©Jjrp? f ears Mark 3n
at Africa....
Dedicated to the Cause of West African
M issions a^id the Women's Efforts
in All of their Societies to
Redeem Africa
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RT. REV. WM. H. HEARD, D.D.
Pre;i Jing Bishop of the J3th Episcopal District (West Africa)
Rev. H. M. Steady, D.D.
Presiding E/der and leading ministerial delegate from
the Sier ra Leone Conference; also a candidate
for Bishop for West Africa
Wytn frara Wavk 2ht
Hpst Afrtra
l8g HtsJjop W. ISi. Ifrarfr
Printed By
THE A. M. E. BOOK CONCERN,
631 Pine Street,
Phila.. Pa.
1911
W. D. CRUM, M. D.,
United States Minister to Monrovia, Liberia (rid lay
delegate to the General Conference
<§ur missionary irpartttumt anil
Auxiliaries
The Missionary Work of the A. M. E. Church is operated
by the Parent Home and Foreign Missionary Department,
61 Bible House, New York, Rt. Rev. C. T. Shaffer, Presi¬
dent; Rev. W. W. Beckett, Secretary and Treasurer; as¬
sisted by the Woman's Mite Missionary Society, Mrs. M.
F. Handy, President; Mrs. Mary Chase Beckett, Secretary;
Mrs. B. T. Tanner, Treasurer; and the Woman's Home and
Foreign Missionary Society, Mrs. Laura P. Turner, Presi¬
dent, and Mrs. James A. Hadley, Secretary.
Missionary Society, Sierra Leone Annual Conference
Sib? missionary Sfaliia of Ifrat
Afrira aniJ Ifiatorir iSmrtnit
The Missionary Fields of West Africa now compose
the Sierra Leone, Liberian and Gold Coast Conferences.
In 1886 Bishop John M. Brown ordained Rev. J. R. Fred¬
erick at Providence, R. I., and sent him out as the first mis¬
sionary to operate in this Conference. The Trustees of the
Lady Huntington Missionary Society deeded to the Mis¬
sionary Board of the A. M. E. Church the church known
as Old Zion, built one hundred and ten years ago, but after
ten years successful work the Rev. Frederick withdrew
from the A. M. E. Church and carried the property and
people, except twenty-seven who remained loyal, and under
the leadership of Rev. H. M. Steady they purchased ground
and built what is known as New Zion, a most beautiful
and substantial church, situated in the heart of Freetown
on Perdemba Road (Street). Dr. H. M. Steady is now the
Presiding Elder of the Sierra Leone Conference.
QHje ^iatortr Hmeut
Rt. Rev. H. M. Turner, D. D., LL. D., landed at Free¬
town, Sierra Leone, and organized the Sierra Annual Con¬
ference Nov. 12, 1891, Rev. H. M. Steady was elected Sec¬
retary. The Roll of Members were Revs. J. R. Frederick,
J. R. Geda, H. M. Steady, D. B. Roach, George D. Decker,
Emancipation Day Celebration. Liberian Army Marching, also
the President and Cabinet. Many native people are seen here
in this reproduction
The Historic Review
M. T. Newland, J. J. Coker. Only Dr. H. M. Steady and
Rev. M. T. Newland remain to-day in the A. M. E. Church.
Rev. J. R. Geda was transferred to the Liberia Annual
Conference where he died in a few weeks with the African
fever. After the close of the Sierra Leone Conference,
Bishop proceeded to Liberia and organized the Liberian
Annual at the Muhlenburg Mission, under the Lutheran
Church at Arthington. This Conference was composed of
Revs. T. E. Lewis, Clement Irons, S. A. Bailey, J. A. Lind¬
say, M. Moultrie, J. R. Geda and C. A. White. Rev. T. E.
Lewis was elected Secretary. Of this number, only Rev. S.
A. Bailey remains in the itinerancy.
Rev. J. R. Geda was sent to Brewersville, but his zeal
and work soon laid him in African soil to hear the awak¬
ening trumpet from Africa. Bishop Turner went out again
in 1893 and !895. He carried out as Missionaries Revs. J.
