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THE NECESSITY
-FOR AN—
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-IN THE —
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A. M. E. CHURCH,
REV. JAMES H. A. JOHNSON, D. D.
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—OF THE—
A. M. E. CHURCH
—OR—
Tie Necessity for an Ample force of Bishops;
REV. JAMES H. A. JOHNSON, D. D.
1888.
PRINTED BY HOFFMAN & CO.
Nos. 48 & 50 West Baltimore Street
baltimore, md.
INTRODUCTION.
The little volume that is hereby presented to the public, has
been formed according to the necessity of the times. The
whole design prevailing in its composition, is to bring the ef¬
fective element of the Church to a conclusion to do what will
be a lasting benefit to the colored race in particular, and all
mankind in general. It is conceived that the only absolute
method of carrying on church work, is by complete organiza¬
tion. Indeed, this may be considered as the process applicable
to all fields of labor controlled by persons in a colleftive sense.
No one can reasonably deny that an Episcopal organization
ought to be carried to the full extent of its efficiency. Some
who have not much regard for the episcopacy may attempt to
deny it: but those who are true to such a form of government
would not think of denying it. They would rather exert every
means within their power to extend, confirm, build up and in¬
vigorate this branch of ecclesiastical government, so that it
might be more efficient in its labors for the conversion of the
world.
Deep cuts are made with sharp axes; heavy blows are struck
with large hammers. He who would produce the best results
in any given direction, will appreciate, secure, preserve, and
improve the implements with which he can do it. He will not
knock the edge from his axe, nor lessen the size of his
hammer.
If the African Methodist Episcopal Church is a Methodist
Episcopal organization, common sense and reason tell us that
an increase of its influence depends upon the force and fulness
of its episcopacy. You cannot circumscribe and weaken this
without doing injury to the organization. Let the head grow,
multiply the convolutions of the brain, fire up the intellect and
you sustain the power that controls the whole body—arms,
legs and feet. Uphold an episcopacy according to the neces¬
sity of the times, and you make stronger the organization that
it controls.
This little book is designed to induce thinking men to see
the importance of this fact and to act in accordance with it.
The author hopes that they will read, ponder and see every
thing set forth on the several pages, and then conclude that
nothing less than the establishment of a full force of Bishops
with Presiding Elders will develop the latent power of the
A. M. E. Church. It is hoped that they will see that an ample
force of Bishops will make the Church strongly episcopal, and
an extended Presiding Eldership will make it stongly Metho-
distic.
Hagerstown, Md.t Feb. 17th, r8SS.
PRELIMINARY REMARKS.
®OES the A. M. E. Church need more Bishops ? Yes. This
question now propounded and answered in the affirma¬
tive is to be considered in the light of ruling facts and7:
not according to somebody's crude opinion. It is not enough
to say, "We need no more Bishops " And neither does it set¬
tle the mat'ter to bring the subject of Bishops in co-relation
with that of presiding elders. The sphere of each is different,
and each subserves a different purpose. Rev. Robert F. Way-
man understands the matter clearly. And so should every
man who speaks of it, or attempts to write upon it. The sub¬
ject is of such vast importance, particularly at this time, that
it should be pondered—that is, the election of more Bishops—
in the gravest manner for the good of the Church and not for
the interest of any chafing aspirants. The Church and the
people are to be taken into consideration to see what is the
best thing that can be done for them. The wire-pulling age
has displeased God and passed away, and now has come the
time for thinkers of the Church, untrammeled, to observe its
needs and make selections. This making of Bishops and
breaking of Bishops belongs unto the Lord. None should re¬
gard it as a subject like unto those Ayhich belong unto political
conventions. If it be holy, it is sacrilege to treat it in a politi¬
cal manner, and dangerous for candidates to seek election by
this method. If it be God's work no one is seeking the glory
of God when he puts himself forth, burning up with zeal, as
he says :—
" I want to be a Bishop,
And with the Bishops stand ;
A high degree of salary,
And a gavel in my hand."
It has always been the opinion of the writer, that election to
this office ought to be effected by brethren of a General Con¬
ference, after mature, prayerful deliberation for the guidance-
6
of Almighty God. It requires just such a course as this, to
make the consummation of the work substantial and secure.
No man's carnal aspirations have anything to do with it. The
object is holy and divine ; and God claims the right to manage
it. Matters of such importance concerning his Church, belong
unto him. Take, for instance, the undertaking to establish a
king over Israel. Samuel thought one way and the Lord
thought another way. When Samuel was mistaken in his
opinion of Eliab, he was told that " man looketh on the out¬
ward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." And
so Abinadab and Shammah and the several sons of Jesse had
to pass before Samuel before God settled it in his mind that
David was to be made king.
When Judas Iscariot, the chief master in ecclesiastical
treachery, put his nefarious head in a halter and made a vacan¬
cy in the primitive bishopric, there was no cabal to forward on
any individual ambition for the office. There was no selfish
exertion on the part of any to reach the position, that he might
have his "kith and kin" to go before him with timbrel and
dance saying, "Great is the successor of Iscariot! Great is the
successor of Iscariot!"
No, no! The distinguished first General Conference of one
hundred and twenty persons, that assembled at that time, laid
the election right before the Lord, appointed Barsabas and Mat¬
thias and then prayed, " Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts
of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, that
he may take part of this ministry and apostleship from which
Judas, by transgression, fell, that he might go to his own
place."
All this was done before they cast their lots, and selected
Matthias to fill the sacred office. Neither one of the candi¬
dates went into electioneering s:hemes to forward on his own
personal interest and attain success. There was no jealousy,
envy, furor and excitement in efforts to reach this holy office
by election and installment. It was all put into the hands of
God and settled in a godly manner.
Even the Church of Rome, to-day, looks upon this as the
only proper course for it to pursue when there is to be promo¬
tion to any high position. It is asserted that there would be
no tolerancy of any one who should be found manifesting am¬
bition to be ordained unto the cardinalate, and that he would
at once be discarded by the Pope. Such a course keeps the
7
Church from degenerating into a political machine, and from
a consequent growth of corruption. No such an organization
can be so abused without reaching this direful end; nor can
the instigators of this condition be safe from heaven's ven¬
geance. What right has any man in any divine institution to
worm himself into any position that God does not will that he
should fill? Uzzah was all right when he was acting as a driver
of the new cart bearing the ark, but when he put forth his
hand and took hold of the ark because it shook as it went over
Nachon's threshing floor, he did what God had not ordained
him to do in this sacred matter, and was therefore smitten and
slain by the Lord. Ambition for aggrandizement is ungodly.
No man should be regarded as a worthy candidate for the
episcopacy when he settles down upon himself and in his heart
nominates himself, and then like a fox studies out how many
crooked ways of policy he shall go to reach the desired end.
He should keep the fate of Uzzah before his eyes and say,
"If the Lord wants me it is all right; if he does not, I have no
business there." The time is now approaching for the A. M.
E: Church to elect more brethren to the episcopal office, and
so it behooves all of us, ad interim, to weigh this matter well^
that we may come to a just conclusion.
The writer, for the first time, proposes to discuss the subject
so far as he is able, in all its various bearings.
CHAPTER II.
The Present Condition of our Episcopacy.
f&T the last General Conference, the Church had nine
I Bishops and one quasi Bishop. I hope no one will mis-
articulate this and say "one crazy Bishop." Since that
Conference the number nine has been diminished until it has.
come down, by death, to the number six. No one pre-conceived
such mortality and diminution. He certainly did not form an
idea that death would take those who have gone as his first
victims. There were older ones and feebler ones, apparently,
who would be for him as easier prey. But, as like lightning,
no one knows where it will strike ; no one knows who will be
first brought down by the cold, keen sickle's edge. By one
thrust down came Dickerson; by another down came Cain ;
8
and then, by one sudden stroke, as if the instrument had been
sharpened for the purpose, Shorter was left withering on the
ghastly field of harvest. And so went the young, and so went
the old, leaving it for us to say :—
•' There is a reaper whose name is death,
And with his sickle keen
He reaps the bearded grain at a breath,
And the flowers which grow between."
Let us now then make an inspection of the remnant of the
force: Bishops Payne, Wayman, Campbell, Brown, Ward
and Turner are the active officials remaining with us. But
one-half of them are not in a vigorous condition. Age has
signally effected them and disease is making inroads upon
some of them. The vitality of youth has passed away and
the strength of manhood at the oxen and lion age has gone.
By some of them the race has been fully run, even to the last
day of three score years and ten. Faithful indeed have they
been in the arduous pursuit of their duties, but it is impossible
for them to show this energy now. He who goes beyond his
sixtieth year, is getting on to be an old man. He who has
reached his seventieth year, is an old man. He who goes five
years beyond this period, is a very old man. The occupants
of our episcopal bench are now chiefly old men, and almost
every one of them, if they should live, would be a septuagena¬
rian and one an octogenarian before the General Conference
of 1892. At this rate, in such a short time, the Church would
have an actually superannuated Board of Bishops. But it is
not reasonable to suppose that time would be so accommodat¬
ing as to allow the Church even this feeble board. By all
probability at least three would be taken to that "bourne
whence no traveler returns." What then ? Why, the Church
would have but three weak and well-worn men to perform the
onerous duties of the episcopal office. By the natural course
of events it is undeniable that the personality of the episcopal
board is gradually, if not rapidly losing power.
Bishop D. A. Payne, standing now at a ripe, old age, attain¬
ed by the observance of an inimitable systematic method of
living, is far from being the vigorous, energetic, persevering
Payne he was twenty years ago. It is impossible for him to
be what he has been, or do what he has done. Necessity will
soon compel us to recognize him as Bishop emeritus.
•Japez P. Campbell, truly termed the "Grand Old Man," and
John M. Brown, bland and refined and great as a church
9
worker, are both being stopped upon the rachet and are not
now able to move in every direction according to former will*
Time declares that they must soon be classed as the emeriti
worthy of all honor and support. Taking the Board now in its
most favorable light, there is no method of reasoning by which
it can be interpreted to be adequate to this advanced age of
physical force, electric motion and general expansion. In ev¬
ery generation we find that the larger driving wheels are
leaving the smaller ones behind, and that the amount of steam
that would make the smaller revolve fast enough to keep up
with the larger, would certainly burst the boiler.
Bishop Wayman and Bishop Turner are still pretty strong
men, but they cannot continually rush along through all crea¬
tion and different parts of the United States besides and attend
to the work of a dozen Bishops and forever remain in a good
condition. The former being within five years of the end of
his allotted time, suddenly must fail and leave a still heavier
burden on his stronger collaborator. Bishop Turner is the
youngest man on the board, and still the aggregate age of all
ofthemis 403 years. This gives us an average of a fraction
more than 67 years for every incumbent. This brings us up to
the point now of considering the relative amount of intellec¬
tual strength. Every philosopher knows that physical powers
enervated by age, produce a telling effect upon the mind.
They restrain the intellectual operations to such an extent that
it is impossible for conclusions to be reached as clearly as they
■can be at a better stage of existence. The mind cannot go
through the same gymnastic feats, nor show the same tenacity
of purpose, nor stand the same perplexities. If any one
should contradict this, let him turn his attention to the fact
that upon this ground the United States government retires
its generals when they attain the age of sixty-eight. This
same rule is applicable to our Episcopal Board. The incum¬
bents who, twelve years ago, traversed the meandering paths
of science, plunged into the difficulties of various important
problems, illuminated the literary field with flashes of their
genius and magnetized the admirers who surrounded them,
have not that same degree of intellectual force to-day. The
eyes are growing dim and the fire is abating. Good they may
be for counsel, but not so good for strength. The intellectual
contests which were jollifications to them in days gone by,
would be headaches, heartaches and death at the present
time. And still those who say, "We want no more Bishops,"
do not seem to take these points into consideration.
10
CHAPTER III.
The Great Episcopal Work that is to be
Performed.
fHE duties of a Bishop are over and above those of a
presiding elder. They are multifarious and such as de¬
mand the highest degree of ability. The very fact that
"he shall travel at large through his district and visit every
circuit and station and oversee the spiritual and temporal busi¬
ness of the societies in his district," makes it impracticable for
him, impossible for him, to be meddling with everybody else's
business and, at the same time, to be attending to his own
duty. Strict attention to the demands of three Conferences,
forming one district, is about as much labor as can be perform¬
ed by any one man in the course of one year. And this labor
should be performed to the very letter of the law. The
Bishop shall "visit every circuit and station * * * in his
district." Now, then, to comprehend the absorbiug nature of
this task alone, we will give sixty appointments to a Confer¬
ence and one hundred and eighty to his district. This will
cause us to take into consideration the average of two socie¬
ties to an appointment, and the aggregating of 360 societies
to be brought under episcopal observation and inspection.
Every one of these societies, to give inspiration to the people,
should be visited by the Bishop in the course of one year.
This within itself is quite a task; for it is clearly seen that
there are almost as many societies as there are days in the
year. Now, taking this part alone of the matter, temporally
and spiritually, and in every particular, into consideration, it
may be asserted that this is not the least important part of his
varied duty. It is of the greatest advantage to the Church in
general for a Bishop to give his presence to every part of his
district. He by this means encourages the ministers and
strengthens the people. But if he has to run into everybody's
district, he cannot completely travel through his own, and his
own must proportionately suffer for a want of his presence.
And now, moreover, to make his itinerancy productive of
the best results in this direction, he is to prepare himself for
it. He is to have time to study out sermons and addresses for
the people, so that he may give them new thoughts and theo¬
ries all along the line. In advanced ideas he should lead the
very ministry subordinated to his authority. He should in all
11
respects qualify himself to stand ir^his district abreast of the
times. To do this he should resort to his library and there
employ all the means at his command. This requires labor.
Then, again, there is an amount of correspondence inciden¬
tal to the work in his district that must receive his serious at¬
tention. It is his duty to give every letter and every note a
respectful consideration. This must be done for a preservation
of the dignity of his office and to make him as honorable, at
least, as a common politician. The interest of the Church re¬
quires him to exercise much care relative to his civility. But
he cannot do it, even with an amanuensis, when he is given up
to an unreasonable amount of time on the highways. Let any
Bishop systematically discharge his duty in a district composed
of the Baltimore, Virginia and North Carolina Conferences
and it will be discerned that he has as much as he can do to
fully manage his correspondence.
