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, <a> 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