live on his district? Why should the bishop of the Missouri conference live in the East? What supervision can he give? Such a distance makes it impossible for a bishop to .ftfnc-„. tion; hence, in these four years we (Continued from Page Five) THE BISHOPRIC. A Scriptural Interpretation. Letter No. 3. By Aetius A. Crooke. Mr. Editor: In my last, I began discussing that phrase of St. Paul that seems to cause great perturbation among some in the Church: I Tim. 3:2. “A bishop there. fore must be.the husband of one wife ’’ I beg the readers of our Church or-... gan to follow me carefully and pa tiently as we treat this by the stand ard of our greatest authority—the Bible—backed up by Civil Govern ment and the interpretation o,f the Methodist Church. We are taught in the Catechism that Christ ordained in His Church two Sacraments—two only: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. And we mean by the w'-rd Sacrament—‘ An outward and visible sign 0f an inward and • spiritual grace given unto us, ordain ed by Christ Himself, as a means whereby we receive the same, and a pledge to assure us thereof.” By this then, it is clear that noi one can annul or add tci a Sacrament. It is specific—definite. The Roman Catholic Church teach es that there are seven Sacraments: B§ptism, Confirmation, Holy Eucha *igt, Penance, Extreme -Unetion^JHoly Orders, and Matrimony, five more thah the Lord ordained as Sacra ments . But it is that Church’s belief and since she makes marriage a Sac rament, it cannot by her be annulled. But the Roman Catholic Church goes even further and says any man and woman joined together in wedlock by any oher man than a priest—or oth er clergy of that Church are not le gitimately married, therefore live in sin. (Continued to page 5) COLORED RETAIL MER CR ANTS RANDLE ALL LINES OF GOODS. (Lincoln Service.) Washington,—That members of our group are finding it profitable to engage in trade is clearly indicated by the fact that 23,526 are retail dealers who are selling, to satisfied customers, most everything that can. be alphabetically listed from a to z, or from agricultural implements to zithers. Included in the list of trades men and business enterprises con. ducted by them are 6,339'~dealers in | groceries; 3,194 husksters and ped i dlers; 3,009 butchers and meat deal ' ers; 1,759 dealers in coal and wood; ! 1,132 junk dealers; 689 produce and 1 provision dealers; 256 furniture stores; 262 dealers in dry goods, fan ) cv goods and notions; fruit dealers, 216; boot and shoe, 143; clothing and men’s furnishings. 128; jewelry, 95; hardware, stoves and cutlery, 74; lum ber 60; and automobile and acces sories, 55. There are also 884 general stores; 910 druggists and pharmacists; 573 candy and confectionery stores; 194 cigar and tobacco stores; 10 depart ment and 13 five-aud-ten cent stores. Other retail dea’ers specialize in such things as art and artists’ ma terials, bicycles, books, carpets and rn$s, coffee and tea, crockery and glass ware, flowers, flour and feed, furs, gas fixtures and electrical sup ples, harness, ice, leather and hides; milk, millinery, music and musical in struments, oil, paint and wall paper, (Continued to page 8) X ' --f* ' • .• •«. . ’TV/, SHAKING THE PLUM TREE W Ziop ADVANCING. B. D. W. Jones. Zion Chirch is regarded by those who understand values and rightly compute wwrth, as a model of Negro reHgious organizations.- The charac ter humility, education and deport ment of hei» men, our brotherly fam ily life relationship are often cited as the finest evidence of the ability of God’s sobs to show forth the train ing of theif Heavenly Father. The succipiss and perpetuity of the General Connection depends upon the strength, progress, firmness,* loyalty ahd succes^ of its local units or indi vidual societies that are parties to the contract fofming a Connection. How does the Connection, there fore, stand ix| the movements, success-) es and promises of its constituent ! parts? Are the local churches advanc ing, adding to their numbers daily, increasing M influence in the com^ munities where they are established? Ts Z5on’s ministry taking forefront side by side with the ministry of other Ike denominations; prominent in pub’ic affairs. mighty in the preaching Of the Word, exemplary in conduct and deportment, educated, trained, polished and refined, manly and acceptable? There