Let again any one do the traveling commanded to be done
in such a district—and it is written, " He shall not exercise his
episcopal office in any degree over the Church unless he travel
at large throughout his district "—and it will be made patent
that by the time he has gone into every part of Maryland, Vir¬
ginia and North Carolina, dedicated churches, held conferen¬
ces, paid extra visits, politely attended to all his correspond¬
ence, and prepared new sermons and addresses, he has done
all that he could do in the course of one year. And yet all
this must be done ; and besides this, there are little incidental
duties which must also be performed to give polish to his
episcopal work. He is to study parliamentary usages, and
the manners becoming to a presiding officer, and the difference
between law and his ipse dixit, and the dignity of his position
and the decorum that is due to deliberative bodies. He is to
do all these things and have prosperity in his district. The
great work before him does not consist in his jumping from
place to place, but in exercising himself to the end of leaving
deep and everlasting footprints all along his journey. The
all-important question is, What has he done ? Not, Where has
he been ? The work to be done in any district composed of
three conferences—and there should not be more—is a hercu¬
lean one, particular and all-absorbing. In the present day it
tequires great consideration, and men adapted to it.
People are to be wrought upon outside of the Church and
inside of the Church. White and black are to be brought un-
12
der the influence of an episcopacy that will demand their re¬
spect and increase the merit of the A. M. E. organization.
Everywhere successful competition is to be made with the
spirit of the present age. Heresies are to be uprooted, intel¬
lectual skill is to be matched and every right of the people is
to be considered worthy of a sacred advocacy.
In all of this it is manifest to every wise observer, that a
sufficient episcopal force must be established for the benefit of
the coming generation. Strength here, is advancement.
Weakness, is retrogression. Inadequacy of force, is profound
confusion. The adaptation of duties to a sparsity of agents is
the muddling of interests and a clogging of the wheels of
ecclesiastical progress.
CHAPTER IV.
Thk Character of the Men Needed for the
Episcopal Office.
GENERATION has passed away since the organization
of our present Board of Bishops. Old methods have
been superseded by new ones. The advancement of the
present times requires agents and institutions in keeping with
it. Every step that can be taken in harmony with this pro¬
gression is essential to the welfare of all social forms of gov¬
ernment. The accuracy of adaptation, which within itself is
promotional, must be observed at this time as the effectual
means of meeting the demands of the hour.
The A. M. E. Church, as an established institution, has in¬
creased its influence until it has become conspicuously identi¬
fied as one of the important organized bodies of this enlight¬
ened age. All its machinery, therefore, is to be managed for
its continual growth. Its leading men are to be fully qualified
for this part of the business: and none more so than those
who fill the episcopal office. They should be strong, if possible,
in every particular. They should, anyhow, in a general sense be
free from petty jealousies, disgusting egotism—for egoism is
bad enough,—free from envy, malice and revenge ; free from
levity, treachery and deceit. Treachery ! What man is fit for a
leading position who is imbued with such a spirit? As well
might you make a wolf the watch-dog of a sheep-cote; or a
13
rattlesnake the fostering mother of a dovelet's nest. None
but the pure in heart should be put in high places. The times,
require men for the Church and men for high positions in the
Church who have an "eye single to the glory of God."
They should be strong, faithful, well-trained, self-sacrificing-,.
God fearing men—men able, too, both in body and in mind.
This has been the reason why the distinguished Daniel A.
Payne has been able to render such valuable services for the
last thirty-five years in the episcopacy of the A. M. E. Church.
The times now demand just such men. A vast expansion of
territory is to be traveled, cultured minds are to be met anc?
the work of grace is to be extended amongst all classes of the-
people.
More Bishops are needed to attend to this work in detail, and"
must be fitted for the purpose. They must be religious meiy
with brains and education. They should be great men, able-
to govern other men, without showing enmity and prejudice..
The sacred charge committed to them should be unto them as
the children of their own family around the fireside. Never~
should they have the disposition to make their appointments:
with the least degree of malice toward anyone. So well form¬
ed should be the character of a man for benevolence and love
in this position that he should take conspicuously the deepest*
interest in the temporal, as well as the spiritual welfare of t he-
brethren at his command. He should strive to build them up?
and sympathize with them, as Bishop Campbell has done withi
tears in his eyes. He who is without such feeling, how dwell-
eth the love of God in him ? Men for this position should be
the meekest, the kindest and the humblest men within the
borders of a Church. They should be those who would be-
trampled upon rather than those who would trample upoiu
anybody. They should not be men who would be puffed up>
with a lordly idea of their office : for God never ordained the
position (if he did ordain it) to be accepted in any such spirit..
He says, "A Bishop must be blameless as the steward of God;
not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker,
not given to filthy lucre ; but a lover of hospitality, a lover of
good men, sober, just, holy temperate."
Again, this is a day of literature and science. It is for this
reason, then, that men with a marked degree of such attain¬
ments—men versed in languages—Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and
other languages and different branches of science, should be
14
added to the Board. Some of the best educated, good men,,
should be selected to fill the office, sO that the Church might
have strong defenders of the faith in every time of need.
In connection with these there should be men of sterling
common sense. Such are needed for the safe management of
the affairs of the Church and should be elected oft their merit.
It is wise to get as much brain and education as possible. The
best and strongest men should be selected for this office. Some
>f this class are not noted for education, but their strong
ninds, judicial qualifications and rich fund of information and
sense of equity, make them men of the most available kind
For the important office under consideration. Such as these
ire no trucklers, seeking peace at the sacrifice of righteous
ness. You find in l®hem men of courage and decision to act
lor the best interests of the Church. You find them to be men
af truth, like Bishop Payne, whose word can be relied upon,
whenever any issue is staked upon it. A deceptive man in the
spiscopacy—an equivocator—is an abomination in the sight of
God and a disgrace to any denomination. The sooner he is
deposed, if he ever attains unto the office, the better it is for
all grades of the Christian family.
It is necessary, furthermore, for us to turn our attention to*
men of refinement. This is the time when people are making
progress in this direction and should have men with accom¬
plishments exalted over them. Refinement on the part of a
presiding officer is one of the traits by which he secures the
respect of the members of his assembly. It is the principal
trait and should be demanded by every member of any assem¬
bly. It should be manifested in the presidiary exercised over
all deliberations and all discussions. When this is not done,
then the presidiary business becomes obnoxious and intolerable.
CHAPTER V.
The Number of Additional Men Needed for the
Episcopal Office.
f||AD ecclesiastical economy fails to adapt the needed means
Pp to a successful end. It does not comprehend the appli-
^ ances by which church work is put into a flourishin
spiritual and temporal condition. Hence, it develops itself '
to parsimonious theories which, when put into practice, dvi
15
••all the vital interests of church organization. Its management
does by no means bring out full strength to full profit. The
idea that it advances is, that an inadequate number of agents
is far more profitable than a sufficient number of them. And
so it piles up a few dollars and places a few Bishops behind
them and loses sight of every thing else but the dollars; and
ipretends to be zealous for the prosperity of the Church. It
makes the competency of force secondary to the preservation
•of money, and fails to see the disadvantage of the inconsist¬
ency.
We are now, though, at a period when ecclesiastical folly
and superficial assertions must be set aside. This is the time
when prudence must stand forth in the light of reason. It
must come and decide the question. How many more brethren
shall we have elected as additional Bishops ? Some now put
the number down to a very small figure, but none touch the
point of adequacy.
When Bishop Turner, some years ago, said: " We should
have a Bishop for every state," there were many to laugh at
his predication; but few to see the force of it. I have thought
the suggestion over and over, and have come to the conclusion
that we should have at all times at least a sufficient number of
Bishops to carry on the work; and so, after bringing the mat¬
ter down to a practical consideration, I find it clear to my mind
that at the next General Conference eight additional, God¬
fearing, meek and lowly men should be elected to the episcopal
■office. I claim this, although I imagine that I see popped eyes
-of the parsimonious almost flying out of their heads whilst
they scream out: What! Eight?
Yes, eight. A close and clear study of the work before us
-will prove it to any systematic mind that nothing less than this
number will be sufficient to meet the demands and carry the
A. M. E. Church to that degree of efficiency it should reach in
^his progressive age. It is necessary now to command the
•work of the Church in detail and to see that every part of it
receives due attention. Such management every common
:sense person sees, requires a full force of agents which must
be established to keep the Church from suffering loss.
Eight men added to the present number—not for the purpose
•of getting a big salary, nor for the purpose of having honor
conferred upon them, but added to the number to do the nec-
16
«ssary work for the good of the Church—would make a force
hardly equal to the demand on taking up the work in detail.
Every one of the fourteen would find himself overburdened
with duty. This is true. The magnitude of the work in the
A. M. E. Church is so great that fourteen men in the episco¬
pate would find themselves taxed to their uttermost capacity
to fully perform it in detail. I put stress upon this term,
■"detail," because it never has been observed in our general
operations, notwithstanding its essentiality to the substantial
prosperity of the Church. All good progressive organizations
practically observe it, whilst others, anaconda like, take the
job in a lump and think they have done great things, although
they lie staggered by the act.
The Catholic Church, one of the most thoroughly organized
"bodies in the world, has its clerical agents elected, appointed
and situated to do its work in detail according to demand and
not according to a parsimonious view of expenditure. Men
first and money afterward, seems to be its wise, ruling motto.
"The Episcopal Church, another well organized religious
"body, seeing the absolute necessity of pursuing such a course,
•submits its work into the hands of sixty Bishops. And still
"there are some poor fellows in the A. M. E. Church who almost
;get the St. Vitus Dance when you talk to them of more than
six. You apparently see a twitching of their mouths, a jerking
of their fingers and a swagging of their lower limbs when you
mention the number. Happy are you if you do not have to run
•and get a silver spoon to put between their teeth whilst in their
-agony of fits. Their first consideration is more money by more
Bishops : and then the feeling displayed is as though it ema¬
nated from the fact, that each one had to pay every new Bishop
out of his own pocket. It is high time now that the work of
■God should be taken on its merit in the A. M. E. Church and
subordinated to spiritual demands and not to paltry sums of
igold.
A sufficient corps of Bishops, fourteen of them, each one
Tiaving a district composed of three conferences, would make
just so much more in the A. M. E. Church of a body of evange¬
lists to go throughout the land preaching the unsearchable
riches of the gospel of Chri t. And do you tell me that whilst
this point is to be considered, you should view the subject in a
temporal light? Salary in the face of this comes up only for a
secondary consideration. It matters not whether the Bishops
17
get a big salary or a small one just so there is a sufficient num¬
ber to observe the demands of the Church, They are to be
devoted to their office for this purpose and are commanded ta
be " not greedy of filthy lucre."
The Church should select them, elect them and then reason¬
ably pay them according to its ability. He who is seeking
either the honor or money of the office,-is fit for neither. Let
us then, at this important period, bring the matter down to a
proper degree and select, as is necessary to be done, eight
good, efficient men for the office. May God help us to brings
them forth in our next number.
CHAPTER VI.
The Men Suitable for Election to the
Episcopal Office.
E have reached the subject, now, that requires more-'
judiciousness and fervent prayer than any other in the
catalogue. Eight more additional men to the episco-
—'pacy are demanded for the future prosperity of our Church.
The selection of these is an undertaking of the highest mo¬
ment. All the qualifications for the office are to be weighed,
jn the gravest maner : and not the least among these are :—
A-ffection,
B-landness,
I-ntelligence,
S-incerity,
H-onesty,
O-rthodoxy,
P-iety.
These, in connection with a great many others, are to be¬
sought after and prayerfully settled without regard to topo¬
graphical sections. Righteousness would say, " If they can be
found no where else but in one place, pick them up and scatter
them over the country." The Church now needs eight of its-
best qualified men for the episcopal office—eight intellectually
and physically qualified men. These should be selefted out¬
side of favoritism and organized combinations; and they
should be men sound in body and in mind.
18
And, moreover, strict attention should be paid to their eccle¬
siastical standing—not so much in a conneftional sense as in a
denominational sense. They should be required to be man¬
fully devoted to the plainest and highest principles of Metho¬
dism, and free from any heresies or ritualistic observances
which conflict with the character of the denomination as led
on by Whitfield and the Wesleys. Men to be selected for the-
Bishopric of the A. M. E. Church should be the plainest kind
of men in costume, word and doctrine. For the preservation
of the simplicity of the denomination, this is a topic for the
profoundest consideration. Let it be ignored and the natural
consequence will be a confusion of service and a confliction of
ideas. Very careful, indeed, then, should the Church be in
selecting men for this responsible office. It is not an easy mat¬
ter, and should be done by earnestly soliciting Divine guidance.
Many good men, according to human preference and an appre¬
ciation, might be mentioned because of their peculiar attain¬
ments. If we were going to make an increase on the ground
of classical qualification, we could make the most credible
kind of showing by taking B. F. Lee, B. T. Tanner, T. G..
Steward, John G. Mitchell, Jos. S. Thompson and J. C. Ayler-
But there are a multiplicity of features which are to be picked
out and blended together for consideration, in making the holy
combination. The writer has endeavored to pursue such a
course as this iq canvassing the great body of meritorious,
men making up the ministry of the Church. Being free from
any axe-grinding arrangement and from all mutualized tickling
business, he has endeavored to settle his mind upon men ac¬
cording to their qualification. And so, in doing this, he turned
his attention, fifst, to the general attributes prerequisite to their
selection, and looked for brainpower, religion, experience and
learning. A conclusion has been reached, though only by
careful study and examination. We think the ones whom we
have put down in our minds, embrace in the aggregate the
qualifications needed to give more efficiency to the episcopacy.
1. Dr. Benjamin F. Lee may be presented on the ground
of his learning, prestige and grace.
2. Dr. James A. Handy is a man of brains, ingenuity, in¬
formation and experience. It is no exaggeration to say that
he is one of the most remarkable men in the Church. He is a
thinker of the first order, and has common sense enough to.
swallow down a cart-load of scientific speculators. He is a
iy
business man besides, and can carry on a versatility of opera¬
tions. The power of his mind has affefted the Church for
good throughout the length and breadth of the'land.
