OCTOBER 16, 1924 NUMBER FORTY-ONE CHARLOTTE NORTH CAROLINA, VOLUME FORTY-EIGHT SHAKING THE PLUM TREE. f * THE GREATEST CORNER STONE LAYING EXERCISE EVER HELD. J By Bishop E. D. W. Jones, D. D. The greatest of all displays ever held in Zion Church during its one hundred an^ twe?ity-eigh| years of existence was that organised, man aged and directed by pastor Dr. J. W. Browu at the laying of the cor nerstone of Mother Zion church, New York City, Sunday, October 5th, 1924. We go farther and say that nothing like it has been held in this country by Colored Protestant Methodism.. It was the third cornerstone that Mother Zion has laid in her history . One was laid by Peter Williams him self with “his! own hands’’ in 1801— this was the first. The second was_ laid under the pastorate of the late Bev. J. Sulla Cooper when Mother Zion moved from Tenth and Bleeker streets up to Fifty-seventh Street. While Zion erected a second: church in 1821—there was no cornerstone laying exercises since we built around the old structure and used the same cornerstone laid in. 1801. Peter Williams, a layman, founder end trustee, Dr. J. Sulla Cooper and Dr. J. W. Brown are the only three to date who have laid in Mother Zion a tried stone for a foundation. Dr. J. W. Brown’s pastorate makes the fourth structure - wy ever reared in New York. We did not build Tenth and Bleeker—we bought it. In the morning of the cornerstone hying the whole vicinity of the. pres ent location of Mother Zion was* early thronging with anxious hosts. Offi cers, children and more Children isteis/ Bishops; were moving here and there putting on the finishing touches of prepara tons made for a great day. The Chil dren’s Church with its infant robed choir filled to its utmost with oright eyed boys and girls began to sing jtheir hymns cf praiise at the exact appointed hour for worship while one of the five adult choirs started, the processional with ’’The Church’s One Foundation.” Led by Pastor Brown, flanked by Bishops Caldwell, Lee, Alleyne and Jones; the, clergy moved in solemn state to the altar. The eleven o’clock services were conducted by the . Bishops and the writer preached the sermon. It was a wonderful outpour of souls; every available seat taken and hundreds standing in the vestibules, blocking the doors and extending far out into the street. At two P. M-, the fsouna oi xne bugle noted the hour for the march to the site of the new church for the exercises. Headed by a platoon of twenty-four police, a band of seventy two pieces, with flying banners the parade began with pastor and Bish ops leading the triumphant hosts of Zion. “Here they come.” “Who are they?” “My what a number,” and with applause and happy greetings, a parade a mile and a half long, passed through the streets of New York City under the admiring gaze cf seventy-five thousand cheering, shouting people • “Onward Christian Soldiers,” the band,played. Then another: ‘‘How Firm a Foundation,’’ end another,, “We are Marching to Zion,” still another, “Glory, glory i hallelujah,” and still another, “On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand,” un til five bands playing religious inarch music filledr the air with praise: high as the heavens) their -praises rang. On they came, one hundred minis tens, five rohed choirs, Boy Scouts, Elks, Pythiansi, Odd Fellows, Trus tees, Stewards and Stewardesses', Beacons and Deaconesses, Sunday Schools and Christian Endeavor? Plumed Knight Templars, Masbns, Free and Accepted; tramping New Ynrk streets while the disembodied spirits of the Fathers formed a gal lery of witnesses in the clouds and shot out spiritual influences of inspi. Tation and hope to the tramping mul titudes moving in graceful precisiot down through fhorowrhf*r«»s b?»T>Vrv on either side by crowding, pushing humanity. It was Zion on a m^rch It was Zion in dress parade.' tt was the largest ever known and tor many a day to come it will hold the front rank of religious displays. Bishop Caldwell presided 1 at the cornerstone exercises while Bishop Lee delivered the address. The ma s,ons put the stone in place, the bands played, the choirs sang and nearly four thousand dollars were contri buted by a generous people and a loyal membership. It has )>.een asjsed what, hind §£ church is Dr.' Brown erecting in New 7ork? , •> 1st. It is a church all to itself. The old structure will only be an an nex to and not a part of the new. 2nd. The foundation is laid, the steel frame is up, and the highesl point ristas two hundred feet from the ground floor-/ 3rd. The brick is now being laid on sdde walls and back while the solid granite for the front has been cut from the quarry and is awaiting our orders to be hauled to the build , ing. Derricks are already in place -to lift and set the massive polished stone to the plumb line. 4th. It will bo when completed the BISHOP J. S. CALDWELL, A. M., D D. Senior Bishop and presiding Bishop of the New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore and the North Carolina Conferences. He presides over the mother church of our general Meth odism and over the mother church (St. Peter’s, New Bern, N C.) of Zion Methodism in the South, His is a large heritage. largest and most costly structure ever erected by pure Negro Method ism in this country. 