is not a city in 'h’s c-untry where Zion isy but that, we have a college man among the oastora of that c’ty. There is not a i charge in airihe Church, except those probably frofjij whence came our loud est complaihitmgainst action and con templated action of the Connection, but has a man as pastor Whose faith runs ahead of reason and whose heart is of the, highest possible spir itual inure. there be any and do not judge the soundness of the whole Connection by some isolated case of mismanage ment . The whole Church cannot be wrong and you one single entity alone right. Its perpetuity and ability to still J operate effectively is the best assur ance of its abounding life and that it has not gone down before the beat of mightier breakers than your dis gruntled ripp’e, is the best e.’/lencc of its promise of uninterrupted con tinuify. To cite cne instance of otur growth among many, we have only to point tot a meeting of our young peo ple in Cleveland. We ewe a lasting debt to Prof. E’chelberger and his Sunday School workers for the recent convention that only history can give proper rat ing. The Sunday School Convention held in Cleveland was the greatest mobilization of Christian culture and intellect ever assembled in the Con nection. Experts, efficiency leaders, inspirational orators, music masters, all of our Zion was there in numbers the like of which we have never wit nessed. Superintendent Eichelberger is indeed the big source of inspira tion to our young folk and is a pro duct of our own Church and schools: and if nothing else had happened in Zion in a lifetime, this meeting would justify our Connectional life to impar tial readers of our history. Zion Church is able to take care of , itself and to keep unsullied the gold en and shining gems of its own min ing. These men we have elevated are ours and they seek not to reform us from imaginary evils by their self ishness and self centered assumption of hypocritical religious d’etatorship, but to labor side by side with the rank * file o our embattled host to reach the mark of the hgh calling which is in Jesus Christ our Lord. We care no mode for whht a man has done than Jesus cared- If He could pre sent H5s Father to us in the love and affection bestowed on a wayward, prodigal son, if He could reioice over the return of a lost sheep and set the ralleries of heaven to chanting an gelic anthems and move the Father to exclamations or infinite delight over the reestab’ishmen „of a soul which had lost its way; if Paul could advise us to ‘forget the things that are behind, md press forward;” if Jesus could ask, “Why caHest thou me good,” then Zion Methodism without any free offered tutelage from an nuau (Continued from page 5) WATCHING THE BREAKERS Davenport Defines Himself— Strikes True To Form—Bish op Blackwell’s Conference at Greensboro. By W. H. Davenport. -I aspire to editorial translation of Zion’s aim and purpose, is interpreted by the General ^Conference and the chosen bishops of the Church, not be cause I feel I am better than anybody else, or worse than anybody else, or better equipped than anybody else, or to gratify i. conceit. I aspire to ed itorial obligations because many who know my pastoral sweat and toil, and some small spiritual and material successes in church work for more than thirty years in every section of the connection*, and many who have watched the breakers with me for more .than a quarter of a century, feel that I might do effectual service in that capacity for God, for the rank and file of Zion Methodism, and for the race. I hope neverato be so base as t0 make capital of any on’e sor row®, or to. r?se upon the dead body of«the unfortunate; and while I thank all my friends for-their generous im pulses, and for kind mention oVme, v»t X do not w?sh them to rob any of due *hernSfmy b&*aSi|| am still alive; and I know nnt what shall vet befall me before X go hence; though t bavp reached the maturity of years. Therefore my sympathies are with all men who are struggling fNr a footing and a place—who are striving by the grace of God to rise upon the step ping stones of their dead selves to higher levels- This is mv creed; and if I have editorial capacity, noon tlrs creed I stand or fall. These observa (Continued to Page Eight) WALTER DAMROSCIFS OR CHESTRA RENDERS “NE GRO SYMPHONY” (Lincoln Service.) Washington,—Indicative of a ten