3. Dr. Wm. H. Hunter is noted for mental strength, moral
courage and decision of character. He is, moreover, as clean
and as pure as the inside of a fresh banana. If wisdom should
prevail in the General Conference, he will certainly be elected
as one of the eight additional Bishops. The times demand
him.
4. Rev. Moses B. Salters is just the very man to add mild"
ness, devotion and humility to the Board. He would, it may
safely be assumed, be just the kind, fatherly sort of man that
ought to be seen in every one who claims to be a Bishop. He
would never be the one to "boycott" preachers because he
could not lead them by their noses. We want more Bishops to
get just so much more of the qualities manifested by him.
5. Dr. George T. Watkins is not so well known in the
Church as some other men. But he is strong where he is
known, and is distinguished for learning, loyalty and affeftion.
He is as true to the Church as a " needle is to the pole," and
urould defend the interests of the brethren and the Church to
the uttermost.
6. Dr. John G. Mitchell is a man characteristically given to
deliberation and gravity of demeanor. His scientific skill is
eminent, and makes him influential in the sight of scholars.
7. Rev. Cornelius T. Shaffer is a man of practical uniform¬
ity, dignity and simplicity. His self-possession is evinced to
such a marked extent, that he would be able to increase the
influence of the Board and reflect credit upon the Church.
8. Dr. Benjamin T. Tanner is one of the most widely
known men in the Church, and has done an immense amount
of literary work. He is known on both sides of the Atlantic,
and is esteemed because of the uprightness of his life. He is
erudite and confirmed in all the methods of his Church.
Standing in the Church as a Bishop, he would gain the respect
of all classes, and make more potential the colored race of
America.
9.* Rev. A. Grant, of Texas, is a man whose energy and
perseverance would make him an important agent in pushing
on the work in his State. He is large and commanding in his
appearance, and has a pleasing address. He would add much
strength to the force. He is presented for consideration.
20
These brethren would make worthy candidates and are
brought forth for the glory and honor of God. They are not
to be understood, as is vulgarly and disgustingly said—
''trotted out," as though][they werejiorses or politicians ; but
as reverentially mentioned or nominated for the Church to
think on them as suitable persons to be elected to the episco¬
pacy, for the purpose of doing the stupendous tasks which a
few Bishops have been striving to do for a number of years,,
but have failed in doing, because they have been burdened
with more than three conferences. Let these brethren be
talked of in a complimentary manner~and carried to the Lord
in the spirit of prayer, that their election may be a blessing to
the Church.
CHAPTER VII.
The Episcopal Complement that should be
Kept in Existence.
jf^IGHT more Bishops added to the Board would make the
i!ip[ complement fourteen. This number would clearly meet
the demands of the extended connection. It is the only
number that is adequate to the demand. The work to be done
stretches from the borders of Canada to the remotest point in
Florida, and from the Pacific Coast in California to the Atlan¬
tic boundary in New England. The churches which are to be
supervised are counted by thousands; and the number of
members by hundreds of thousands. These, for prosperity,
are to be brought directly under episcopal influence. Every
church and every congregation is to be made familiar with the
existing heads of the Church. How can this be done ? By
submitting to two or three Bishops who imagine they can do
jt ? No. It can be done only by the elders of the connection
fully comprehending the nature of the work and making pro.
vision for it.
Now, then, let us call their attention to a few ruling, stubborn
facts. We will not take the extravagant computation of mem¬
bership, although that would make our position still stronger,
but the probable number in existence—the minimum at least—
that is 200,000. All of these should be brought fully under
episcopal influence by the making of such arrangements as
21
will enable the Bishops to reach t! em. This can be done by
cutting up the 200,000 into just so many parts as can be handled
by just so many Bishops. Suppose we say that we will divide
this great number of members into fourteen parts. Then it is
observed that we would have 14,285 members in each episco¬
pal district, or that each Bishop .would have a district compos¬
ed of three conferences and a command of all the floating
members of the congregations. This would make a task that
would require all his time, talent and energy to put his district
in the highest state of efficiency, to make the people more re¬
ligious, to increase the finances, and to make other denomina¬
tions more appreciative of the connection. This seems to be
as plain as daylight. Military power in manipulating such a
vast body of men would divide them into 40 parts, that each
might have a general. Forty, generals would be appointed
that each might command 5,000 men. The expense would be
an after consideration, from the very fact that efficiency would
be the all important object. And this, too, must be conceded
in the regulation of the Church.
There should be fourteen Bishops always kept on hand.
When one passes away speedily, another ought to be put in
his place. A smashing up of districts is a smashing up of advan¬
tages. It is in the highest degre'e detrimental to the connec¬
tion. It breaks down that which was built up by the General
Conference and makes confusion, if not a mild degree of
anarchy. What would be the case in military government if,
on the death of a general, there should be a smashing up of
the brigade ? Would it be regarded as a good thing, because
of the death of a governor, to smash up a State ? What good,
then, can come of smashing up episcopal districts ? This is a
vital point, and this has been a smashing age ; but the General
Conference ought to see well to it that smashing is done no
more. The Church cannot thrive under a smashing govern¬
ment ; so then, let every needed provision be made to keep
intact all the important machinery, until the time comes for it
to be changed by the power that made it. Whenever districts
are formed and a number of Bishops are made, common sense
alone tells us that some arrangement ought to be instituted to
keep them in existence during a quadrennium. The magni¬
tude of the Church work now, in consideration of the territory
and number of members embraced in it, requires us to divide
22
it into fourteen districts and to put these districts under four¬
teen Bishops.
" This accurate systemization of the work would advance the
interests of the connection to a greater extent than ever has
been done by any other process. It would give us full control
of all ecclesiastical minutia conducive to the growth of all our
various departments. It would place the A. M. E. Church be¬
fore the world as one of the most effectually organized religious
bodies in it. And this of itself would beget a higher degree
of substantial respect. Loyal adhesion to the fundamental
law, and a prayerful study of certain subjects belonging to the
Church government, make the writer see clearly that such a
systemization would increase the grandeur and glory and in¬
fluence of this strong organization.
Episcopal grace communicated (as it cannot be done now,
because of the present limitation and confusion) to every ob¬
scure part of the Connection would arouse the most indifferent
followers into action. It would lay hold of all the talent that
now slumbers in darkness in every nook and corner, and make
it contributive to the increased power of the Connection.
Fourteen good men in this wise ordained and commissioned
as Episcopal heralds throughout the land would do more in
one year than six could do in two.
Eight more added to the present number would be like put¬
ting an equal number of faithful horses to a team of six, stag¬
gering under a heavy load. None can fail to see this but those
who are so blind they will not see. This would make an ade¬
quate complement; and this is that upon which the General
Conference should rest its decision. Without doing this there
is never any meeting of demands nor bounds set to diminution.
The work that is to be done may from time to time receive
only partial attention, and the Bishops who are to do it may
dwindle down from nine to six, and from six to one: and then
the smashing business would cease, and virtual disintegration
would be the consequence. Is it not high time, then, that the
General Conference had comprehended this important matter
and acted upon it ?
It should ascertain for itself the precise number of Bishops
needed; and then designate them and provide the means of
keeping the designated number in existence. The course
heretofore pursued has been seemingly on the assumption that
a few fellows wanted to be made Bishops, and that the confer-
23
ence had to make them, and have that as the end of it; so that
if they lived, they lived ; and if they died, they died. Better
polity, though, now needs a better conception.
We want so many districts firm, well-organized and inde¬
structible by any power ad interim. Then we want it as a
recognized necessity that so many Bishops shall always be
kept in office to attend to those districts. Nothing less than
this can be conceded as a substantial form of government.
This would signally increase the dignity of every district.
It would confirm the fact that each Bishop had at his command
something even more durable than even his own existence.
He might die, but the charge would remain demanding his
successor, and it would be known that his successor had to
be elected. The Easton Diocese of the Episcopal Church in
the State of Maryland, some time ago lost its Bishop, and re¬
mained bishopless until the meeting of the convention; a suc¬
cessor was then elected to the poor, uninviting position, but
he declined. The convention had to meet again and elect
another. It did so, and he declined. It met again and eledted
another, and he declined. Again, and elected another, and he
declined. The next one died before he had time to decline.
And in all of this there was no attempt made to cut up the
diocese, or blot it out of existence. It stood as the vacant
charge of the venerated Bishop Lay, claiming the election of
another Bishop.
Let us observe this uniformity in government by establishing
fourteen districts, and it will always be known that we must
have an equal number of Bishops, and that no election is to
take pLace unless there be a vacancy in office, or that the
extension of the work necessitated the organization of another
district.
This will put an end to so much useless discussion concern¬
ing aspirations and elections. It will exalt the office more and
be better for the Church in general.
24
CHAPTER VIII
The Means of Preserving the Episcopal
Complement.
fHIS is a proposition that should receive the full attention
of the General Conference. The mind, perhaps, has
never been turned towards it, and still it has been a sub¬
ject effedting the advancement of the Church. It must now,
though, be weighed and decided. A certain number of dis¬
tricts must be laid out and kept supplied with the required
number of Bishops. We say fourteen; and so will say the
General Conference, if it should see the advantage as we see
it. Then it will make a provision by which it will keep up the
full force of the board. There are two or three methods by
which this might be done. By the first there could be a tem¬
porary arrangement and by the other two a permanent one.
First. The Board of Bishops could be directed to assemble
three months after the obit of any member of it, and by due
deliberation eledt some well qualified" elder to act as superin¬
tendent of the district until a Bishop should be eledted. It
could commission him to travel through the district, hold the
annual conferences and do everything not forbidden by the
law. He could be known simply as the District Superinten¬
dent, entitled to half the salary of a Bishop and to all his trav¬
eling expenses. He would have no right to the full salary of a
Bishop, because he would not be a Bishop. He would be only
a substitute to preserve the interests of the district until a
Bishop could be elected to keep up the number. Such a pro¬
viso would be far better than the sledge-hammer one. It
would be the means of keeping the work in order so that the
General Conference might improve it and not have to recon¬
struct it. The Bishops themselves can see that this is a meas¬
ure much more profitable than the one that orders them to as¬
semble around a district with sledges, mauls and mallets to
bang away until the pieces fly in every direction. They could
appoint a superintendent, aid him and let him be a nominal
Bishop, if you please, and thus preserve in an organic form
that that has been made by the General Conference. This
would be progression.
Second. The General Conference could be called to assem¬
ble in extra session six months after the demise of any Bishop
25
for the purpose of electing his successor. In this event the
vacancy could be fully and permanently filled at once. It
would promulgate the work without any interruption; and,
moreover, indicate such a high regard for the episcopal office
and the perpetuation of system that the whole Church would
be moved to more fervently support its government. The
extra expense would find a full liquidation in increased moral
strength. People would then conceive that the managers of
the Church were unreservedly concerned in working for its
welfare. They would be better satisfied with the course pur¬
sued.
The law-making power would then be manifested over and
above every other agency in the Church. It would show itself
as acting upon the most reasonably justifiable ground. The
death of a Bishop at any time ought to exercise the members
of the Church as much as the death of a President does the
people of the United States. Those of the clergy who have
been elected and stand as members elected to the General
Conference for four years, ought to be incited by law to be
deeply concerned in filling the vacancy. This earnestness con¬
cerning a vacancy by death, ought to be evinced, not only in
this case, but relative to a vacancy made by any ether cause.
It should not be left subjected to the question whether any¬
body should be elefted at the next General Conference to fill
it. The method of government ought to be so well devised,
and the number of Bishops made so indispensable to the pros¬
perity of the Church, that the standing decree would have to
be, "A vacancy shall be filled as soon as possible."
Third. The Episcopal Committee could be made the most
efficient branch of government in supplying this necessity.
Soon after the obsequies of any one of the honored board, the
chairman of said committee could convocate the members of
it, at some suitable place, and have all the remaining Bishops
present for the purpose of having an election and ordination
to this holy office. This could be done in the event of a vacan¬
cy by any means.
The perpetuation of the full force of the requisite number—
fourteen—is a matter of so much importance, that it should
receive immediate consideration in the case of any vacancy.
This can be done effectually by no other means so well as by
the Episcopal Committee. Let it be commanded by such a
strong, able man as the last chairman, Dr. Jas. A. Handy, and
26
be empowered by the General Conference to convene when
ever there is a vacancy, that it may elect some one to fill it,
and there will be no disorder of the work from the end
of one quadrennium to another. The experience we have had
in the passing period, tells us most emphatically that some
remedy must be found for the benefit of the Church in this
direction. A clear and well defined law formulated on this
project, ought to be passed at the next General Conference.
It is preposterous for any one to say that two or three Bishops
can die, that two or three episcopal vacancies can be made,
and that the work can go on just as well as it could before the
deaths and vacancies. The logical deduction of this assevera¬
tion is, that it is either an absurdity, or that Bishops are no ac¬
count. He who will, can take either horn of the dilemma. If
it is absurd, then it is imperative that the full force should be
kept in existence. If it is true, then it is well enough to let
the whole board die out. Such are the conclusions from
thoughtless declarations made concerning this important sub¬
ject. Every one with common sense knows that six men can.
' not do fourteen men's work. They cannot do it. The work
is seriously effected, therefore, whenever there is a lessening
of the number. It has been but a few hours ago since I heard
one complaint after another, in a certain section, because there
had been no episcopal visits. These complaints are made,
but it is not known, even in part, that the ground of them is
caused by an insufficient number of Bishops to make the visits.
What conception, then, can be formed of an extension of that
ground by a gradual diminution of the number indispensable
to the performance of the work by visiting every charge ?
None at all. The good people who are to be nursed and en¬
couraged see what they presume to be culpable neglectfulness,
and see an increase of it, but do not realize that on the death
of every Bishop, whilst the work is growing with the age, bur¬
dens are imposed upon those who are left behind which they
can accomplish in no better manner than could the children of
Israel both make brick and gather straw. Then it is plain that
every Bishop taken from an insufficient number detrimentally
effects the work of all of them. Each one can do only a part
of his own work and a part of somebody else's. More, then
are needed.
27
CHAPTER IX.
The Regulation of the Episcopal Districts.
