}
NUMBER SEVENTEEN
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, THUfSPAY, APRIL 24, 1924
VOLUME FORTY-EIGHT
THINKING THINGS
THROUGH.
A NEW DAY—THE LIGH1
TURNED ON.
By Bishop L. W. Kyles, D. D.
My Apology.
So absorbed hare 1 been in the
arduous duties and’ responsibilities
incumbent upon me as the superin*
tendent of the Fourth Episcopal Dis
trict that I hare felt loath to turn
aside from those duties to engage in
a discussion of this character. Never
theless for the clarity of my position
k and to heraten the greats majority to
whose convictions I have given ex
presion in my Creed, and to reartic
ulate the voice of Zion as generally
expressed by our most thoughtful
men 1 have descended from the mount
of privilege to enlarge upon and re
state my views. But X have an inher
, ent aversion to controversies of this
t kind. Yet I fear my silence might
be construed either as cowardice or
fear, or contempt for those who have
attacked my position. I am innocent
of the first and am too polite to be
guilty of the second. So I wish to
assure my brethren that I have en
gaged in this discussion with the
L kindliest of feeling, devoid of per
7 sonal resentment and prejudice, yet
I feel I should respond to the beck
onings Of th morning and the call
of the new day.
* * * *
NEW DAY, NEW TASK, NEW
METHOD.
When one has dispassionately and
courageously considered the condi
tions and needs of the Church no
good reason cah be established for
trudging along in the beaten paths
and shopworn policies of the past.
Why should we bind ourselves inse
parably to the thought and the tradi
tions of the leadership of other and
totally different days; Thoughtful
and progressive men and women are
sharing in an irresistible personal^
desire to know the facts and needs of j
our Church. They want to survey the;
old and scrutinise the new with a
view of getting their bearings for
plans and methods of proceedure
which the new conditions demand.
In the general survey we may discov
er that some of the old plans • and
methods born of the genius of men
of other days may not fit into the
nooks and niches of our day. We
may have to discard Saul’s armor al- j
though it may be a creation of the
genius of our fathers and employ an
armor designed by the genius of the
men of our day. Thoughtful men re
sent the idea of being herded like cat
tle. The right of self-determination
is the heritage of men in the Church
as well as in th state. ^
* * . * •/'
SHALL WE MOVE ON.'6r SHALL
we remain Static?
We are just emerging
» most disordered decade of human
history. It was a transitional period.
It marked the passing of the old and
the birth of a new world. During
this period civilization was being re
born and God was walking miracu
lously in the world. In studying the
problems which the new day presents
the Church should make the move
ments of God—discover His footsteps
in the affairs of men, employ the most
effective methods- for the accomplish
ment of the new tasks and move on.
It is the faithleses, hopeless individ
ual of Church that remains static dur
ing these stirring times—who sees no
, appeal for larger service in the hap
’ penings of our day, and in whose souls
the irresistible urge has not been felt.
Men of unyielding faith and indomit
£ able hope are apt to see the pointing
r of the finger of providence and move
F in the direction indicated. With
such mene a new survey of the field
and a readjustment of things is a
natural and necessary consequence.
I The disposition to' follow “ancestral
r ' : ■■ ■
leadership” and serve the historic
idealsi indigenous of our Zionism,” is
not a fitting memorial to our fathers,
many of whom wrought better thaw
they knew. We do not stop the
wheels of progress to memorialize our
dead. We build monuments to their
virtues, we write their heroic deeds
in the annals of history and we turn
our attention to the ideals of the new
day and to the Working out of new
methods for the new tasks, so that
I the wheels of progress may move on.
1 * * • •
DOBS OUR FINANCIAL SYSTEM
j NEED REVISING.