E. Ridgel, F. G. Snelson, W. H. Heard and R. Vreeland.
Dr. Heard was also American Minister and Superintendent
of the work he carried out. Revs. C. M. Manning, D. D.,
who was the Secretary of the Legation, but who did Mis¬
sionary work, and L. C. Curtis, D. D., who was made Pre¬
siding Elder, in which position he remained and worked
for twelve years.
This was the organizing period and some good work was
done—very little money was spent in Liberia for these six
years. In 1899 Bishop A. Grant, D. D., went out and held
the Sierra Leone Conference Feb. 5, 1899, and then Pro¬
ceeded to Liberia and held that Conference in the Eliza
Turner Chapel, which had been built by Dr. Heard while
he was there serving the United States Government. He
View of the City of Monrovia, Liberia
The Historic Review
purchased ground and built the church without any aid
from the home Church. Bishop Grant created much en¬
thusiasm in the Liberian Conference.
He was succeeded by Bishop C. T. Shaffer, M. D., D. D.,
who left his name in Africa by building the Shaffer High
School. He also transferred Rev. C. J. Lawton out there,
who did a permanent work at Monrovia. Bishop Shaffer
he'd these Conferences Feb. and Mar 1902. He was the Bishop for
four years and was succeeded by Bishop C. S. Smith, D. D.,
1906, who went out Feb., 1907, and held the Conference,
paid some debts of long standing and very much encouraged
the work.
Bishop W. H. Heard, D. D., was elected and sent out in
December, 1908. He carried ten Missionaries and held
these Conferences in March, 1909.
He begun the work on a plan heretofore neglected by
organizing- schools and putting educated men in charge of
the city stations. He has since carried two more Mission¬
aries. Therefore has carried to the field fourteen Mission¬
aries, and returned five, and has not received any assist¬
ance from the Department for this purpose.
He has rebuilt the church at Monrovia at a cost of Five
Thousand Dollars. Built a church in Freetown, Sierra
Leone, rebuilt the churches at Johnsonville, Coffee Farm
and built at Virginia, opened up work at Bannerville, and
on the Kroo-Coast, and ordained the first Kroo-man in the
A. M. E. Church. The Sarah Gorham Mission House has
been rebuilt this year by Bishop Heard. His health has
failed, but he will not be satisfied to die with this work
unfinished.
Sierra Leone Annual ConferenceWest Africa
Surrra fonn? (Emtfmntrp
This Conference is situated in the colony of Sierra Leone,,
eleven degrees north of the equator and six thousand one
hundred and fifty miles from Philadelphia. It takes about
thirty days to make the trip, and costs for second class fare
two hundred (200) dollars; for first class, three hundred
and fifty (350) dollars and upward. The Conference is
composed of twelve ministers and teachers, and the Mite
Society furnishes two thousand dollars a year for themr
while the Missionary Department gives four hundred more,
making twenty-four hundred dollars for this Conference.
At three hundred dollars per man it would require thirty-
six hundred dollars for the Conference, but we have but
twenty-four hundred, twelve hundred short of the lowest
appropriation that should be made to a missionary, with
no appropriations for buildings. But no one is to be
blamed for this, for we are economically using all the
money at the command of cur Missionary Department, and
Dr. Steady, the Presiding Elder, is a wise and safe leader.,
and as loyal as a man can be. When promotions are ir?
order he should be among the first to be considered.
(Ulir (Ebargra
The first and important charge of this Conference is
New Zion, pastored by Rev. E. T. Martin, with one hun¬
dred and sixty members and two hundred and forty proba¬
tioners. Rev. J. A. John is in charge of the day school and
Rev. E. T. Martyn
Pastor of New Zion Church, and ministerial delegate to
the General Conference from the Sierra Leone
Conference
Sierra Leone Conference
assistant pastor. He has over a hundred pupils. The
charge is, perhaps, the best in West Africa.
Our second charge is Emanuel, situated in the south¬
ern part of Freetown, with a membership of forty-two and
one hundred and thirteen probationers. Rev. J. O. A. T.