5th. It is to seat two thousand. Its choir loft will hold one hundred, and an entire annual conference of ministers cap be seated in and around its altar. It will contain offices, rest rooms, day nursery, studies, tele phone booths, historic gallery, Bish ops’ Cloister; three stories high and forty feet wide. 6th. Its basement from 136th to 137th Street will be la^ge enough to seat a whole General Conference, five hundred visitors and equally as many alternates. 7th. It will hare a spire rising up into the day and into the night that can be seen for many miles away. Now what are its needs and what can we do to encourage the builders and continue the constructive work? 1st, We can each' Zionite send one dollar and get a souvenir of the cor nerstone . 2nd. Ea^ch fall conference can give a window and the spring conferences can follow suit. 3rd. We can in our local churches inaugurate a Mother Zion offering and each society in city, town, ham let, country lift an offering for thisi magnificent Zion Temple. I would like to see this a pastor’s voluntary movement with no bishoo in it only as hie i«i in it as a member of some local church, and I would like to name Dr. James H. McMullen, of Brooklyn, N. Y., under whose ad ministrations the only Zion -'church in New York in which we are worship ping was erected,—to head thig pas tors’ and members? movement for the erection of Mother Zion. Why not have^ Dr\ McMullen, Faster Motner i&ion wiuicu, 151-3 Wes| 136tfi Street, New York City.,. My dear Dr. Brown: Just one hundred and twenty-four years ago the corner stone of the first Mother Zion church edifice was laid, Rev. John Wilson, (white) pas tor. Peter Williams, our first great layman, put the stone in place, assist ed by his comrades, the othier trus tees, viz: James Varick, local preach er, Francis Jacobs, chairman of the' Board, George Collins,_ our second great layman, Secretary; Thomas Miller, Treasurer. In 1821 the old edifice was replac ed by a new stone churefi on the same spot, corner Church and Leonard St., and the corner stone laid by James Varick, elder-elect. Abram Thomp son, elder-elect, and George Col lins, Secretary of the Board The stone church wa3 destroyed by fire in 1839 and rebuilt and corner stone laid and dedicated in .1840, Biohop Christopher Rush officiating. Mother Zion changed its location in 1864, to West 10th. and Bleecket Streets and the new place of worship dedicated and a comerislone laid/ Rev. Sampson /Talbot, pator, and Bishop J. J. Clinton, officiating Mother Zion again changed its lo cation in 1904 to 89th Stseet. The cor nerstone laid and edifice dedicated. Rev. J. Sulla Cooper and Bishop J. W. Hood and Bishop J. W. Hod and Bishop Alexander 'Walters offi ciating . And now the present pastor who hag served Mother Zion church twelve consecutive years i® under taking to build a new cathedral cost ing $300,000, immediately ‘ adjoining the present Mother Zion without de stroying or gellng the-prestent Moth er Zion edifice, and on this the 5th day of October, 1924, lays the coif nefistone, Bishop Josiah Samuel Caldwell, presiding, while the stone is ’aid by Masons' of the city and other fraternal societies. The attempt to erect a $300,000* cathedrar at 140-6 West 137th Street Is the most prodigou® undertaking in the history of the African Methodistr Episcopal Zion Church dumg its 128 years of existence . The A. M. E. Zion Connection "has donated $50,000 to help on th4r > ~rcn lean task, and yet the Connection at least through her representatives must do more to encourage the heart ofc this gifted and great rt^an, than whom we have ho greater pastor, and perhaps he has no equal in the whole Church when it comes to or the forces of tte church for The Allegheny conference over l which I have the honor to preside this the fifth year with Rev. G. W. Kincaid, presiding elder, and Rev. By F • Co^kbash, secretary, send s greetings’ with a puree of fifty ($50) dollars to help the pastor and trus tees . I count Dr. #. Bfdwn among my truest friends and the A. M. E. Zion Connection regarding him among the ablest of its gtfnisters. May his good work stand forever, and should this stone ever be opened by future generations, let the great grand children of the present generation give to Dr. Brown the credit and call mm blessed. Indited by my heart and inscribed by my pen this the first day of Octo ber, A.., D., 1024. George Lincoln Blackwell, one of the Bishops of the A. M. E. Zion ■ Church. yy1 - y . v - The names of the donors of the Allegheny Conference who this the first day of October, 1924, contributed the amount® opposite their names to Mother Zion church on the occasion ,of the laying of the cornerstone, Oc tober 5th, 1924, Rev. J. . Brown, D. D.„ pastor. Bishop G. L, Blackwell.$10.00 Rev. B. L. Madison, D. D... 10.00 Rev. B. F.. Ccmbash, B. D. 2.00 Rev. J. T. Moore.. .. 