AND YE SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TR
MAN POWER THE LAYMEN IN THE
CHURCH
.Prof. Thos. A. Long, Ph. D.,
Elder Seventh Street Chtunch, Charlotte.
(From The Catawba Semi-Annual Review)
Social relationship has to do
with group life and the results
of this relationship make the
basis primarily of group behav
ior. it is this that gives con
cern to oiur workaday life. We
do not live alone and can not.
This living together makes a
social bond.
Now this living together mus*.
have in it the element of con
trol. Mankind in this situation,
through the process of integra
tion, has built up a aocm
scheme by which group life
may be secure in its guidance
and well being.
This necessitates leadership.
Group life would disintegrate
without leadership. Out of tne
development of social behavior,
we have an organization wnich
carries with it responsibility,
and this responsibility implies
leadership. Leadership here may
be termed officialship.
The minister or pastor is tne
official head of the local church
organization. Provision has been
made by the higher courts oi
the church as to how its affairs
are to be conducted and inter
ests maintained and protected.
So there must be offices ana
there must be men to fill them.
These in cooperation with tne
pastor should assure the wen
being of its membership ar.d a
progressive spirit of Christian
work.
What is involved m holding
office, or what, does holding of
fice mean?
rf many individuals in signifi
cant particulars.
This requires intelligence.
It often means pre-vision, 01
looking ahead.
It may mean either an inten
sive command of knowledge, 01
a wide mental range. In eiihei
case it gives a person a distinct
advantage and serves as a ne
cessary asset.
Character is a vital factoi
here, and its essence is sinceri
ty and dependability.
x There must also be balance
and a sense of sympathetic con
trol, a moving equilibrium, in
tegrated and invincible.
Stating it negatively, holding
office does not mean “posing,’’
or simply filling space, anc
thereby creating in the church
a static atmosphere. And fur
ther it does not mean a place
to “boss’’ somebody or some
thing.
It was mentioned above that
an officer should be intelligent
Such a one should know th'
church doctrine, its discipline,
polity, policies, and have gen
eral culture to the extent of be
ing able to fit in a progressive
civic life and know the rela
tion his church organization,
along with himself, sustains tc
this and whatever else that may
need competent consideration
It is well to say, further, that
there should be made provision
for instruction and information
as to the fundamentals of the
church—its policies, govern
ment, church courts, official
duties and the various relations
of church activities. This refer;
to the membership in general;
for the lack of this knowledge
there is lethargy, conflict and
retarded service.
In speaking of man power,
the church has a claim on men
for service; this means men
with character and vision.
In Christian manhood there
is no conflict between character
and service, for service is one
of the essentials of character
Service is to the man o:'
truth and purity, spending him
self upon the just uses of life,
the uplifting of life and the
makingofmen.
We have the best grounds
for regarding this as the su
preme service, the real purpose
of life.
When our Lord called his first
disciples He did, not promise
them wealth or fame or to
make them happier or bettei
men; He simply offered to make
them useful.
He said: “If you will come
after me I will give you influ
ence: you shall catch men.”
This was a fine appeal to the
unselfish capacities of huma
nat.ure. Jesus got what He want
ed. The men responded.
There is a great principle of
character and service here.
I Jn First John 2:14, we have
this: “I have written unto you
fathers, because ye have known
him from the beginning,
i “I have written * unto you,
young men, because ye are
strong, and the word of God
ahideth in you, and ye have
overcome the wicked one.” St.
John was addressing the men
of the Church at Ephesus, en-*
couraging them in their fellow
ship, fortitude and service.
The times demand man pow
er in all the various undertak
ings of civic and social life.
In man’s cooperative interests
what a power has been delegat
ed to him! In church life and ir
ite forward look, the responsi
bility of its successful “carry
on’’ must come through ul
t of all men of the
tijnate conduct of
It. has been said that if the
great animals of the forest as
the elephant and the. rest, knew
their strength, and had the re
alization of its control, the ani
mal trainers would have a dif
ferent proposition to reckon
with, in dealing with them.
Could not the same be said
of the man power of the church
if all the men, banded togeth
er, could be aroused to an en
thusiastic sense of their real
ability to do things? It woulc'
be an entirely different, propo
sition, the way things would
then move up and onward.
Many men disappoint us be
cause we expect* them to.
There is such a thing as a
passive state, or “passing -the
buck,” or as it goes in common
parlance, “Let George do it.”
This has crept into the church
from long tradition. We find by
the same token, “let. the women
the church do it.’’ And so tht
women through their mission.
ary societies, circles, clubs,
suppeis and the like, have borne
too much of the burden.
This is not fair to them. It
is all right for them to share,
but it. is the duty of the men
to go forward in this matter.
Put definite responsibility or.
definite men. In all work< for
men, the more we count upor
them, the better results we shall
secure from them.
The church must have a pro
gram calculated to create the
interest and call forth the
participation and real devotion
of strong men. And it must be
presented in a way which
arrests the attention of men
and commands their following.