Deck(r is pastor and in charge of the day school, with
seventy-five pupils, assisted by his wife. Licentiate J. A-
Martyn is the assistant pastor; he is also a tutor in the A_
M. E. Seminary.
Campbell Chapel, which has just been completed and
dedicated, is situated in the northern part of Freetown,,
known as Clinetown. Rev. J. F. Gerber is in charge of this
new mission, with a membership of thirty-three, with about
forty probationers. The people are poor in Freetown and
poorly paid—twenty-four and thirty-six cents for a day's
labor is the price paid a man.
We leave Freetown and go up the Scarcies River sixty-
five miles, and we come to Bethel Mission, under the charge
of Rev. J. H. W. Gooding. This mission has about sixty
members and as many probationers, also a good day school
taught by Brother Gooding. This is what is known as the
Hinder Lands, and is in the midst of Mohammedans and
heathens.
Going across the country thirty miles we come to Mag-
belly and the Sarah Gcrham Mission House, built by the
Ladies' Mite Society years ago, but it has decayed and we
are thankful that the ladies have arranged to rebuild this
landmark. Rev. M. Jones is in charge of this mission,
assisted by his wife. The only Christian chief in Sierra
Mr. I. E. Steady
A lay delegate from the Sierra Leone Annual
Conference to lite General Conference
Sier:a Leone Confen r.ce
Leone resides near here and is a member of the A. M. E.
■Church. His name is Chief Smart. He loves his church.
Going twenty mi-les further northeast, we come to the
Florida Grant Mission, under the charge of Rev. J. H. Parks,
■who is gifted in the Timinee language and is very success¬
ful among the natives. We have no building at this place
and use a native mud hut as a place of worship and no day
school, but Bishop Grant has promised us a donation, and
it could be no better applied than to perpetuate the lfame
of Mrs. Florida Grant in West Africa.
About ten miles further, we find ourselves at the head of
the Port Lokkah River, sixty-five or seventy miles from
Freetown, and here is one of the largest native towns in
Sierra Leone. On one side of the river, is it known as Port
Lokkah, on the other side, as Senduga. Our church is sit¬
uated in the latter, a most beautiful little chapel in memory
of the late Bishop M. M. Moore. We have a fine day school
taught by a teacher, selected by the Pastor, who is giving
good service and the school is increasing daily, so that the
church does not hold the people; they have to use the yard
and the parsonage to accommodate these seventy-five na¬
tive heathens.
Thus, we have minutely described the charges in the
Sierra Leone Conference, that is, the stations. There are
many sub-stations not mentioned. Last, but not least, we
must mention the A. M. E. Seminary, under Rev. J. P. Rich¬
ards, who graduated from Wilberforce University and was
sent out by the board to do this work. The Seminary is a
school of high grade and in a most flourishing condition.
It is situated at 36 Wellington Street, Freetown, Sierra
Leone. They are in great need of a building. We can not
operate successfully until we get a building; we must have
it.
Liberia Annual Conference
®lj? Siberia (Unufmttrp
The Liberian Conference is divided into three i residing
Elder districts. Monrovia, the Capital, is six thousand four
hundred and forty miles from Philadelphia; second clds^
fare is two hundred and fifty dollars, first class, four hun¬
dred and upward.
The Monrovia District is presided over by Rev. A. L.
Brisbane, who lives at Brewerville, Liberia. He has the fol¬
lowing charges: Eliza Turner, Monrovia, Liberia, Rev. J.
W. Reynolds is pastor. This Chapel is dilapidated and no
longer habitable, but we are now arranging, through the
Missionary Board and efforts of Bishop Heard, to put up a
chapel with a school in the basement that will be an honor
to the church. For this reason, he paid his way to Amer¬
ica, and traveled day and night, preaching and lecturing
in this way raising $3,243. 76 for this work. He would not have
been in America if he was not in the interests of th^ church, and
working for the church. When this church is completed African
Methodism will have the name in Liberia that will live with time,
and a place of worship that will represent what the church is. The
money has been secured and the church built.
The next charge is Arthington. Here we have one hun¬
dred and ten members and forty probationers. Rev. H. G.