IlffHE division of the Church into episcopal districts is the
jftJjp best arrangement that can be made of it. It is far better
^ than the rotary system, and ought to be sustained and
improved from time to time. All the advantages of it have
never been realized, because there have not been a sufficient
number of Bishops to show them: and still the Church has
gained more by it than it would have gained by the other
system.
The brethren in by-gone days acted wisely when they adopt¬
ed it; for they took a plan that is concurrent with the itiner¬
ancy. It at once, when properly adjusted, indicates the num¬
ber of Bishops needed, and also facilitates the work before
them.
This may be made more intelligible by coming right down to
practical illustrations. We now have, at least, forty-two an¬
nual conferences which, for efficiency of administration, should
be arranged in the following order :—
ist District.—Philadelphia, New York, New England and
New Jersey Conferences.
2d District.—Baltimore, Virginia and North Carolina.
3d District.—Ohio, Indiana and Pittsburg.
4th District.— North Ohio, South Missouri and North Kansas.
5th District.—Illinois, Iowa and North Missouri.
6th District.—South Kansas, California and East Kentucky.
7th District.—East Tennessee, West Tennessee and West
Kentucky,
8th District.—South Carolina, Columbia and North Georgia.
9th District.—South Georgia, South Alabama and North
Alabama.
10th District.—West Florida, East Florida and South Missis¬
sippi.
11 th District.—North Mississippi, North Arkansas and South
Arkansas.
12th District.—Indian, South Louisiana and East Texas.
13th District.—West Texas, North Louisiana and Central
Texas.
24th District.—North ISast Texas and Colorado.
28
We give this as a pertinent arrangement and a correct.out¬
lining of the whole field of labor; but concede four confer¬
ences to the First District, because of its prestige and seniority.
It is thus left, though, to be an exceedingly heavy charge for
any Bishop. The smallest one is not light, as may be seen by
the number of square miles. All of them in the aggregate
computed in this manner, show the immensity of the work.
Two million, three hundred and twenty-four thousand, seven
hundred and sixty-six (2,324,766) square miles of territory are
to be traveled, from year to year, by the Episcopal superinten¬
dents to give life and prosperity to the Church. How cumber¬
some, indeed, then, and how awkward and impracticable must
be the work in its present condition ! An analysis of the sub¬
ject now before us, will give a clear idea of it.
In the First District, recording to this
regulation, we would have 152,266 square miles
In the Second 125,000
In the Third 119,300
In the Fourth 153,000
In the Fifth 356,000
In Lhe Sixth 419,000
In the Seventh ■.. .. 62,000
In the Eighth 5,8,000
In the Ninth So,000
In the Tenth S2,ooo
In the Eleventh 76,000
In the Twelfth 238,300
In the Thirteenth 203,600
In the Fourteenth 206,300
The districts put in this order, are very disproportional so
far as the number of miles are concerned. The largest one
has 419,000 miles, whilst the smallest has only 58,000 miles.
This is a difficulty that cannot very well be remedied, but it is
so far better than the existing arrangement, that it needs only
a comparison to see the strength of the argument. If the dis¬
tricts could be equalized, so that each would embrace 166,054
square miles, as it would by a proper division, then there would
be more uniformity in carrying on the work. Each Bishop
would have his equal proportion of terrifory, so that there
could be regularity in the return of all of them to headquarters.
Each one enabled by this system to throw all his force into his
specific duty, would do more in improving the Church in one
29
year than is done now in two. There could be a concentration
of thought upon one particular part of the Church that would
benefit the whole of it; for every Bishop could direct his ener¬
gies for the accomplishment of that that would be feasible and
so benefit the whole Church. All the parts would be put into
a good condition and the whole would consequently experience
the same result. This desideratum, though, cannot be realized
by less than fourteen Bishops; for profitably there cannot be
less than fourteen districts organized to live, but not to be de¬
stroyed. It is no begging Qf the question to say that a man of
reason cannot fail to see that a strict and accurate regulation
of the episcopal districts requires the attention of no less than
fourteen Bishops. It is a matter so patent that it might con¬
vince the common masses. The necessity is so incontrovertible
that it cannot be invalidated by any adverse argument based up.
on the attending amount of expense. He who will make a dime
outweigh a virtue, has little regard for an angel's visit. It is only
those who have not delved into the subject and understand
little about the divine necessity who are all the time consider¬
ing a Bishop in connection with a silver dollar, whilst the col¬
ored people are spending tens of thousands of dollars annually
just for a trifling ride on a steamboat or a car.
The great Church work of the Almighty God presents itself
jn part to us by the A. M. E. organization and indicates its de¬
mands to be met to the greatest extent of constituent ability.
Let it be done, then in the most faithful manner. Here we
perceive hundreds and thousands and millions of miles to be
traveled, not only by pastors and presiding elders, but by
Bishops, to make the work, in the highest degree effective.
The magnitude of the organization, the vastness of the area,
the multiplicity of interested individuals, all combine to con¬
vince us that the episcopal force must be equal to the demand.
This must be so for the purpose of cultivating and increasing
respect for the episcopate, for the purpose of engendering a
higher degree of appreciation for the connection, for the pur¬
pose of making the full ecclesiastical power of the colored
people felt throughout this land and in different parts of the
world. Let, then, the demands of this regulation be heeded,
so that the lost ground by former methods may be regained,
and those who scoff" and sneer will be compelled to admit that
the A. M. E. Church is ruled by sages
30
CHAPTER X.
The Provision to be Mapc tor the Oldest Bishops.
'¥:fr.T;E want more Bishops for one of the noblest of purposes :
Ml, and that is to preserve and honor the sires who have
NM done well in discharging their duties. Reverence to
old age at all times is commendable. It was one of the lessons
which were most earnestly taught the Lacedaemonian youths.
They were taught to respect old men by saluting them, by
giving way to them on the streets, by rising up to them in all
companies and public assemblies. Lysander said. " Old age
had no where so honorable an abode as in Sparta, and that it
was an agreeable thing to grow old in that city." Those who
are veterans in any beneficial service should be nursed and
kept effective as long as this can be done by any means. An im¬
position of excessive duties upon them, the compulsion of them
to bear heavier burdens than aged men should bear, is down¬
right cruelty. An encouragement of their ambition to labor,
as they did in the prime of life, is an absolute lack of sympathy.
Good old men are always desirous of doing work beyond their
power of endurance, and will go, sometimes, until they fall
down in their tracks. To permit them or to encourage them
to do this, is not an exhibition of brotherly love and kindness.
Humanity requires better treatment of them in every respect.
If it is by any means possible to pursue a course that will con¬
tribute to a prolongation of their lives, it is meet to pursue that
course. The reverse of this results in something like a modi¬
fied degree of manslaughter. The treatment of old men ef-
fetts either their brevity or longevity. Care, then, should be
always exercised in this direction.
Men who have grown gray in the Church, and have made
their gray heads a crown of glory because they have walked
in the ways of righteousness and ministered unto the saint.1-,,
should be taken as subjects for the highest consideration.
They should be preserved for their good, ripe counsel.
Everyone, if he has been faithful, fatherly and kind, should
be revered when he reaches his three score years and ten.
Bishops in a church who have reached this age and spent their
days in honor, should have every provision made for their con¬
tinued influence, happiness and comfort.
Their burdens should be lightened and their ease of mind in¬
creased. This cannot be done, though, whilst the business
31
affairs and spiritual duties of the Church are imposed upon
such a limited number as are not able to bear them. One ob¬
ject to be kept in view, then, in increasing the episcopal force
js to be the preservation of the senior Bishops. The work is
to be so regulated and re-adjusted that they may be situated
to feel relieved and not aggrieved. It is to be divided into just
so many parts as will make it practicable for each Bishop to
discharge his duty to the full extent of the law. Then those
senior Bishops are to be fixed just where they ought to be for
the purpose of sustaining their parental influence in their de¬
clining years. Coming as near to this point as we possibly can
by giving three conferences to a district and regulating the
number of square miles (for be it known that it is the number
of square miles which should be considered and not the num¬
ber of members); we can situate those Bishops so that they can
be made conspicuous as the honored fathers of the Church and
at the same time live with an increased episcopal influence for
good. This can be done thus when it cannot be done by thj
" happy-go-lucky" sort of method that is observed at the pres¬
ent time. Let the old Bishops be kept near their base of oper¬
ation and they will be better able to show more of their effici¬
ency. By the way of illustration—
1. The General Conference should settle Bishop J. P. Camp¬
bell right down in the First Episcopal District. It should do
this because he has his home in it, and his work would begin
at home so that he would not have to waste his strength in
traveling away from home to begin his work. Honored and
beloved as he is in his home district, he would be able, by this
situation, to do more minute work than he could do in any
other field of labor. He would be able to travel by easy stages
the different States forming his field of labor and keep himself
fresh to administer at every point. This would be a great deal
better than putting him to the necessity of traveling through
Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina to reach his
work in South Carolina. The case is so plain that it needs
no extended argument. It would be a glowing tribute of re¬
spect, moreover, paid to the Bishop, aid given to his efficiency
and credit cast upon the connection.
2. Bishop John M. Brown should be stationed in the Second
Episcopal District. He could then proceed at once from his
home in Washington to attend to his duties in the States adja¬
cent to the District of Columbia, and thence to North Carolina.
32
Throwing all the energy, industry and zeal into those States
that he now applies to different sections of the United States,
he would be still more notable in the manifestation of his min¬
isterial power. Such an appointment, keeping him confined
to this circumscribed episcopal limit, would enable him to hus¬
band that strength which is expended in hard traveling that it
might be infused into his preparation for spiritual service. He
could surely by his talent, education and refinement in this
wise do more for God and man, and have improvement in his
health, although three States and three conferences would be
a heavy tax upon him. Let all whom this may concern give it
due deliberation.
3. Bishop Daniel A. Payne should be appointed to the Third
Episcopal District. He lives at Wilberforce, and Wilberforce
is in Ohio, a part of the Third District. Let him be settled
down there where he could enjoy the comforts of his cozy ou¬
tage, and he would be better prepared to work for the intellec¬
tual as well as spiritual interests of his Church. He has at his
home in this district a large accumulation of literary matter,
an orderly arrangement of papers, books and pamphlets,
which he could handle for the benefit of the world. The con¬
nection would be made to feel the greater force of his talents
by the opportunity he would have to use the material at his
command. He would be able to do more for this district than
he could do for any other one in the connection. And not only
this, but he could be delegated with power to do more than he
could do elsewhere for the cause of education. The General
Conference could make him Regent of Wilberforce University
as well as Presiding Bishop of the Third District, and by such
an act could enable him to do for the University that which
would make both it and its President far more influential in
their educational operations. This would be honoring him for
the work that he has done in that institution as well as for that
he has done in the whole connection. The advantages would
be so great by this means that we may all well say—" It is a
consummation devoutly to be wished." The good effects
would be felt throughout the land and Bishop Payne would be
duly nurtured in his old age. He in Ohio as Regent of Wilber¬
force and Presiding Bishop of the Third District, would be an
increased power for the good of the connection.
Let these propositions be adopted and these veterans in the
prelacy be in this wise relieved from arduous duties avyay from
33
their home districts, and they will be known as the peculiarly-
distinguished Bishops emeriti in every part of this land. They
will be the topmost characters (if the work should be properly
divided and an adequate number of Bishops elected) of an ec¬
clesiastical system that would gain the admiration of all good
people among generations yet unborn. The African Methodist
Church would be made conspicuous for its exemplary recogni¬
tion of service and its establishment of methods for good gov¬
ernment. Amen ! And so let it be.
CHAPTER XI.
The business ideas needed in the episcopacy for the
advancement of church work.
REAT institutions are moved by ideas. A host of men
with brain force sparkling like a glittering constellation
can turn every wheel of the highest organization. That
bright conception of contrivances and of remedies for necessi¬
ties, which puts in motion latent agencies for practical results,
is the essential power underlying all organic existence. It im¬
pels, develops and establishes organized bodies for the general
good of man. Words without ideas are like arrows without
heads. Men of ideas start the wheels for human progress and
supply the means for keeping them in motion. The interests
of society depend upon them.
A great institution like the A. M. E. Church continually
needs the application of vital force to drive it ahead in meet¬
ing its obligations. And, moreover, in proportion to its devel¬
opment it must be supplied with such accelerants as will meet
its demands. Adulations of some great founder, clapping
hands in the intensity of joy, productions of all the wealth of
verbosity form no fulcrum for ascending nor basis for existence.
Business ideas are needed in proportion to the advancing age.
The episcopacy of a church is as a grand observatory. It is
the station at which, and in which, men must see, form concep¬
tions, and devise plans "with malice toward none, and with char¬
ity for all" to promote every interest of the Church, both spiritu¬
al and temporal. It is the position in which men must be placed
to see the difference between fossilized notions and timely
ideas. The A. M. E. thurch to-day, more so than at any
34
other period, needs qualified, grave, active business men added
to those who are at the head of government. The harping up¬
on any old worn-out plan of a past generation does not suit the
present time and the connection suffers by a toleration of it.
In every annual conference to day there are financial problems,
great and small, which demand the consideration and advice
of Bishops who know something about financial matters.
Economy and correal appropriation are topics to be considerd
by them and to be disposed of by them to the highest degree
of advantage. To this end it requires men who know the
value of a cent and the proper place for its application. And
not only so, but men who will take time to ponder, as serious¬
ly as bankers do, every monetary question effe&ing the pro.
gress of the ministry and the Church. The need of such men
and a goodly number of them, one of which certainly is the
well-known Dr. James A. Handy, is manifest by the condition
of every department of the Church and the sufferings of our
faithful ministers. Confirmation of the fact is made by every
project we may call up for testification. What advancement
has been made in any fund for church extension ? What amaz¬
ing degree of prosperity has marked the cause of missions ?
What arrangement has been efledted to inspire the Church by
an influential publishing department ?
Much more could have been done in those directions, if in
connexion with the business ideas already in the Board, there
had been a number of them equal to the demand. The busi¬
ness energy and perseverance and clear conception of Dr.