This program must, appeal to
the imagination in its enlarged
dimensions, not glorified ped
antry, but; must, concern it3eli
with the awareness of burdened
souls, the intimate touch of
spiritual sympathy and materi
al helpfulness as a divine obli
gation, with a sense >f a
changed psychology of men m
a changing community of inter
ests.
The present age of transition
from - out-worn forma of
thought, customs, organization
and methods in general to new
forms, • although npt in every
particular case, dearly per
ceived, requires the leadership
in church life to take cognizance
of this fact and be prepared to
meet the issue with candor and
effectiveness.
ihe men of the church, we
believe, will cpme together in
fellowship meetings if the mat
ter is properly set before them
and followed up with patience,
thoughtful planning and kindly
solicitation.
| We do not. live to eat but we
do eat to live.
The use of a little social psy
chology which, in other words,
is simply “tact," or the fitting
in process, will do the thing.
Get the men together at stat
sd periods, have refreshments
or a supper. This should not be
elaborate and expensive. With
this added factor (“eats”) the
Brotherhood will “live.” It is
around these festal boards that
great undertakings arc
launched. There are Brother
hoods and Christian men’s
clubs, numbering each, 200,
500 and 1,000 members, having
monthly meetings and a modest
supper during the sitting. All
of them are dynamic enterpris
es. They are not only taking the
lead in their respective church
es, but have assumed the finan
cial responsibility of many
charities, salaries of trainee
nuyses in city pathalogical
work, giving scholarships, doint
mission work, home and for
eign.
These, however, are in the
white churches. It is reassuring
to note the progress the
Brotherhood organizations in
some of our churches arc
making. This type of organiz
icouragement. That was a
most, commendable gesture on
the part of the Christian Men’s
Clubs, when the Brotherhoods
of three Presbyterian churches
in Charlotte, namely, Seventh
Street, Biddleville and Brooklyn,
had their annual union meeting
and supper at Seventh Street
church, early in February this
year. There were nearly 151
men who sat around the festal
board, as one man, in fellow
ship and good cheer. Here is
where the social mind gets its
impetus and the social will gets
busy and brings things to pass
The church activities here
become vitalized and progress
is the result. That, church is i
progressive one spiritually ana
materially where the men as a
whole, are organized and are
intelligently aroused, as mer
can be aroused, to do the b.g
thing in making the church go
forward.
w ESTMINSTER CHURCH,
SPARTANBURG, S. C.
Mr. Editor: \ou have not
heard from us for quite a while,
but we are still praying ana
working. Things have not al
ways gone smoothly on this
field. For years Westminsiei
r'reabyterian church here has
been a storm center, culminat
ing in the burning of the build
ing a few years ago.
This church has been rebuilt
and reorganized by the Presby
tery of McClelland. Looking up
the history of this church since
it was moved to the present lo
cation, Rev. B. H. McFadden,
the present minister, found that
this church had never been ded
icated to God. He claims that
this might be why the history
cf Westminster was so unpleas*
ant. He may be correct in that
The failure to dedicate to God
that beautiful building may be
the source of her lack of peace
and harmony within.
At any rate Rev. McFadden
proceeded to have the church
dedicated. The fifth Sunday in
March was the day for that oc
(Continued on page 4)
THE COLTURAL KINSHIP OF NEGRO AND JEW
By Dr. Kelly Miller
J.1 lut.
The Aryan race, of which the
Teuton is the chief representa
tive, adopted Christianity, but
this borrowed religion has nevei
conquered its tough Teutons
spirit. It is entirely Jogical that ,
Adolf Hitler, the chief embodi
ment of the spirit of the Teu
ton, should chafe under the
galling of this Semitic Spiritual
Cult, but Ham is perfectly will"
ing and satisfied to dwell in the
spiritual tent of Shem.
Not only has the Negro bor
rowed the religion of the Oic
and New Testaments, but he
has absorbed it and made it his
own. He is today the fullest,
embodiment of the spirit oi
the Christian religion to be
found among the varieties oi
the human family. In some re
spects he carries it to a highei
degree of fulfillment, than its
originator, the Jew. Meekness,
humility, patience, long-suffer
•ng, loving kindness, non-rp
sentfulness, are the crowning
graces of the Christian religion.
This galaxy of graces shines tc
perfection in the Negro's na
ture. Ghajidi in India, typifying
the spirit of the Hindu race,
represents the. next best, exem
plification of the Christ spirit
in the world today. Eliminating
the excrescences of igiiorance,
poverty, vice and crime and
degredation, which no religion
can eliminate, the Negro is the
best living representative of the
Christ in the world today. When
these excrescences shall have
been eliminated, when corrup
tion shall have pot on lncbrrup
tion, when vice shall be
clothed with virtue, when sup
erficiality shall have given waj
to naturalness, the Christian
graces shall shine forth in the
Negro character brighter and
brighter unto the Perfect ua^.