Knight, formerly of the Philadelphia Conference, is in
charge of the church and the Shaffer High School, which
Missionary Society of Liberia Annual Conference
The Liberia Conference
is situated at this point. This School has seventy scholars
and @ne hundred acres of land, and we make it an indus^
trial scheol. We have six acres of coffee already bearing'.
Arthington is the best settlement in Liberia. Here we
need money for scholarships for poor native boys—Two hundred
dollars.
Brewerville, under the charge of Rev. A. P. Wright, is
about ten miles up the St. Paul river from Monrovia. Were
we have a good church and a day school, but the people are
very poor and not able to do much. But they are progress¬
ing.
Johnsonville, twenty-five miles up the Messerado River,
is under the charge of Rev. C. F. Caesar, who emigrated
from the United States to Liberia but a few years ago.
They have built a good church here. They are doing
well.
Coffee farm is a small, native mission in charge of Rev. J.
G. Wilson, and on Stockton Creek, about eight miles from
Monrovia. The people here are all natives, and the work
grows slowly, but they are true and loyal. They have built
a new church here also.
Our next charge is Robertville, Rev. W. H. Wright is
the Pastor. This is a small mission with a thatch building
twenty-two miles from Monrovia. They might do more
as a church. The membership is about eleven.
Virginia, at the head of Stockton Creek, is a mission in
charge of Rev. C. F. Caesar. He is not making much prog¬
ress, but is in the midst of the Golah Tribe, a very pro¬
gressive people. They have a new church here.
At Cape Mount, fifty miles from Monrovia, we have a
beautiful little church, but we find it hard to get a pastor
Day School at Monrovia, Liberia
The Liberia Conference
to go there and remain, as we have not sufficient funds to
support one so far away from Monrovia, and without-the
necessities of life. This charge is not prospering.
Schefflin is named for Mr. Schefflin, of New York, the
Philanthropist, who has done much for Liberia. We h^ve
a mission here, presided over by Rev. Wm. Blunt. We
will not mention the other missions as we have no pastors in
charge of them. We indeed need men and money
Rev. S. A. Bailey is in charge of the missionary district at "
Careysburg, twenty miles interiorward from Monrovia. He
is an old Charlestonian; went to Liberia on the Azof in
1867.
The Bassa District is presided over by Rev. C. J. Bynum;
he is a man of energy, thrift, and fairly intelligent, and is
doing a good work for African Methodism. He lives at
Fortville, Grand Bassa County, Liberia, West Africa. The
charges are first, Lower Buchanan, Rev. T. G. Clark, a
graduate of Howard University is in charge of this station.
The Church makes no mistakes in educating men. He is a
first class man. We have about fifty members here and
some of them fairly well to do. But they are not doing all
they could.
Our next charge is Cape Palmas. Rev. A. M. Delima
has the oversight of this mission. He has done and is doing
a most successful work here. He and his wife recently went
out from America, and his day school, as well as the cht.i-ch,
show what they are. They are now worshipping in a hall,
as we have no church here. Rev. Allen Yancy, who was
stationed here, began the building of a church and died be¬
fore its completion. Mrs. Bishop Turner and the Woman's
Day School, Brewerville, Liberia
The Liberia Conference
Home and Foreign Missionary Society has promised to take
up this work and complete this church. It will be a fnost
strategic point, and if these ladies did nothing else their ,
name will ever live in Africa. This is one of the best towns
in the Republic, and we ought to have a first-class chufrch
and a first-class pastor at this point. This work must be,,
done this year.
Fortville is under charge of the Presiding Eldef^and ■ he
is having great success at this point. ..
Hollandville: here Rev. A. P. Holt is pastoring, but he
is not making much headway as this settlement is thinly
settled and ten miles from the waterside. Only natives are
here in abundance, and they do not readily take to Chris¬
tianity. He can do more than has been done.
At Rivercess, we have Rev. Gabidon as pastor. He is a
native Sierra Leonian.
Little Bassa. This mission is under the charge of Rev.
C. H. Johnson. The war with the natives has nearly
depleted all missionary operations and destroyed the prop¬
erty in this part of the Republic.