William H. Hunter, of the Virginia Conference, a man of ex¬
alted chara<5ter and moral courage, added to the Episcopal
Board, would have made the Church a stronger organization
to-day. If there had been all the force needed, and a concen¬
tration of mind upon well formed financial plans, there would
be to-day a flourishing condition of the Metropolitan Church,
a better support of the suffering preachers, and more facility
for the extension of education. Let no one think that the mere
qualification of a Bishop to preach a good sermon, cultivate
popularity and do a great deal of traveling is the principal
thing in the efficiency of his life. If such ever was the case, it
is not the case at present.
The magnitude of the A. M. E. Church now is so great that
its business features must have the stridest attention. The
forming of corporations, the entering into contrafts, the draw-
of deeds, the erection of buildings, the nature of liens and
mortgages and various other kinds of transactions, are sub¬
jects which frequently require the advice of Bishops. Let
them be men, then, able to give advice on these subjects, and
eminent indeed will be their services to the Church. The
temporal affairs by this means would be so regulated that great
benefit would be experienced by every department of the
Church. Business management would produce a surplusage
of the collections brought into every conference and this could,
from time to time, be turned into a fund to be kept in reserve
for emergencies. The advanced business talents of the Board
could then be concentrated upon the aggregates and be direct¬
ed to the end of utilizing them for the good of the whole con¬
nection. Conference money is too frequently now regarded to
be of but secondary importance. A few houis are spent upon
subjects which should require days for consideration, and then
appropriations are made without due comprehension of the
applicability. There ought to be a remedy for this defect, be¬
cause it is a matter that belongs to the public welfare. People
make their contributions for the purpose of advancing ecclesi¬
astical causes—missions, theological institutes, religious publi¬
cations, etc., and so improvement in management ought to be
made every year. Business capacity in the ordinary walks of
life is increased according to necessity—brains, varied talents,
experience and learning are added from time to time as busi¬
ness establishments grow, and by this means the growth is
perpetuated for them to sustain the test of every competition.
In strict keeping with this analogy, the A. M. E. Church is to
have due attention paid to its business developments, and the
business qualification of its episcopacy increased according to
the spirit of the times. The demands for such a provision are
urgent on every hand. There are many more projects than
there were in former times, and the people are called upon to
sustain them. In complying with this demand, they expect to
see the good effects of their donations. They anticipate im¬
provements of Church institutions and the relief of needy
agents. To give them satisfaction in this direction their money
must be managed in a judicious manner. The representative
men of the Church in the episcopacy must have keen business
eyes to see that that money is fittingly applied at the time, or
economically preserved for the future. It is by this method,
and this alone, that the temporal power of the Church can be
so increased that it will be conducive to the promotion of spir-
3G
itual interests. Let there be a fertility of business ideas in the
Episcopal Board, according to present demands, and the force
of them will be felt at Wilberforce, in Philadelphia, in every
part of the land, in Africa and among the West India Islands.
The A. M. E. Church will extend its proportions and become
" more terrible than an army with banners."
CHAPTER XII.
The Animation Created in Church Organizations
by Episcopal Visits.
IJ'T is a good thing for a Bishop to uniformly go from place to
f[ place in his district. The title of his office is more impres-
^ sive than that of any other preacher, and gains more re¬
spect, whether he be a man of great or small ability. People
are generally inclined to esteem the office as pre-eminently
sacred, and if some of them can do no more than term its oc¬
cupant a " Bushup " they will signally show that they have a
conception of the sanctity of the office. They will evince this
by the manner in which they honor .the occupant in word and
deed. His station will be and is regarded to be as the medium
by which the Church represents all the meritoriousness of the
ministry,—tiuth, honesty, gravity, grace, love and wisdom.
A Bishop fortified with such ingratiatory characteristics of an
office can go forth qualified to do more than any ordinary man.
People wait to receive him-.
What, then, are the effects produced by his visits? He does
not go into his brethren's various charges without having his
services to be as "bread cast upon the waters." Here and
there he will find weak and sluggish societies. He will find
the members careless, stewards inefficient, trustees indifferent
and Sabbath school scholars inattentive. Something must be
done to arouse them. Something can be done to arouse them.
He can do it. Let a set of people be found in this indifferent
state, and it will be seen that there is efficacy in the services of
a good Bishop. The announcement of a prospective visit from
him will quickly cause the lethargic members to get up and
rub their eyes, that they may see what is best for them to do
by the way of making decent preparation for his reception.
Two or three episcopal visits will stir them up to duty, and
87
bring them together, and incite them to take steps to increase
their strength that they may make some kind of respeftful
appearance as a church organization. Episcopal visits will
produce these effects when nothing else will do it. Tough, in¬
deed, must be the crowd that remains unsusceptible to this,
instrumentality. They must be worse than toads which refuse
to move under the genial rays of the vernal sun ; worse than,
turtles standing still under the excoriating temperature of a
red hot iron. A Bishop's visits arouse careless members,,
ameliorate the condition of inefficient stewards, bestir indiffer¬
ent trustees, draw inattentive Sabbath school scholars and
create a lively degree of interest in a part of every community.
And still there is a set of " penny-wise and pound-foolish "
fellows who are everlastingly cursing the columns of the Re¬
corder and abating the ardor of the Church, by carping over
the necessary expenditures to keep the Church alive and make
it a moving, godly power. Well would it be if the Church
should so fix them that it might say, They have—
" No, not a tooth or nail to scratch,
And at my actions carp and catch."
Let one speak of the necessity of electing more Bishops and
they will, in opposition, speak of their notion of abolishing
the presiding eldership, advancing hereby the unsavory theory
'springing from ignorance, that if we have more Bishops we do
not want presiding elders. Truly a little learning is a danger¬
ous thing. I believe in a full and extensive Methodist govern¬
ment, which gives such fruits as are indicated by the uncom¬
promising Kershaw. Having now made this digression, I
come back to my line of argument to show that episcopal visits
are often the means of buoying up discouraged pastors.
When a minister in charge has done all he can and still the
people will lie as dead weights upon his hands, episcopal re¬
lief is to him a heavenly blessing. When a kind, paternal
Bishop comes along, it gives him an inspiration that makes-
his work more effective. Hundreds know this to be true and
that such aid is all the time needed from this source. We
sometimes hear preachers sighing from the very depths of
their souls for a Bishop—for a visit from a Bishop. They ad¬
mit that a visit from such a dignitary would promote their
ministerial spirit as could be done by no other cause if they
could secure that visit just at a certain time. But what pre¬
vents them from being successful at this point? Why, the
3S
number of Bishops is so limited and they have so much to do-
that it is impossible for them in scores of cases to go to the
relief of such brethren, no matter how great may be their dis¬
couragement. They must be left to dwell in their dispirited
condition, to communicate their gloomy feelings unto those
around them, to experience more damaging results in the end.
Even a single case of this kind is sufficient to cause any
amount of reasonable regret, and this is intensified by bring¬
ing it into contrast with that one that has been subjected to
the magnetic influence that extends through the pastor to the
organization. Here we perceive the ministerial affinity that
exists throughout all grades, Bishops, presiding elders and
pastors.
More remote still is this peculiar influence. It goes beyond
even the bounds of the Church and affe&s those who are out¬
side of it. There are many people who attend services at the
A. M. E. Churches who are still unconscious of the magnitude
of the Connection. They see the pastor at his regular routine
of duties, and sometimes they see a Presiding Elder, and some¬
times only the pretension of one, going his rounds, and this is
the sum and substance of all the conneftional power manifest¬
ed to them from year to year. In the face of this they have a
measured degree of interest in the Church. Episcopal visits,
though, paid to the Church cause them to increase this inter¬
est and to become deeply concerned in its welfare. They grow
animated on the anticipation of the event and join in with the
members as they do on no other occasion to make it beneficial
to the Church This is true concerning friends, both white and
colored. The inference is clear, then, that in proportion to
the extension of episcopal visits will be the increase of attach¬
ment of persons outside of the Church. This attainment, it
is well known, is experienced wherever the visits are made.
A failure to make provision for the accomplishment of work
to this extent would be nothing less than a calamity. The
animation of weak and sluggish societies, of discouraged
pastors and outside elements by the itineration of an adequate
number of Bishops, is as pertinent an argument as can be ap¬
plied unto the case. Let us have more Bishops, making the
presiding eldership still more effective, and God will bless the
Church.
39
CHAPTER XIII.
The Necessity of having Bishops on E xtra Occasions.
VERY preacher knows the merit of the subject now un¬
der consideration. It is one of the most important links
forming the argument that the welfare and accelerated
progress of the A. M. E. Church, in the future, depend upon
the wisdom to be displayed in the next General Conference in
•establishing an Episcopal Board that shall embrace, in all re¬
spects, an adequate amount of numerical strength. He who
will bend his own stubborn notions to the Divine Power guid¬
ing the writer's hand and thoughts, will be able to see and
will concede the force of this to the full extent. The bearing
■of this subject upon the case cannot be gainsaid by anyone
who is disposed to bow to reason.
The success of extra religious projects often depend upon
the presence of a Bishop, and one is often needed on such
•occasions. Whenever a corner-stone is to be laid, although
elders can do it as well as a Bishop, it is far better and far
more profitable to have the presence of a Bishop, that he may
carry on services and more impressively represent the char¬
acter of the Connection. The Catholics make a great display
<?n such occasions, and have their big men, because they know
that it is an auspicious time for the future good of the denom¬
ination. They know that by flourishing trumpets and com¬
manding episcopal aid, they can advance the interests of the
Church.
One Bishop at the laying of every corner-stone can make a
greater impression than any other official in the order of the
•clergy. Hence, it would be well in the A. M. E. Church to
have it so that whenever a corner stone was to be laid for an
edifice, great or small, a Bishop could be present to perform
the ceremonies and say, " In the name of the Triune God, the
Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit, we lay this stone for a foun¬
dation of a house of worship to be consecrated to his service."
Let provision be made that one can at any time and in every
place be at such a ceremony, and it will, in the course of years
be seen that the benefits derived from this little source alone
greatly outweigh the objections interposed by skinflints who
wrap up their talents in a napkin, tie up their pockets and
•obstruct the word of grace.
40
It does frequently happen that ministers are peiplexedin
snaking their arrangements for church dedications, because
the number of Bishops is so very small that they can hardly
catch one as he comes out of the woods. Sometimes the ser¬
vices have to be carried on without such a dignitary ; and when¬
ever this is done, it is done measurably to the detriment of the
Connection ; for many will be disappointed by the absence of
a Bishop. This is an occasion so memorable that no defect
•should be in the arrangement made for it. There should be
no postponement or substitution because of the impossibility
of securing the attendance of a Bishop.
The dedication of a church is a great event and whatever
can be done to make it memorable ought to be done without
any reservation. There should at all times be a sufficient
number of Bishops to meet this demand, so that some one
might go to any place and dedicate any edifice, no matter how
humble might be its dimensions. In every instance the trus¬
tees, stewards and leaders should meet, receive and welcome
a Bishop at the door to give him in God's name, the keys of
the church as a token that they will forever " submit to the
Discipline, doctrine and government of the African Methodist
Episcopal Church—and will forever afterward permit the min¬
isters and preachers of said church to preach God's Holy
Word in said edifice."
The effects of such a substantial, unfaltering arrangement
would be observed in a growth of finances, an increase of
members, an attraction of friends, a promotion of good gov¬
ernment, an intensification of respect for the episcopal order
and a higher conception of African Methodism. The most
important period in the history of a church edifice is the time
of its dedication. People of all classes look to it as a time to
be remembered. They anticipate a grand programme and the
attendance of shining lights in the clerical circle. At no time,
then, should they experience disappointment. Every provi¬
sion that can be made should be made to meet their anticipa¬
tion on such an occasion.
Being induced once more to allude to the Catholics we
find that Sunday, September nth of this year, they dedicated
St. Ambrose Church at Cresaptovvn, Md. This edifice,
although sftuated in a small town, became the subject for the
attention not only of a Bishop, but of the Cardinal himself.
He went there and preached the dedicatory sermon himself.
41
In doing this, policy was manifest and profit the consequence.
Similar causes produce like results. Evidently, then, when
Protestantism is straining every nerve to check the dangerous
progress of Catholicism, the A. M. E. Church should have a
full force of its highest order of ministers to meet every de¬
mand on dedicatory occasions, and to meet their counteracting
influence. Whenever a call is made there should be a Bishop
to go promptly, whether it should be to dedicate a grand tem¬
ple in a metropolis or a little frame building down at T. B., or
near Hole-in-the-Wall. He should go and proclaim the power
of his Connection. His presence is needed.
And this is often found to be true concerning extraordinary-
appointments for the purpose of liquidating church debts.
People sometimes become very indifferent because of their
heavy obligations and frequent efforts for extrication. The
pastor then in his perplexity is compelled to make an uncom¬
mon exertion to arouse them to a sense of duty. He must go>
to work on a subscription list and plans for a big meeting :
and then at the stated time he must have those who will be the
most potential to assist him. Prominent men of his own class
will be of great service to him : but none of such great service
as one whom he could call a Prelate. Hence, he makes all
his arrangements with the intent of having such an eminent
official at his hand. And then when everything is complete
he looks for one. Just as lustily as Richard cried out, "A
horse ! a horse ! My kingdom for a horse ! " so does he feet
like crying out, "A Bishop! a Bishop! My pastorate for a.
Bishop ! " He knows the advantage to be gained by such a
prominent acquisition and how much is to be lost by attending
failure. He is therefore worked up to the highest degree of
anxiety and does the best to get a Bishop to assist him. The
church needs such assistance. If, then, the Connection would
make ample provision to meet the wants of embarrassed
charges, it should give a sufficient number of Bishops, settled
in well established districts, to go in such emergencies and pay
their own traveling expenses, if need be, to arouse the people
to make a gigantic effort for their own deliverance. By this,
means the whole Connection would be made more prosperous.