Outside of the spiritual do
main there is a close, sympa
thetic understanding and rela
tionship between Jew and Ne
gro in the broad field of cul
ture. It is the Jew who has giv
eh the Negro opportunity to
show forth his talent in music
dramatics, literature and art. 1
is not without significance that
Dr. Ernest E. Just, the out
standing Negro scientist of his
day and generation, has beei
given an opportunity to perfec
and express his genius through
;.t|ie beneficence of that grea
Jew, Julius Rosenwald. The cul
tural development of the Negrt
ceftters about Harlem, undei
sponsorship and encouragement
of members of the Jewish race.
Is it not to be considered strange
that Philadelphia, which until
recently has contained more Ne
groes than New York City, who
have been exposed to as good
educational -opportunities, f
developed no cultural leaders! '
of the race? The same thing
might be said of Washington,
the Capital of the Nation
which contains a larger num
ber of Negroes of education, po
sition and standing than can bt
found anywhere else in tht
world. Yet the Capital of the
Nation has exhibited little 01
no leadership or developed tal
ent in music, dancing, dramat
icsuMLother forma., of artistic
expression with which the Ne
gro is undoubtedly endowed
this discrepancy may be ac
counted for by the fact that the
cultural life of these communi
ties, such as it is, is under
dominant Gentile control which
had little interest, in develop
ing special Negro gifts and cul
tural capacities. But the Jew,
who controls the theatres, con
certs, amusements and largely
the channels of literary publi
cation of the Nation, has givei
he Negro his chance.
These t.wo racial minorities
in dur national life have many
points in common, not only as
concerns the social and civil dis
abilities under which they both
labor, but their cultural gifts
and endowments and the like
ness of spirit, which is not only
kin but kind.
CHURCH WORK IN RACE
RELATIONS DURING 1934.
New York, April.—A graph
ic description of the work oi
the churches on the problem:
of racial adjustment during
1934 is contained in “Stepping -
Forward in Race Relations,”
the 13th annual report of the
Department of Race Relations,
Federal Council of Churches
105 East 22nd Street, New
York Citty.
In the foreword the churches
are challenged to a sense or
deep responsibility in bringing
a square deal to Negroes undei
the New Deal and in stepping
forward rather than side-step
ping the economic and civic is
sues of today.
In its work for economic jus
tice the Department loanee
part-time service of its Execu
tive Secretary to the Joint
Committee on National Recov
ery which under his chairman
ship has made studies of the
various phases of the recovery
program and its effects upon
Negroes, with proposals of non
segregation policies and preven
tion of discrimination.
In the field of agriculture
the Department made pioneer
studies of cotton-growing com
munities in Alabama and Ar
were enlisted to acquaint Ne
gro ministers tough their
conferences and conventions
with information on benefits
from the government available
to Negro farmers, informa
tional bulletins on land owner
ship of Negro farmers have had
wide circulation in rural sec
tions of the South.
Interracial conferences held
in several Western cities dealt
with local community prob
lems and suggested steps for
fpllow-up constructive work.
Those communities wrestling
with economic problems have
been! supplied with discussion
study outlines which nave had
.vide use in local study group
discussion.
In its anti-lynching campaign
the Department has issued its
annual Honor Roll of States
free of lynching, and has pro
moted wide circulation ef leaf
lets giving historical facts about
the evil and what churches
should do to bring about the
passage of anti-lynching legis
lation.
The Scottsboro case is held
up to the churches as one ex
ample of the need for church
activity in re-moulding public
opinion to bring justice to the
->ays in this case and to pave
the way for a sane, and Chris
tian procedure in civic justice
rather than to allow communi
ties to be torn in their feelings
by racial propaganda agitators.
Race Relations Sunday, has
become a fixed annual'observ
ance of the churches with
growing popularity and wider
interracial participation m cue
cnurches, on the radio, ana
through State and locaT offieiW
channels.^^^ **-‘*^*&
The Church Womens Com
mittee has undertaken intense
work in Westchester, Northern
and Southern New Jersey and
adjoining areas with several
types of interracial meetings
held and educational projects
conducted.
In a formulated objective
for work within the congrega
tions of the churches this Com
mittee has made several sug
gestions for larger interracial
participation in carrying out
special observances such as
World Day of Prayer, Race Re
lations Sunday, etc.; int.egra.ion
of Negroes in the activities of
religious organizations by mem
bership on boards and general
participation in planning pro
grams; the employment of Ne
groes in offices of religious or
ganizations; the integration of
Negroes in all of the work of
local church federations and
other interdenominational
groups. Work has been done to
arouse communities to the in
adequacy of hospitalization for
Negroes.
Attention has been given to
problems of household employ
ment as they alfect the large
number of Negro women in this
field.
In its conclusion the report
emphasizes that “the churches
can not escape their responsi
bility for the interracial condi
tions fwtoch conflict, (with the
ideals of Christian Brother
hood." The report-may be se
cured from the Department of
which Dr. George E. Haynes is
Executive Secretary and Kath
erine Gardner, Associate Secre
tary. __
NOTICE 7
To Pastors and Church Ses
sions :
I am now available for evan
gelistic Services and Bible Lec
tures, and shall be pleased to
serve city as well as rural
churches and schools in any
section of our great Church.
Address:
REV. A. A. HECTOR,
314 West Clay Street, Rich
mond, Va.