Johnsonville is twenty-five miles from Lower Buchanan
and is in charge of Rev. J. H. Johnson, who, besides being
a minister, is a large farmer, and is having much success
both as farmer and minister.
The appropriation for the Liberian Conference, from the
Missionary Board is sixteen hundred dollars a year, and
with that amount we are doing a marvelous work. We
'could use much more in our school work, for our school at
Monrovia in charge of Rev. J. W. Reynolds and Mrs. King
has over a hundred and thirty pupils, and yet no appropria¬
tion for paying these teachers. Mrs. Emily C. Kinch begun
this school and gave us a foundation that will last if
nourished and cared for. Thus ends the Liberian Confer¬
ence.
Rev. A. M. DeLima
Presiding Elder of the Gold Coast Conference
and the leading delegate to the General
Conference
(Snlii Qlnaat (Emtftmtr?
The Gold Coast Conference is the youngest on the west
coast. Rev. Alfred M. Delima is the Presiding- Elder. He
is a native of Aquittah, West Coast Africa, therefore makes
a very acceptable Presiding Elder of this work. The mis¬
sions are Cape Coast Castle, Lagos, Fishtown, Grand Lahou
and Tabou. These five mission stations have for their pas¬
tors and teachers, A. E. Thompson. Rev. J. R. McClain,
H. C. Solomon and C. H. Collins. The only organized
church we have and building is at Grand Lahou, French
Ivory Coast. Mr. S. C. McCauley built this church with
ten other young men and turned it over to the A. M. E.
Church. The Thirteenth Episcopal District is wholly in the
Torrid Zone, with about one hundred thousand civilized
Africans, and twenty million heathens, with fifty thousand
Mohammedans. But the hope of the Christian Church is in
the children, as grown up people rarely accept Christianity,
but heathen and Mohammedan alike will give you their chil¬
dren, so that the future generation may be educated, civil¬
ized and Christianized, if the Christian Church does its full
duty. Anyone desiring to educate a boy or girl, through the
African Methodist Episcopal Church, can send me twenty-
five dollars for a boy or fifty dollars for a girl. That will
pay their tuition, board, clothing and home fee for one
year. We are trying to make some of our schools self-
supporting. At the Shaffer High School we are growing
Rev. J. W. Reynolds
A delegate to the General Conference from the Gold
Coast Conference, also pastor of our church
at Monrovia
Gold Coast Conference
coffee, ginger, casava, edowes,potatoes, plantains, bananas,
oranges, pineapples, corn, cabbage and suchlike. We have
one hundred acres of land attached to this school.
It is discouraging to see the class of white men who
are sent out by the English Government to civilize the
African. Many of them need to be taught civilisation.
The future looks dark.
This bird's eye view of the West African Mission Field
is given to enlighten the church and the people as to what
we are doing and what we can do. It is different from S©^uth
Africa, in that it is the most sickly, least civilized and deadly
climate in the world. I may be reached in Africa at 36 Wel¬
lington Street, Freetown, Sierra Leone, West Coast Africa.
We are giving you a statement of moneys handled in Li¬
beria for three years—and also photos of delegates to the
General Conference in part.
Rev. J. P. Richards, B.D.
President A. M. E. Seminary, Freetown, Sierra Leone,
and a delegate to the General Conference
Htmtrys ©antilrii in Qfym fntrs tu
Afrtra
Collected from Churches, District Meetings and
Annual Conferences in 1908—in all . $1,746.00
Received from Missionary Society 1,200.00
Total for 1908 $2,946.00
Paid Out.