It would gain at least ten per cent, more of advantage than it.
has gained by the crude, circumscribed course it has been pur¬
suing for lo ! a great number of years. Many people disin¬
clined to give would be incited to give by the mere appearance
42
of a Bishop. Hundreds would arise and respond to the call
of a pastor when otherwise they would remain indifferent. Is
it not clear, then, that the "necessity of having Bishops on
extra occasions "—to lay corner-stones, to dedicate churches,
to aid at special services for the liquidation of heavy debts—is
a subject grave in its bearing upon the reason for a full ele&ion
.and well prescribed districts? If it can be truthfully said that
a Bishop is of no more service than any other preacher on
such occasions, then the argument comes to naught. But the
converse being true, unreservedly it may be asserted that the
majesty of his office now stands forth more efficacious on all
such occasions than that of any ordinary son of thunder.
Delegates, the voice of God regard.
CHAPTER XIV.
The Connectional Strength Manifested by an
Adequate Number of Bishops.
f N olden times it was common in the itinerancy to have many
charges and few laborers. Circuits were burdened down
^ with so many churches, that none of them could get full
attention. Exhausted preachers would be compelled to travel
from point to point and do but little in building up any of them,,
because of the extensiveness of the work. This condition of
things prevailed because the Church was poor, the people
were poor. They were not able, oftentimes, to supply the
preachers with any other kind of repast but flitch, corn-bread
and pumpkin mush. In the course of time, though, the mem¬
bership increased, the Church grew stronger and there was
a division of the area of circuits and an increased number of
itinerants to represent their strength. Once the general super-
intendency of the A. M. E. Church 'had to be served by two
Bishops, because it was too* weak to have a larger number;
but as time advanced and strength developed, it had additions
to its number. As the Church thus moved on it showed itself
worthy of respect and secured it. At every stage of its pro¬
gress an adaptation of its machinery has extended its influ¬
ence- And so it has gone on, until to-day it exists as a great
power that claims for itself treatment that shall go far beyond
fogyism or puerility. No cloudy conception, no superficial.
43
conclusion, no ill-begotten prejudice must for one moment
come athwart the deliberation that it demands for its present
necessities. It must be clearly seen that the A. M. E. Church
of the present is different from that of 1864. It has grown on dur¬
ing the past generation until it has attained proportions which
must be brought to bear directly upon the masses of mankind.
How can this be done ? By setting apart a less number of
Bishops than that needed for the purpose ? Can it be done by
turning them out of their districts to roam the plains like an¬
telopes? No. The Connection's strength is to be made man¬
ifest if every member in it has to pay a dollar for this purpose.
It is said that there are so many hundreds of thousands of
them composing the great organization and possessing ability
for Church government. This assumption can be made good
by the sustenance of a full force of leaders to carry on all the
general work. It can be shown then to a certainty that there
is a power behind them to keep them in the performance of
their duty to give evidence that the claim of numerical strength
is a living reality and not a myth. Individually or colleftivfcly,
the members of the Episcopal Board would stand as the rep¬
resentatives of the recorded thousands of communicants
forming the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Even the
salaries paid to these officials would be effective in proclaim¬
ing its character. The world at large would conclude that an
organization sustaining such an efficient branch of service was
worthy of the highest degree of respect. Everywhere the
strength of numbers would be represented and by this means-
made to grow. People love to join in with the crowd and
they would be induced to do it.
And, still further, the A. M. E. Church has justly claimed to
have within its borders a vast amount of intellect and learning.
It is presumed that there is no other organization like it among
all the millions of the colored population. Perhaps this is
true ; but whether it be so or not, it is beyond controversy
that the general intellectual and literary character of the or¬
ganization demands its highest order of representation. There
are so many eyes directed towards it from every cardinal point
that wisdom dictates the necessity of having the most ample
arrangement made to most satisfactorily meet them. Astute
people'always want to see what kind of a representation can
be made by any notable institution. They are anxious to as
certain what amount of brain and culture lies back of all pro-
44
ssion. If they perceive meagreness in management or a
nitation of the required number of leading agents, they con-
ude that there is a lack of mental ability in the combination,
at if they see an arrangement that is suitable for every exi-
;ncy, they conclude that intellect"and learning predominate
the methods of government. Every'one knows that an im-
)sing Board of Bishops would*be of the highest degree of
inefit to the intellectual and literary character of theCon-
;ction. People by this means would be enabled to form an
ea of the intellectual power directing the connectional affairs,
very man of the Board, by his own brains, would be a crite-
on for his constituents. A Bishop's dignity and ability make
leir favorable impressions whithersoever he wends his way.
hese signal effects produced*are always to the advantage of
le Church. They turn thej,attention to its educational enter-
rises, its teachers and accomplishments. That which has
2en done in this direction, bygone distinguished man alone—
'. A. Payne—is a confirmation^of the averment without any
Iditional proof. Take this, then, as the reason for the estab-
shment of a full force, and the matter will be settled without
ly further controversy to the attainment of proportionably
Dod results. The various departments and agencies, created
r the promotion of knowledge, will hereby be set forth in
le most favorable light.
All ranks of the ministry, moreover, will be prominently
'esented to the world. An episcopal force, judiciously dis-
ibuted all over the land, would indicate that a subordinate
:>dy of ministers were in co-operation as promoters of one
>mmon cause. There would be a uniformity in .clerical rep-
sentation that would have a bearing in every direction. A
shop everywhere would be seen and recognized as the head
id front of an active band of preachers. It would be decid-
l by those ignorant of the character of the Connection that
ganization, discipline, life and efficiency existed as the vigor-
is elements of the clerical force behind him. Every preach-
of experience knows that many respectable people outside
the A. M. E. Church form their estimate of its condition by
e appearance of a Bishop. They see through him the vari-
•S attributes belonging to a religious body and accordingly
rm their favorable opinion of it.
Taking this method of representation, then, in its general
nse, we observe that it effectually presents the whole power
45
of the Connection. A strong, imposing; Board of Bishops, at
any time, makes a more profound impression than one that is
weak by inadequacy of numbers. A force equal to the de¬
mand of the Church in every part of the land would show the
moral, intellectual, financial and personal strength of it to
sustain that force in all its operations. Strength would mani¬
fest strength ; and manifested strength would beget strength.
And so the A. M. E. Church would grow in the course of years
until its influence would far exceed that of any other religious
people. Its departments, and plans, and ministers, and mem¬
bers ; its societies, church edifices, schools, and colleges ; its
religious meetings, conventional assemblies and social gather¬
ings would all be presented to the world in one grand and
glorious flood of light, that would sweep down every obstacle
intercepting its onward march to divine accomplishments.
So great would be its character as a part of the militant
Church, that the shades of departed spirits—such as Allen,
Dunn and Waters ; and the lustre of the heavenly hosts—such
as feH upon Bethlehem's watching shepherds—would attend
it in its onward progress in the wyork of reformation and re¬
generation. The Bishops confirmed would move like white-
plumed marshals ; the ministers, to subordinate ranks ordain¬
ed, would fall in line like faithful orderlies ; the communicants,
sanctified to the holy roster, would mark time like true born
veterans ; and in this manner would the A. M. E. Church go
on from conquest to conquest, whilst little penny-wise philos¬
ophers would stand amazed and say, " Du tell! I didn't think
that it could be so."
CHAPTER XV.
The Proselytes made to African Methodism by the
Influence of a Full Episcopal Board.
Wff HE A. M. E. Church started in the face of strong oppo-
f! sition. It had its white enemies and its black enemies.
^ Every inch of ground was gained by fighting all along
the way. Ability, pluck and perseverance had to be shown to
get the mastery over tremendous odds. Step by step it went,
proving its qualification to " hold fast to that which is good,"
and so on gradually added reinforcements to its numbers.
46
The highways were cast up, the crooked paths were made
straight, its progress was expedited and successful organiza¬
tion secured. It pressed its way onward and adopted instru¬
mentalities for its growth. It has now reached an age and
size which requires it to endorse the best of means for its
prosperity and perpetuation. This is the time in which it
should do its most glorious work. Sneering cavillers, listen!
I say this is the time in which the A M. E. Church should do
its most glorious work. It should now adopt any measure
that would be instrumental in making converts to its service.
It should have a standing board of fourteen Bishops to con¬
vince the world that it is a strong religious motive power.
Let the attentive multitude of this nation see our organiza¬
tion in the fullness of its majesty and they will more readily
be converted to it. The mistaken idea of increasing offices
for emolument does no good; but the exhibition of strength
by a great Episcopal Board is the project that will produce the
effect. Bishops enumerated to go all over the land in a dig¬
nified manner as gentlemen as well as preachers, showing
common sense, and learning, and religion, and all the qualities
becoming to the episcopal office, would make more proselytes
to the Church in one year than ever can be made by the small
number now on hand. People of all classes, who pay but
slight attention now to the Church, would be drawn by the in¬
fluence exerted over them to give it a consideration ; and then
perceiving its represented power, would be induced to respect
it. Many of those who have no tonldence in the ability of
colored people for self-government, would have such a striking*
evidence of it given here in prosperous church matters, that
they would change their minds. It would be impossible for
them to resist the impression made by the forces operating on
them. They would at once concede that ecclesiastical govern¬
ment at least was a success, and then they would be inclined
to more heartily sustain it, because it was a success. They
would become its advocates and defenders.
Then, again, there are those who take a greater interest in
other churches because they regard them as more powerful
than the A. M. E. Church. Let, though, the wisdom of the
General Conference create a full force of ecclesiarchs and a
reaction will be the consequence. Persons entertaining this
opinion will be wrought upon to realize that the A. M. E.
Church is one of the most important organizations in the
47
world ; and soon it would be seen that their pleasure would be
in clinging to it. A great movement produces great results.
As costly a project as has been the imposing Metropolitan
Church of the Connection, no other undertaking has done so
much in proclaiming the power of the Connection and in se¬
curing adherents to it. Let folks says what they may, mag¬
nanimity will compel them to declare that a debt of gratitude
is owed Dr. J. W. Stevenson for his determination and perse¬
verance in clearing the way and laying the foundation for such
a magnificent superstructure. It makes proselytes from day
to day, and shows them the magnitude of the Connection that
sustains it. Like grand results will be produced by the es¬
tablishment of a bench of fourteen Bishops. Individually and
collectively they will work upon the minds of outside subjects,
and cause them to see the true merit of the Church.
Impressions, furthermore, will be made upon those who
look upon the A. M. E. Church as an ignorant, incompetent
organization. Their misconception will be made so evident
that they will admit it and view the organization in a different
light. They will be forced to acknowledge that there is a pre¬
dominancy of intellect, learning, experience and clerical re¬
sources which would reflect credit upon any ecclesiastical
body. And now, I ask, is not this sufficient alone, in the name
of all common sense, to justify the institution of such an in¬
valuable project ? It is a great thing to gain the favorable
consideration of any one class of people. Ecclesiastical gov¬
ernment is designed to exert a favorable influence over every
body. Bishops are ordained for the purpose of making their
particular organizations more influential among all parties.
If, then, in proportion to the demand, their number be increas¬
ed, the more and more extensive will be their influence by
gravity, grace, refinement, liberality and kindness. Impres¬
sions will be made upon other church organizations as well as
upon individuals and classes of individuals. Denominational
prejudice will be more effectually broken down and fraternal
relationship more tenaciously brought into existence^ People
will respect power when it is exercised in a righteous manner.
Seeing it wielded by a grand bench of African Methodist
Bishops for the glory and honor of God, they, in the form of
church organizations will render obeisance to it and the con¬
stituency represented by it. The contempt which may have
been nurtured by reason of a more contracted number will be
48
extinguished by the impressiveness of greater expansion.
Even the Roman Church, that looks down with so much dis¬
dain upon Protestant societies, would be converted to the idea
by the strong designated Episcopal Board that colored people
are up and awake to the necessity of the times. Everywhere
the process of conversion, in some one form or another, would
be observed contributing in various degrees to the benefit of
the A. M. E. Church. Hosts of interested ones would be
transformed into ardent friends and become pleased with the
doctrines, the ministry, the forms of worship, the congrega¬
tions, the methods of government and all the several depart¬
ments, Inside and outside of the "household of faith," the
Connection would grow in favor. The circumcised would pray
for it and the uncircumcised would commend it. Episcopal
footprints made in every .part of the land, as they cannot be
made now by the very small number of incumbents, nor could
be made by even a dozen, would be as guiding marks to the
true character of the great Connection. They would be ob¬
served and respected by even the Protestant Episcopal Church
that has ridiculed some of the best labors of the African
Methodist Church and likened the religion of the people ob¬
tained thereby to " hot mutton gravy poured upon a cold
plate." Let wisdom rule the hour and this grand provision be
made for these glorious results and blest will be the coming
generation.
CHAPTER XVI.
The Temporal Advantage to be Gained by the
Operations o* a Board of Fourteen Bishops.
tS we near the end of our discussion the most important
features present themselves for practical consideration.
The great question to be noticed now is : " What is to be
gained by electing so many more Bishops ? " Some who have
only superficially looked at the matter, think it would only be an
additional expense. Some preachers—the very men who
should be ready at a moment's suggestion to strengthen every
grade of their order—are the very ones to. be the most con¬
spicuous leaders in their inconsiderate opposition. They seem
not to realize the fact that the stronger you make the clerical
ranks the better the chances for the subjugation of the world.
49
There are those who, knowing nothing of a consecutive argu¬
ment and its concomitant illustrations, are always ready ta
stick two ten cent pieces in their glass-frames to look through
them at the gravest ecclesiastical subjects, to come to such a
conclusion as an opaque ten cent lens will bring them. I am
not writing to make a show or to gain eclat, but for the glory
of God to advance the interests of the A. M. E. Church. 1
know that the ideas and plans are practical, and that in carry¬
ing them out there is an advantage on every hand seen by
everybody except those who are Past Meridian. The tem¬
poral advantages to be gained are as conspicuous as a field of
corn-
Congregations would be increased in every direction. Ac¬
cess would be gained to more people of every class—to both
colored people and white people. This would be done to an
extent of at least thirty-five per cent. This calculation is ac¬
curate, moderate and reasonable. It may be applied to every
place within the range of episcopal influence. This would be
the leading step for the promotion of temporal economy.,,
Make the Bishops, and you get the people : get the people and
well, what ? Get the people and you have the means of
increasing the finances of the Church. Those who should be
drawn would be inclined to give liberally, because of the pro¬
vision made to give them satisfaction. The extra benefit de¬
rived from them alone would far over-balance "any additional
expense. It would go to the extent of at least twenty per cent;
and this would would bring out the following probable result::
In one conference of sixty appointments we would have an in¬
crease of $1,200 ; and in the district complete $3,600. By tak¬
ing this calculation throughout the whole work as the general
result of eight more Bishops, we would have {28,800; this,
over and above their salaries, would give us a surplus of
$12,800. Be it understood, though, that this calculation applies
to only the current receipts and not to the general income by
the dollar apportionment. Much greater indeed would be the
advantage in this part of the case.