I Does our financial system, which is
claimed to be -‘‘essentially a Zion
Methodist system** need rhrisiog? It
. is evident from the complaints of
those in the service of the Church
who depend upon it for sustenance
that our financial system needs revis
ing, and more than “perhaps a little-”
The fact that the orderly flow of the
funds into the treasury of the Con
nection may be obstructed and di
verted to purposes for which it was
hot collected 'may be assigned as
another evidence for the need of a
revision. We might just as well face
the facts. It might do us good to see
the conditions affecting oUr institu
tions some times through the eyes
of others. We should not be such
slaves to our ideas, or 'so deeply in
love with our own opinions as to be
impervious to reason or dumb to the
suggestions of those who have made
and are making success in financial
ventures. It would be the most pain
ful and pathetic folly to reject a good
thought simply because we are not
tiie first to conceive it. The history
of aU human progreess is the his
tory of the absorption of the best
from whatever, source it -may chance
to come whether of savage or brute,
of meii or angels, of youth or old
(Coutinued to page 4)
THE SOUTH CAROLI
NA, NORTH CARO
LINA AND VIRGINIA
DELEGATES MEET.
Wednesday, March 26th at 11 A.
M-, the delegates of three states to
the A. M. E- Zion General Confer
ence met at 11 A. M.t at Clinton
Chapel, Charlotte, N. C.
The delegates represented Virgin
ia, North Carolina and South Car
olina. These states embrace eleven
conferences and the ywere all re
presented but. One. Drs. Matthews,
Callis and Shaw came from the Phil
adelphia ahd Baltimore sector.
Dr. H. L. Simons Was temporary
chairman and Dr. Wm- Sutton Was
elected temporary chairman. The
vice-chairmen by states were Dr.
Wm. Rdbinson, South Carolina, and
Dr. M. D. Smith, Virginia.
Dr. S- J. Howie, of the Blue Ridge
end Rev. D. C. Crosby, South Car
olina, were elcted secretaries.
Twelve general officers were pres
ent. The following issues were en
dorsed: .
а. xuitL mere ue twelve juihbuvihu
Districts: . )
2. That an Episcopal District shall |
not he changed by thp death of a!
bishop, it remain fixed, and that the (
conferences, left without supervision \
by the dpeth of the bishop shall be
filled bf the Episcopal Committee. .
3. That the church be divided into
contiguous districts and that the ar
ranging of these districts be left
left with the District Committee.
That the adjoining states where there
is no Zion work be added to the. dis
trict to the end that the Church may
cover the whole of America.
4. That the Episcopal Committee
be held intact and function through
out the quadrenniufn.
5. That five bishops be elected at
the forthcoming General Conference.
б. That the budget of the general
Church be Two hundred.. Twenty
Thousand. dollars.
7. That the General Fund be one
(Continued to page 5)
FOR THE A M. Ef ZION CON
NECTION.
By Rev. S. .
before the
he in or
Some prefatory n
oatlining of this
der.
(a) As early aa and even previous
to the last session of the Connection
al Connell this plan ha$been drafted.
A few of our general officers and in
fluential pastors saw ft and passed
very favorably upon it. At Cincinnati
theri was quite a little *'atir” about a
Financial Plan for our Zion. Ahem!
Thereafter “centralifaiion" became
the magic word. The writer presents
this plan with the fervent hope that
it may help to solve
(b) Dissatisfaction
been voiced
again and again with,! our present
system; some sought
plan is sought which
satisfying all concern e
(c) The plan at pre
any other must necesi
of an experimental cha:
(d) It is generally
the minimum income n
our Connection Without,
ant heart-aches and h
the moderate sum of
(e) This plan suggei
estimate on an income^
to be gotten from
sources:
(f) A paying membershj
That is a very cons
her; we are supposed t©.
where between 300,000
members,
160,000 paying dollar m
n
benevolences..
Total income
A Workable
come near
an y
,000
112.600
3262,000
Disbursements.