dency to remove from Antonin Dvo xak’s E Minor Symphony (New Wor’d) of its negroid motif, The Post printy a critique of Walter Dam rosch’s recent interpretation of that classic here, and says it “was char acterized by its adherence to the old Bohemian melodies, regardless of the fact that it teems with Negro and In dian tunes. There is a heterogenous combination of the ‘allegro com fic?o’ that bespeak® the restlessness and seething business 0f the new nation. ” This point of view would be hardly arrestive, except that it reflects the ~emper of the times to eliminate everything negroid, even from the gentler arts, and in this regard it is quite a heroic thrust at the very his tory of the composition. The patent vandalism is so pronounced that it is enough to make Dvorak restless in his grave. It will be remembered ghat the famous master chose for the motive of his E Minor classic the wonderful Negro plantation hymn, “Swing 'Low, Sweet Chariot,” and loved to refer to it among his friends, including Will- Marion Cook, Harry Thacker Burleigh, Theodore Drury and Dr. C. Sumner Wormley, as “The Negro Symphony.” When Damrosch rendered it on t notable program in the auditorium of Central High School -in this city last week, none of the colored votaries of music in the national capitol was present to hear it. V THE EXODUS-ITS-fT CAUSES AND RESULTS Rev. J. W. Carter. A.n irresistless discontentment seems to circumnavigate the globe,and the United States is not an exeeptlo* to the rule. Graft, greed, monppelibfb corporatioms.Xand trust groups are urunk on gain, and have caused a national and international loss of confidence, one nation fighting for life, liberty and freedom, and tile other suing for wealth and territory. | At present the southland is greatly concerned over the colored brother leaving home. Some call it an ejcpd others say it is Israel coming out Egypt, while another school, says is nothing else, but simom pure simple, a race consciousness. Negro has awaken up, and is about seeking a more con£ clime and healthier location, Wheie' he can be counted as a man.' A very distinguished gentleman the opposite lace asked the Editor few days ago, what was the cause this grtat migration, and this r« dy? At once we informed him. the question was premature, fofj; did not know . We saH we could him our version of the facts aa stand out fo,r a’l in this civili but would not attempt to gve a : edy, lest unhappily we fiud fighting against God. First, the south by an ove ing majority, :s Ofwned and o »nc by the white man; and any that may arise, whether goo is to be attributed largely ernor^hip and general . Since,4i|Me cUsed) and vall bf tti< drew war time prices for their gc Yet with few exceptions like Little Rock, Crosset, and Wilmar, and pecially in this state, they pay the men starvation wages, the amount ranging from $9 to $12 a week. The 1 poor people are forced to live out of the stores and commissaries on.^tbli% meager wage. Food and clothes are in most cases sold at war time prices. The house rent mongers keep their rent sky high, and yet numerous ar( the houses that ar|, un£t to live In, The boll weevil eatd in the spring ant the tPay weevil consumes the crop! in the fall. . We are informed thai . .there are thousands that do not know what it is to have a decent settle ment, and one haTf of those who lucky enough to have, their books .lusted, say they ,have settled two to I As’de from that, for mst any such as the disputing, of one’s or circumstantial evidence In stealing case and many hther offences, the Negro is burned,. segregated and proscribed against and on. He is often forced to common carriers, because up ductor’s lishment end. ; »,> Numerous are the cities where Negro must give up all because three or in a breast meet that the colored man is an citizen. Thank God it is not Little Rock or Dermott; but one no* have to go a thousand miles' in the southland than to conditions obtaining. I was asked by a white divine, effect the Ku Klux Klan has Negro. I at once informed him in my opinion the Ku organized by the white man,... v/h’te man, and that no or group of them had to or spend millions of dollars in th land to do whatever he (Continued to page 5)
The Star of Zion (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Nov. 29, 1923, edition 1
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