Fourteen Bishops (and, by the way, a learned brother said
to us a few days ago—" If I could have my say I would make
forty"), fourteen Bishops traveling over the land, seeing to all
the temporal, as well as spiritual affairs of the Church, would
infuse so much life into the people, that the Church treasury
would realize twenty per cent, more of the dollar collection
50
than it does now. Putting this upon the minimum basis of our
previous calculation this would annually bring to the treasury
|5o,ooo more than it receives to-day. This fact, in the argu¬
ment, is as plain to the mathematical thinkers of the Church
as a simple lesson in a spelling book. But to those who know
merely how to read and write, it is as a gem in the mud-
Hard working ministers know that a great many people refuse
to pay their dollar, for the reason, they say, that they never
see a Bishop. Satisfy their desire then in this direction, and.
it is evident that you make up the deficiency. Jf we make
provision to draw the people nearer to the Church, we can
work upon their better feeling and lead them to the accom¬
plishment of greater results. This is the only sure step by
which we can make financial progress. It would bring $50,000-
more into the Church treasury just as certainly as day succeeds
night; and this would be regarded as only a small sum in the
proportional calculation. Two hundred thousand members,
with their multitude of attendants, ought to annually put
$200,000 into the Church treasury ; and would do it, if business
principles in the Church government were permitted to pre¬
vail and concession were made to the aphorism of Bishop-
Payne—that " wise men learn by reasoning.'' The idea is in*
nowise extravagant; the plan by no means infeasible.
The Presbyterian Church is proposing to raise $r,ooo,ooo'
over its current expenses for the Church and ministry in con¬
nection with the General Assembly. Is it not reasonable in
the highest sense for us to conclude by the establishment of
the productive cause the infallible result for the A. M. E.
Church would be one-twentieth of this amount every yea^
The cause will bring it, but without the cause, it never can be
obtained.
The Connection at this time needs a fund for Church Exten¬
sion. This important matter lies as a still-born baby at it feet,
and why ? No practical preconception has been formed and
persistently carried on to its logical result. For more than
twenty years in the itinerancy have I heard brethren talk of
Church Extension; and to-day there are some who know as
little about it as some of the people in the days of Paul knew
about the Holy Ghost. Of a truth they can say, " We have
not so much as heard whether there be any"—Church Exten¬
sion. Soon, though, they would be made to know all about it
by the operations of a full, efficient Episcopal Board. Money
51
•would be accumulated and turned into a substantial fund that
would contribute more to the expansion of the Connection than
•has been done by anything during the present generation.
When one thinks that the Connection, old as it is and powerful
.as it is, has no fund for Church Extension and that some are in
the dark concerning it, he is almost startled to cry out,—" Tell
it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon ; lest
the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of
the uncircumcised triumph ! "
In the course of one year, by the efficiency of such a Board,
the Connection would be prepared to make a movement in un¬
occupied territory to build a church and give it a congregation
that it might be a part and parcel of the great Connection, re¬
fund the money and assist in building other churches. Going
on from this beginning soon the Church Extension Department
would become a fixed institution, more important than any
other department in the Church. Its funds would increase by
the extra amount of the dollar apportionment secured by an
adequate Board of Bishops and by special collections for the
purpose. Then indeed would a secretary of the Church Ex¬
tension Department be needed in lieu of some several other
secretaries now in existence. The grand old Methodist Epis¬
copal Church has paid due attention to this subject, and boasts
that she builds a meeting house for every day in the year. If
the A. M. E. Church, in proportion to its numbers, can come
In any sense creditably near the accomplishment of this object
by the election of this given number of Bishops, it alone will
justify the election. Then let the delegates—lay and ministe¬
rial—give due consideration to the matter.
STRAY SHOTS.
Some time ago, I saw represented an incident of two colored
fellows engaged in an argument. One, by the way of illustra¬
tion, said : " Nowr, suppose you should lend Sam Jones fifty
•cents"—
The other immediately replied, " Nawr sar! Nawr sar!
Lend him nuffin."
The first again said, " Yes, but hold on , I say suppose "—
The second immediately again replied, "Nawr sar! Sup¬
pose nuffin. If I'd lend Sam Jones fifty cents, never get it in
de world."
During the course of our articles we brought up an illustra¬
tion and proved a point by the act of the United States govern-
52
merit in retiring its generals at a certain age. In doing this, I
was talking to logicians ; others, of course did not under¬
stand it.
So far as the 360 societies in a district are concerned, every
person who understands reasoning clearly sees that if a Bishop,
according to law, cannot attend to them by having three con¬
ferences, he should by no means have any more than three
conferences. He who does not understand an argument, and
yet is opposed to it, only makes it stronger by attempting to
meddle with it. " Yea, even so, saith the spirit."
CHAPTER XVII.
The Power a Board of Fourteen Bishops would Wield
over the General Conference.
fjf'HE Church needs just as many Bishops as will whole-
j| somely effect all of its conditions, assemblies and de.
partments. In an imposing Board there is a concentra¬
tion of morals, intellect, learning, experience, loyalty and
religion, which give it pre eminency of influence on all impor¬
tant occasions. Such a body of men demands respect and
gets it. On certain occasions there are times when a full force,
when numerical strength is needed to make a deep impression;
times when all the power of the episcopacy is required to sus¬
tain the majesty of the Church. A weight of numbers is
worthy of consideration in this connection. It has direct
bearing upon the General Conference. Such a Board can do
more in the regulation of this law-making body than can be
done by a smaller one. Each Bishop would have a better
chance to train the brethren of his district—I say district—to
do the legislative work before them.
The persuasive influence, moreover, of the extended Board
would produce a greater effect upon the General Conference
proceedings. It would make them more reasonable in their
character. When the excitement would become very intense,
the number of Bishops specified would have greater power to
control it than would be invested in a smaller number of
Bishops. Nearly all persons have respect for an imposing
body, and so would the members of the General Conference
in the moments of their excitement. They would not be so
53
likely to disregard the united voices of this number as they
would that of two or three.
Fourteen grave men rising in the moments of excitement
and confusion to hold up the hands of the presiding officer,
would, by the majesty of their position, produce a salutary
effect.
In council, by the knowledge obtained of the Church work
in detail, they could do, and would do, far more in the man¬
agement of the General Conference than is done by the pres¬
ent limitation of numbers. They could get nearer to the
hearts of all the members and thereby exert a persuasive in¬
fluence that would in exciting times bring calmness and delib¬
eration. Such a result as this, would make one of the strong¬
est reasons by the way of justification.
Every man of General Conference experience knows that
there are certain periods during the session, when the mind
inflamed runs counter to all law and order, and every effort,
for the time being, to make a modification is unavailing. The
power on the platform is excited to the utmost extreme, but is
not equal to the occasion. Now, it can either be made equal,
or it cannot be made equal. If it can, then it should be done;
and the advocacy of such a course is by no means a fallacy in
the estimation of any just thinker. Fourteen men of equal
ability can at any time do more than seven of the same number..
They, as Bishops, could and would exert a greater influence as
presiding officers of the sessions of the General Conference*
than is done now by the present number. They could, in every
emergency, put their heads together and control refractory
spirits.
Their united efforts, moreover directed at convenient sea¬
sons for the purpose of getting the good graces of the mem¬
bers, individually, would increase the respect collectively and
make more effective the power of the chair. And not only so,
but their minute work, in detail, in the course of four years
would make an impression that would be signally realized
upon the platform in general session. Is this fallacy or is it a
logical sequence ? Would we not just as naturally experience
this good result as the seed-corn in the ground feels the effects
of the gentle showers of rain ? Let an episcopal force, equal
to the demands of the Connection in all respects, be firmly
established and it is certain that its influence will be felt in the
General Conference whenever it is in session.
54
It will, moreover, beneficially effect the work of legislation.
The views of Bishops do have a bearing in this direction, and
it must be conceded that whenever they are numerically strong
enough to thoroughly superintend the Connection, they will
be able to give the most valuable opinions concerning all the
particulars of legislation and government. They will in this
manner be able to modify wild theories and check unprofitable
conclusions. Their serious study of all subjects, from year to
year, will be accepted as worthy of mature consideration.
Their knowledge will have its weight. The deliberation of
the body, consequently, will be made more practicable and
profound. Concentrate as much ability as can be concentrated
in the presiding agency and you thereby highly improve those
who are subject to it. By this means our General Conference
proceedings can be advanced to the highest degree of admir¬
ation. The controlling hand of the episcopacy will coolly,
calmly and surely guide them to the very best end. The
members of the conference will be instructed and convinced
in all their deliberations so that they will be able to give good
and substantial laws. The effects of such a power will go from
every session to the uttermost borders of the Church.
A general superintendency accurately and judiciously ap¬
plied to every annual conference district would be the means
of acquiring an amount of experience and information that
would be invaluable in qualifying the presiding officers to pro¬
duce these great results.
Bishops more extensively associating themselves with breth¬
ren would thereby become better acquainted with them. This
would give them more power to control them as delegates in
General Conference assembled. By this means efficacy would
be given to moral suasion, so that the Bishops, as presiding
officers, would be able to bring order out of temporary confu¬
sion and not be compelled to turn to their dernier ressort. I
hold that an inadequate number of them, be they men
never so good, cannot accomplish this object even though
they may make the most laudable exertions. If, then, four¬
teen, by the grace of God, can prove efficient in this direction ;
grand, great and glorious indeed will be the advantages, gained
for the general interests of the Chuich. Power to control a
General Conference session is not the least among the subjects
which must be considered in this line of argument. Still,,
those who know nothing about the matter may say, " Tut, tut.
55
These dignitaries—the old ones and the additional ones—
working as only such a number of them could work, would
make themselves so influential as the presiding officers of the
General Conference, that the glances of their eyes, the words
of their mouths and the motions of their hands would be more
effectual than a cart-load of gavels and the maces of many
marshals.
Business would then be carried on in a uniform manner and
finished in a shorter time. Participants in, and observers of,
the proceedings would all be better pleased with the conclusion
of them. Better laws would be made and the Church would
be stronger in every respect. All of its branches would be
made to flourish like a green bay tree. Other denominations
would be drawn into closer alliance and a warmer fraternal
feeling would be made manifest on every hand. The Episco¬
pal Board would become more admirable because of its effici¬
ency and gain more assistance in the prosecution of its mis¬
sionary work in distant parts of the world. It would be instru¬
mental in having a culmination of all that is good in every
General Conference session and in proving the true merit of
the Church.
STRAY SHOTS.
" Glittering generalities " is a very fine and high-sounding
phrase. It is so marked in its alliteration. It sounds so nice ;
but it has no application at all to my argument. It is an old
worn-out expression of the Southerners, who used to direct it
against the logical speeches of the abolitionists. Its sound,
though, in such a connection was much better than its mean¬
ing. The same is true of it to-day in a similar attempt to use
it. Let it die.
It is so hard sometimes to get some people to understand
the difference between a brick and a stone. A colporteur, it
is said, once visited an old woman, in her windowless hut, and
talked to her about the death of the Saviour, and when she
wanted to know if he was dead and the reply was made unto-
her, "Ah, my sister! I see that you are still in the dark, she
immediately answered, "Yes, law me. I have been after
John for some time to knock a hole in that wall." And so we
just have to smile and let the matter go.
56
CHAPTER XVIII.
The Condition of Affairs Peculiar to the Colored
People of America that makes it Necessary
for this Ample Force of Bishops.
HE condition of colored people in America, as every one
knows,, is altogether different from that of white people.
It is, in many respects, the result of oppression running
through centuries. In the course of this time white people
have regarded colored people as unworthy of their associa¬
tion. They, or a great mass of them, have looked upon col¬
ored people as brutes, or as valuable beasts of burden ; have
debarred them from every edifying agency beyond the preach¬
ing of their selected scripture—"Servants, be obedient to your
masters "—and left them where only brutalizing oppressors
could leave them. Having even deprived them of gospel
light, and hardened them against the Ten Commandments,
they have done all they could to degrade them. And then, in
the face of all this, a Rev. Mr. R. A. Goodwin, of the Divinity
School of Petersburg, Va., turns his cheek into the hardness
of Appolyon's, and reads a paper before an Alliance, at Alex¬
andria, Va., and says: "There are, at least, seven millions of
negroes in the United States that cannot under any true defi¬
nition of Christianity be called Christians." He makes his
ungodly onslaught upon the whole race, and upon all the
Christian elements of the race, and then goes on still further
charging them with doing all the bad things which his bad
people in the days of slavery have compelled some of them
to do. So much for Mr. Goodwin and all of that class repre¬
sented by him.
Now, as to the white people in general, it is known that they
do not even hold colored people in Christian fellowship. Put¬
ting all of these facts together, we are urged at this point to
ask, what argument is there in comparing the instrumentalities
of the M. E. Church with those of the A. M. E. Church? It
matters not whether the former has but a single Bishop or the
latter fourteen.
The colored people of the United States need just such
clerical appliances as will rapidly advance them to the highest
point of spiritual excellence. They are but slightly acquainted
with the methods of church government. Even the ministry
57
itself is not wrought up to that state of efficiency that prevails
in organizations among white people It is indeed far from it.
There is a lack of many qualifications which are indispensable
to success on the part of the colored clergy. Science, and
literature, and theological studies have not been advanced by
colleges, academies and seminaries as they have been in the
M. E. Church ; and so the untrained, suffering by these priva¬
tions, have been compelled to go forth with the additional
embarrassment caused by a want of experience. The conse¬
quences naturally following this state of things are too patent
for any amplification. It is enough to know that they exist
and need a remedy.
Apart from this fact, there are preponderating irregularities
among colored people, caused by slavery, which give ground
for one to say that "Although the assertion of Goodwin is
absolutely false, it is true that there are many colored people
in the United States who belong to church, but are in no sense
Christians."