12 Bishops’ salary, $4*000 (no
travelling allowance).... $ 20,000
10 Bishops’ widows $300 .... 3,000
0 Estate claimants $500.... 3,000
For Education.... .. .. .. 70,000
For Churdh Extension.. .. 40,000
For- Home Missions.. .. .. 15,000
For Foreign Missions.. .. 12;000
For Relief.. .. .. .. .. .. 15,000
For Sunday School Dept.... 3,000
For Christian Endeavor.... 3,000
For Publication House.. .. .. 7.000
Emergency fund.. ,, .. .. 17,500
’Total disbursements.$256,500
Total income .. .. .. .. ..$262,000
Total Disbursements .... .. $256,500
Balance...... .. .. .. .. 5,500
II. How to Get the Money.
This plan offers a centralized Fi
nancial department controlling and
distributing all Connections! Financ
es as follows:-—
(1) There shall be a Financial
jjtoard comprising the Financial Sec
retary. one bishopcthe General Sec
retary, one business-- - layman (not
holding any general office), one bus
iness laywoman (not holding any
general office) and two business min
isters.
(2) The chairman of the Board
shall be an A. M. E. Zion minister
in good standing. He shall be elected
annually. He shall not be a general
officer.
(3) The Financial Secretary shall
hold the office of Secretary-Treasur
er. ■,
f A \ rrh A ConrofQ rtr oTtoll
be elected annually with a salary of
not more than $i00 per annum. He
shall be paid quarterly and his trav
eling expenses to and from the
meetings allowed him
(5) Any Bishop ov- general officer
may attend the meetings of the
Board, hut only in an advisory capac
ity if he be not a member of the
Board. He shall not claim compensa
tion for travelling expenses, neither
shall the Board voluntarily consider
any such expenses..
(6) There shall be an emergency
Board comprising the Bishops of the
Connection. ' •••
(7) The General Conference of
. ' J , ■: '
1924 shall elect the members of th<
Financial Board as outlined by this
plan. Hereater, the Board shall elect
*. Annually, at their last quarterly meet
ing, its members for the ensuing
year; provided, however, that whet
the last meeting of the year falls
near the meeting of the General Con
ference ensuing, that General Con
ference shall elect the members of
the Board for the ensuing year. The
Bishops. The Bishops shall take
bishops shall take their place on the
Board in rotation beginning with the
senior bishop .. Bach bishop shall
serve one year..
(8) The Board shall meet quarterly
during the months of June, Septem
ber, December and March, due no
tice of the meeting to be sent to all
members by the. General Secretary .
(9) The Board shall meet in one
of the following cities: Boston, New
York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.
C., Charlotte, St. Louis and Chica
go.
(10) Members of the Board shall be
re-imbursed their traveling expans
es before adjournment but only to
and from point for which they can
justly claim re-imbursement. .
(11) The City of New York shall
hereafter be financial headquarters
for the Connection.
(12) All monies raised for the Con
nection whether by conference' as
sessments, special collections or
through donations shall be forwarded
immediately to the Financial Secre
tary's office. The Secretary shall im
mediately forward receipts for these
itbi&B ,to the proper persons.
(13) Require all departmental sec
retaries except the Financial secre
tary to travel more extensively than
before visiting churches and com
respective departments. All money
(Continued to page 5)
EXTRACTS FROM IN
• TRODUCTORY LEC
TURE.
By Prof. J. S. N. Trossl
Ladies and gentlemen: You are
here in training to initiate a new
World order, to be spokesmen of that
order, and to be its sentinels also.
By a new social order I mean a new
democracy, the kingdom that is to
come, if you please. But to be great
citizens of this new order you shall
have to understand its genius—its
stfuL This for you will not be a dif
ficult task if you can realize that the
laws which men make, which they
embrace or reject are within them
selves. The first requisite of the new
order, therefore, is that men shall
first understand themselves. Your(
slogan must be Socratic—‘Know thy
self. With this accomplished, you ■
shall be ready to discern, describe,
analyse, evaluate, appropriate and as- |
similate common notions, opinions
and beliefs. What I am saying is)
this: That your social education must
enable you to discover the reservoirs
of human experience and prepare you
to rach far into its depths to find
the elements that are to make para- j
diaaicAl the earth upon which we live.