Traveling Expenses for Ten Missionaries to
Africa $1,600.00
Traveling Expenses of the Bishop in Collecting. 475-°°
Salaries to Ministers 1,200.00
Repairing the Church at Monrovia 525.00
Excess Baggages, Cartage, etc 40.00
Board for Missionaries in Liverpool 52-°°
Board while waiting in Africa 86.00
Total paid out in 1908 $3,978.00
Over Paid 232.00
Collected in 1909:
prom the Missionary Secretary $1,600.00
Donations sent to Africa 486.00
Total Collected in 1^09 $2,086.00
Expended in 1939:
Paid Ministers $1,718.00
Paid Teachers 57^-00
Supplies for Schools 57-°°
Returning Missionaries 375-°°
Total Expended in 1909 $2,728.00
Over Paid in 1939 642.00
A. M. E, Seminary, Freetown, Sierra Leone, Africa
Moneys Handled in Three Years in Africa
Collected for 1910:
Collected from Churches and Conferences $3,243.70
Appropriation from Dr. Hurst 1,000.00
Appropriation from Dr. Beckett : 1,000.00
Appropriation from Dr. Watson 250.00
Appropriation, Ladies' Mite Society 1908 250.00*
Appropriation Dr. Hawkins 50.00
Salaries from Missionary Department 1,600.00
Salaries, Ladies' Mite Society 100.00
$7,49376
Paid out in 1910:
To Building Church at Monrovia $4,760.00
Campbell Chapel, Freetown 105.00
Cape Palmas 70.00
Virginia Mission 125.00
Johnsonville 110.00
Coffee Farm 80.00
Paid Ministers' Salaries 1,800.00<
Paid Teachers' Salaries • • 300.00
Bishop's Traveling in America. 596-3°
Returning Three Missionaries 450.00
Supplies for School, etc 86.00
Two Missionaries to Africa 293.00
Board, Excess Baggages 8*2.15
Bishop's Return to Africa • • 500.00
Total paid out in 1910 $9,357-45
Over paid in 1910 IJ863.69
By these figures we had the following sums:
In 1908 $2,946.00-
In 19C9 2,086.00 •
In 1910 7>493-7^1
In three years we handled $i2,525-76"
Freetown, Sierra Leone, (Kroo Town Road)
Money Handled in Three Years in Africa
While this looks large, yet any other denomination who
is at work in Liberia has more than that every single year.
I paid out $16,063.45, that is, I paid out $2,547.69 more tha:i
I received from any source except my salary. As it came
monthly it had to go to keep the work alive.
This is a great work. I have not done all I intended nor
I yet want to do, but I am broken down and I am sending
out this little booklet to stir up the church to help me finish
the church at Cape Palmas and the Sarah Gorham Mission
House Money for the la->t Mission is pud.
HOS. G. W. ELLIS
Former Secretary U. S. Legation, Monrovia, Liberia-
Delegate to the General Conference from Liberia
Conference
Choir New Zion A. M. E. Church, Freetown, Africa
®I)tttga Not HCttmtm
The mission fields outside of civilization are West Africa.
All others are in the midst of civilization.
In West Africa you can not get water nor food a part of
the year except from rivers and creeks—wells dry up.
There are no enterprises, no wages paid laborers m
West Africa, so that a man, who is not a trader, a farmer,
or a professional man, can live. So there are no moneys to
pay ministers and teachers. In our other fields, all lhat citizens in
the United States have, they also have. Daily paper.s, banks
street cars, and every luxury we have in the States we have
in South Africa. None of these in West Africa.
The African fever is only malignant in West Africa, and
after-an American, is fifty years of age he cannot prosper
in West Africa.
The A. M. E. Church has held on in West Africa for
twenty-one years and very little money has been paid
preachers and teachers in those Conferences.
The Dollar Money in Sierra Leone has increased in three
years from $25.00 to $156.00. The Dollar Money in Liberia
has increased from $40.00 to $216.00. Membership nearly
doubled. The per cent, of dollar for West is less than two
hundred dollars. The per cent, of Dollar Money for South
Africa is over Twelve Hundred Dollars.
The only field where other people do missionary work is
West Africa. Not the Islands and South Africa. These
are self-supporting because they are civilized. China, Japan,
Corea and India are mission fields.
We have built five churches in West Africa this quad-
rennium. The Bishop has raised one-third of the money
used in Liberia these three years. Has paid out $2,547.69 of
liis salary to carry on his work. God bless the women for
their consecrated efforts in Africa.
Day School at Sendu&a, Sietra^Leone
View of Freetown, Sierra Leone, West Africa
Carrying Water, Sierra Leone