2.00 Re^T'D^ H. Thomas .. .. .. 2,00 Rev. A. L. Lightford... .'. 2.00 Rev . E. P. Smith.. ., ... i 5.50 Rev. F- W. Benjamin .. .. .. 1.50 Rev. G. W. Kincaid, D. D... 1.00 Rev. F- S. Anderson, A. B... 1.00 ganizin^ work. Il • ' <*. REV. J. W. BROWN, A. M>, D. D. The indomitable pastor and builder of the new mother Zion church, New York City. Mrs. Ellen Poole. 1.00 Rev. W. Roy Smith. 1.00 Rev.,Wm. Smith. 1.00 Rev. R.' R. Bell. 1.00 Rev. J. C- Taylor. 1.00 Rev. J. H. Chase... 1.00 Rev. W. C. Porter. 1.00 Mrs'. John C. Taylor ..50 Rev. P. F. Andersin. 50 Rev. Lulu J. Morgan..50 Rev. Neal Sa.uncj.ergi.50 Rev. W. C. Anderson. 1.00 Rev. J. C. Taylor, D. D. 100 Cash.... 1.50 Total. $50.00 G- L. Blackwell, Bishop of the Allegheny confer ference. Bishop Edward D. W. Jones, Bishop of the Ninth Episco pal district, making his first ap pearance in the Mother chiurch since his1 elevation to the Episcopacy, de livered an impressive sermon In a manner that brought reminiscences of his very illustrious sire, the late Bishop Singleton T. Jones, who once pastored the church from which his son preached so acceptably. By his sweeping flights of eloquence, he moved his rapt audience at will as they hung upon the burning words as they fell from his impassioned lips. Bishop Jones also preached at th e evening, service. Bishop J. S. Caldw'ell, senior bish OUR NEW FINANCIAL PLAN. 1 ANSWERS TO SOME IN QUIRIES CONCERNING IT. By Bishop L. W. Kyles, D. D. the I have received a number of letters recently from p&sttors in various sec tions of the Church touching upon the new Financial plan. In addition ;tc t^ygse D$, >>^0oie^thju,^Fi-v nancial Secretary, has handed me several letters-which he received and requested me to answer them. In these communications* three things were emphasized, faith in' the possibilities of the * new , Fnancial System, (b) desire for information concerning its interpretation and op eration, and "(c) complaintfe of viola tions of its. provisions. . Commenting upon the contents of these letters, the most hopeful note t sounded is the faith exhibited in the new system and the desire to see it properly executed. There seem®/ -to be a general impression that the new plan meets the needs of the Church and removes the cause of much crit icism so freely made heretofore . v It is safe to predict' that the maintain ing of an open book in the annual * conferences and a faithful and (dear exhibit of the funds will so encour age the pastors and stimulate the* members as tb guarantee a large in crease in the General Fund and the Benevolence^ during the next twelve months. The fall conferences are upon us; Within the next eight weeks three fourths of the conferences of the Connection will holc{ their sua sions . The new law should be given an ppportunity to demonstrate Referring to complaints of viola tions of the new Inw; one of its plain ly) stated and distinctly understood ■provision® is that no general official, . whether bishop or departmental head ia permitted to collect §ny of the claims. Any pastor paying the Gen eral Claims to a general official be comes equally, guilty of violating the law. The law provides that the Gen eral Claims be sent directly to the Financial Secretary at Philadelphia. Another provision is that no general official shall pay himself from the funds of his department. The Finan cial department Is the clearing house for the General Fund and Benevo lences, and ibe secretary is required to pay the salaries and make the ap propriations to the departments on the basis of the apportionment of the General Conference. y Complaint is mUde against the pastorg for lack of system Iri col lecting the General Claims and for tardiness in- remitting them , after they are collected. To make the- plan effective and guarantee the suste nance of the departments ' andthe support of the employees on the fluid the pastors must/ be systematic in collecting the claims and faithful in remitting them to the Financial de partment. The average pastor ia honest, and interested, in the thing which makes for the advancement of the Church. If we ean impres® them with the importance of collecting the claims and remitting them monthly, it is safe to say they, will do ft. This wilL enable the Financial Secretary to pay the salaries and make the appropriation® to the departments monthly as required by law. Several questions are asked re garding the interpretation of the new Plan. As the authority • for -the in terpretation of the law during ttye interval of the General Conference i3 vested in fU© Board of Bishops), .1 speak not as a bishop in this) article, but as the Chairman df the Board of Finance and an humble member of the A. M. E. Zion Church. As. to* bow the system is to affect the hand ling of the General Claims in the Annual Conferences, the law is ex plicit. It provides .that ehfh Annual Conference shall elect Its General Claims Committee; that this Com mittee shall collect all the General Claim®; that after their isport baa , been examine^ by tbe Commftftee on Auditemd ence tl