It shall be your task to formulate the
ideals of this new Order of which I
speak, and to make them articulate ,
in the lives of men. You may be
compelled at times to retrace your
steps, you may be compelled to mark
time, or to stand still in your efforts
to treat the elbsfte elements with:
which you deal in the laboratory of
human experience, but evolution it
self is of such, a nature. There can
not be constant progression without
occassional retrogression..
In social science as in religion
there will always be an element of rays
try fpr there is nothing as mysterious
as human experience, and yet there is
nothing as real—it is the only reality
we know./
The world must be remade b^frou:1
r. v- i
(Continued to page 5)
REVOLUTIONIZING
ZION.
Letter No. 12.
By R. Alxeander Carroll.
The man in the trenches is after
all, the man upon whom the responsi
bility rests, and the ,Chureh rises or
falls in proportion to his success or
failures; all achievements center hi
and around his 'activities, together
with the laymen there lies the sum-<
mum bonum of the material life of
the Church, and the medium through
which its spiritual life flows. fh the
pastor (Trehchman) is the force of
the great wheel around which «U eth
er wheels revolve, for through te«,
Missions, are formed, congregations
are built up, men are saved, and
great Churches are erected. Through
him the fires of life are, kindled, com
munities are renovated and kept ha
spiritual, moral and ethical touch
with the inner, and outer world and
given an opportunity to know the *
will of God. It is his voice that is
heard above the clan and clatter e£
the City at times when the hilarities
of life are gripping manias if there
were no God, or life beyond the
grave; and assists them < fa chang
ing their lives and made worthy citi- ,
sens for earth and heaven,
in the final analysis he is
man provided for in the
made for the Ministry at
eral Conferences.
Some consideration wag;
the last General Conference
from what it should be!
Superannuated! Minister iwha 1
ed more than 10 years and
15, receiving r the amov
than 20 years and less
hundred ($140) and forty dollars;
years or more, three hundred ($300)
dollars; and with reference to their
widows, whatever they can get “One
half of the amount coming into the
hands of the Corresponding Secre
tary shall be allowed for widows and
orphans and shall be prorated to them
in the months of July and December”*
Paragraph 404, which is equivolentto
“Whatever they can get.’ For I
have known some worthy widows to
receive as much as six dollars ($6.00)
per year. *
1st. I would suggest that the .entire
imount be changed, increased to One
luhdred and fifty ($150) dollars; Two
lundred and ($250) fifty dollars; four
hundred ($400) dollars* ^ bP0*
•ed ($600) dollars respectively that
le might think something worthy.
Bishop Caldwell, our Senior Bishop
n connection with the Philadelphia
tnd Baltimore Conference set an «*
tmple when he pensioned Dr. Curry
n his declining age on six hundred
lollars. If one Conference can do
hat, what about the heart of the
Connection when it baets in Indian
polis?
XUCIC ax c .
thoughtful enough to secure homes
before they enter the Ministry, which
I advise all men to do if they can,
and if they cannot, then go at it with
faith and stick to it. In order that
there might he some certainty of the
men on the Mission fields receiving
something tangible, for worthy men
should be sent to Mission Fields, and
given support by the Churrch in or
der that good work can be done,
i-1; suggest that the . Some Mission—,
ary Department be given a chance to
develop this side of their work, and
that 25 per cent of the money bswMflifc**’
in by the Conference workers pe
especially provided for that purpose,
and either placed in the hands of
the Conference Treasury to be taken
out only by Ate Conference direction,
or seent to the Brotherhood Secretary
with that stipulaion.
It is lamentable to think °* ^*0
Widows of Minister;* receiving Six
($6.00) dollars per year, and then
nth an accompanied card asking to
lolicit other funds to reimburse the
(Continued to page 6)