They will shout and sing like saints, whilst they act and live
like devils. This is true beyond all controversy. They exist-
as subjects for some plastic hand to bring them from the form
of Godliness unto the power of it. And here the question
arises—What agency in the A. M. E. Church would, be the
most powerful in making that hand effective ? Perhaps some
insane man would iike to hear some sane man give a pertinent
answer: for some think themselves very sane indeed when
they ignore every proposition that cannot be called their own.
Bearing still further on this point is the fact, moreover, that
colored people outside of the Church everywhere go to a most
woeful extent in profligacy. They waste their time in wild,
senseless games. They degrade themselves in low grog-shop
revelries. They incur divine wrath in Sabbath breaking indi¬
gencies. They follow tne highways of folly, fashion and sin.
They form a great host of worldlings to be converted to the
sacred fold, whilst a watchman on the walls of Zion cries out,
"We want members ! members ! members ! "
True. And that is the reason why the A. M. E. Church
should "have the force necessary to obtain them. The people
on the seashore mav cry out, "We want fish! fish! fish!"
but the want will not be satisfied if the force is not sufficient
to cast and haul the seine to get them. It requires more cler-
58
ical power of the highest order now to advance the interests
of the colored people than it does for those who are ahead of
them. Slavery has left many of them with crude notions con¬
cerning religion, and bad habits effecting society. It is plain
to every man of reason that it requires extraordinary agencies
to reach them, elevate them and redeem them. It requires a
thoroughly organized force that will demand respect, engen¬
der love and give the spirit of inspiration. They have been
left in a ditch and the appliance must be equal to the emer¬
gency.
Twenty-five years ago, hundreds of thousands of them knew
nothing about church organization and government. They
were insensible to the real honorable nature of the marital
relationship, and lived according to the rule of the oppressor.
Pitiful indeed was this condition of affairs, as observed by us
at the close of the war, when we, Jas. A. Handy and all of us,
went down South to organize church work. Moral darkness
prevailed in every direction over those who had been kept in
bondage. They were ignorant of letters, ignorant of rules
and ignorant of everything essential to their moral develop¬
ment. Many more Bishops were needed than were available
at that time.
Coming down from that period to the present, we find color¬
ed people laboring still under disadvantages, in an ecclesiasti¬
cal sense, which are not experienced by any other class of
people in the land. They are discarded, proscribed and left
to work out their own destiny by depending upon their own
resources. In this condition they stand merely upon the outer
3ines of the important works of the Church. They are mere
tyros in great missionary projects, in extensive educational
processes, in the advancement of charitable institutions and
in the manipulation of all the machinery belonging to the es¬
tablishment of the Church. They are like raw recruits waiting
to be drilled into service. Some advancement have they
made by the means at their command, but they are not up to
the times. This general inefficiency, as a matter of course,
has its bearing upon the A. M. E. Church. Surrounded by
such obstacles it cannot make rapid progress without thor¬
ough organization. It cannot overcome those obstacles with¬
out the active, powerful, episcopal agencies which are neces¬
sary to forward on its interests in every direction. They must
be put at its head because the condition of the colored people
59
needs just such a force to persevere against their discourage¬
ments and to overcome them. Such dignitaries, and just sucb
a number of them as we have set forth, are needed to inspire
the lower ranks of the clergy and build up the interests of the
masses.
Apropos, Rev. H. T. Johnson, in writing of a Conference
session at Owensboro, says : " Bishop Turner so grafted him¬
self in the hearts of the people by his power and eloquence,
that they classed him in the itinerant category, asked that he
be left there; and prophesied the speedy revival of their
church interest should their prayer be granted."
Here we have an illustration by a living fact. Let it be ac¬
cepted in its full force according to the condition of the race
and great will be the godly competition.
STRAY SHOTS.
If a point is proved an opponent can do nothing but ac:ept
it. He may be reluctant to yield, but common sense will com¬
pel him. If he resist this and continue in his course of mak¬
ing a whole list of groundless assertions, he shows himself to
be like a boy who cannot swim, floundering in a pond. He
makes a great splash, but fails to make any headway. In his
failure to comply with reason he may find himself going to
destruction. If the Church needs fourteen Bishops, and it will
be to the very best advantage to situate them in a certain man¬
ner, then, by all means, it is reasonable to yield to the argu¬
ment in the matter. Every attempt at resistance has no effect
upon the truth.
Many remarks may be made to intensify them, but in the
end they will only amount to declarations and stand no exam¬
ination. In fact, they will be as bad as the old woman's ex¬
clamation : " My gracious, how much those twins resemble
each other, especially the one this way !
60
CHAPTER XIX.
The Connectional Ascendency gained by Increased
Episcopal Evangelization.
jpJREAT and exceedingly important is the topic now before
f||J us. Its grave bearing upon the subject of our argument
^ causes me to ponder long before I attempted to form a
sentence on it. Nothing that has been advanced; nothing
that can be advanced, demands such serious consideration as
" The Connectional ascendency to be gained by increased
Episcopal evangelization." The grandest efforts which can be
made by any religious organization are those which are design¬
ed to Christianize the world. Nothing more sacred could be an
incentive to justify the setting apart of a hundred Bishops.
And it is at this point that I again acknowledge divine guid¬
ance, although I have been sacrilegiously gainsaid for even
doing this.
Any branch of .Church government that can be made sub¬
servient to the process of bringing souls to Christ, is worthy
of the most extensive consecration to this " aim and object."
Bishops in the most exalied sense are the evangelists of the
Church—the ones unto whom may be fittingly given the man¬
date—"Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
And as ye go, preach, saying: the Kingdom of God is at
hand." They are evangelists ; and being able to prominently
engage in the eucharistical services, they are more than evan¬
gelists as they stand before the people and tell them "that the
kingdom of heaven is at hand."
Eight more such personages, in the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ, added to the half a dozen faithful ones now performing
this holy work, would just give that much more force unto it.
At any stated period throughout the land there could be
simultaneously preached fourteen episcopal discourses instead
of six. - These would be eight times more effective than six,
for each would produce its own individual effect. Marked im¬
pressions would be made upon multitudes of hearers who are
not reached by the African Methodist Episcopal Church to¬
day. By this increase of evangelical power, the peculiar cry
for—" Members ! members ! members!"—would be answered
with "cloven tongues of fire " and an upheaval of the ele¬
ments of moral nature culminating in sound conversions and
61
e ectual confirmations. The increased multitudes having
the gospel preached unto them by such an illustrious band of
episcopal evangelists, would be startled as by the "sound of
a rushing mighty wind," and yield up hosts of converts to be
added to the Connection. To sneer at this assumption is to
put at a discount the preaching of the gospel.
The most important duty of a Bishop is to preach. He does
more for the Connection by this means than he does by any
parliamentary skill. His character attracts attention and cre¬
ates a burning desire to hear him. Wherever he may go, he
will find an anxious throng ready to listen to the word of God"
falling from his lips. Let him in their presence "do the work of
an evangelist "—preach, reprove, rebuke, exhort—let him de¬
clare the whole truth, "reason of righteousness, temperance
and judgment to come "—let him do all this and his proportion
of work will be done in advancing the Connection. So much •
for one.
Increase the force, and just in proportion do you increase
the ascendency of the Connection. Let fourteen Bishops, alt
of one accord, at any time go forth and do the specific work
of evangelists, and just so surely will the Holy Ghost attend
their efforts and make incalculable the results. Sinners will
be convicted, mourners will be converted, and souls will be
added to the Church. Let episcopal power be carried to the
altitude of its efficiency in this direction, and the real worth
of the organization behind it will produce the highest degree
of joy among the angels. The Connection will show itself to
be one of the grandest institutions existing for the Christiani-
zation-of the world. It will, by this means, as it can by no
other, be recognized as an indispensable auxiliary to all other
Christian organizations. Just one fact will have a bearing on >
this point, Some years ago, Bishop Wayman preached in aj
certain part of Maryland to a mixed multitude and so serious¬
ly affected a white man in the congregation that he took a trip,
to Baltimore for the purpose of relieving his mind, but could
get no rest night nor day, until he sought and obtained relig¬
ion. Let the Connection provide the means to increase this
kind of work and it will attain unto the highest object of its
creation.
It will gradually exert a controlling influence among all the
colored people of the land; it will reach them as it cannot
reach them by any other medium. The holy plans which will
G2
grow out of this arrangement—the consultations for the pur¬
pose of ascertaining the best means of effecting certain classes,
the conclusions to go forth on a designated day to concentrate
every effort on them, the united solicitation for an outpouring
of the Holy Spirit upon revivals of religion and all the ener¬
gy that can be directed for evangelism by the Bishops, will
bring the colored population more signally under the influence
of the A. M. E. Church than has ever been done in the course
of its existence. Looking at the matter in this light, and con-
considering the spiritual needs of the colored people, nothing
greater, indeed, it may be asserted, can be designated as a
means of building up the Connection.
In all the work of the ministry nothing has a more signifi¬
cant bearing upon the world than evangelization for its conver¬
sion. Nothing more seriously demands the attention and
approbation of every trcTe-born Christian. This is the process,
sacred, noble and inestimable, that requires every evangelical
organization to strain itself for its advancement. If no other
proposition is worthy of consideration as a reason for making
Bishops, presiding elders and pastors, this is all sufficient for
the justification of the establishment of as many of them as
are demanded for this holy purpose.
Let fourteen Bishops go forth as the evangelical pioneers of
the A. M. E. Church and they will produce wonderful results.
Let them be ordained and let them see the needs of the color¬
ed population as they alone can see them ; and let them make
provisions to meet those needs in every spiritual respect—let
them make revival work frequently a specialty, appoint their
days for each and all to preach at the same time in different
parts of the country on what would be known as "The Bis¬
hops' Evangelical Day," and thus preaching all with one ac¬
cord, they would arouse many of those whom they would find
" dead in trespasses and sin," the wotk of the Lord would be
revived from year to year, Christendom would be inspired and
the Connection would be drawn nearer to other religious organ¬
izations to receive assistance from them. It would be conspic¬
uous as the great evangelical body of the world and be accept¬
ed as the benefactor of every denomination. It would make
such a grand display of the black man's moral worth that it
would crush the racial libels emanating from the Episcopalian
Church, beat back the enemies concentrated at given points
to contest its onward movements and clear the way for earnest
63
wor in every direction—for building up good societies, for
advancing the missionary cause, for promoting education and
increasing the love for temperance. It is impossible to recount
all the good results which would follow on this line by the es¬
tablishment of such a Board of Bishops. The whole race
would be improved to such an extent that its voice would be
irresistible in every part of the land. Reformation would be
■observed even among those who dwell in the slums and spend
their money for grog. The aspiration for good would be in¬
creased in those who spend their thoughts upon the frivolities
of life and disregard even the sanctity of the Sabbath day.
Everywhere one would see the steady advancement in morals,
religion, education and refinement. The Episcopal force—the
primary cause of all these results—would truly make the Con¬
nection " more terrible than an army with banners." Its in¬
crease to the highest state of its efficiency is as much of a
necessity as is the appointment of pastors to various charges
and the perpetuation of Conference sessions. Let the glorious
work be done.
STRAY SHOTS.
" A little fun now and then
Is relished by the wisest men."
These " stray shots " are not fired oft maliciously, but just
as a sportsman shoots at his target. They give us a diversion
from the hard work we have been doing for weeks to benefit
the Church. And so we take up our gun to shoot at the marks
put up before us. We aim now at the one designated by the
inscription, " Superintendence'." It is like unto a target made
•of pasteboard, tissue paper and gauze. It is a kind of hetero¬
geneous arrangement produced by hocus-pocus. One shot on
knocking it to pieces will show it to be a confusion of diocesan
and rotary methods with superintendency.
Any clear-headed fellow knows that superintendency is one
thing and diocesanism and rotation are two other things.
The one is a general system, and either one of the two things
is a specific method by which you carry out the general system.
Superintendency is nothing less than this either by diocesan¬
ism or rotation. The Episcopacy, as it has been carried on in
the A- M- E. Church for more than a generation by the district
cvstem (which is far better than the rotary), is just as much a
suoerintendency as it is by the rotary system. No one can
confound it with either one of the subordinate methods with-
64
-out resorting to legerdemain. His argument will be just as
•clear and consistent as the following sum in addition : 2 horses
plus 4 pigs plus 6 sheep plus 24 men make 36. A general over¬
sight ot the Churcn is supcrintendency, no matter which
method you adopt to observe it. I like our present one and
am opposed to innovations—changes which weaken. The
-best thing for us to do is to improve the machinery we have
instead of substituting it with something new. If we are all
the while planting scions and cutting them down we will never
have any trees.
CHAPTER XX.
The Urgent Demand of all Departments of the
Church for Compliance with the Fore¬
going Argument.
fHAT reason dictates to be done wisdom commands us
all to do. The establishment of a project by incon-
trovertible argument, cannot be ignored without loss
and inconvenience. When the Rebellion had its beginning in
the United States, Gen. Sherman was consulted and asked
how manv men would be needed to crush it. He said 250,000
men. This assertion struck the wise-acres with surprise and
they said that he was crazy. Disregard of his suggestion
brought disaster, and time proved the coirectness of his con¬
clusion. After this he was again consulted, but said, ''O, I
don't like to give an opinion, for fear that they will say I am
crazy." It is just so with some people who cannot see beyond
their noses ; they think everybody else is a fool who can. But
at the same time they never destroy the force of a fact.
If it is proved that we want more Bishops, as my learned
friend, Dr. T. G. Steward, says it is ; if the argument all along
the line germane to this subject has stcod unassailable, as
Bishop Brown's organ, The Mouthpiece, says it has; what else
can we do in conclusion but endeavor to force the propositions
home to every decent thinker ? The sum and substance of the
whole discussion now requires us to bring it to a focus.
All that we have said and proved must be subjec ed to, and
settled according to the urgent demands of all departments of
the Church. The cause of Missions, which has been suffering
65
ever since I have been in the itinerancy, and which could be
made a meritorious cause in the sight of all the people, de¬
mands something more for its success than the display of the
ablest powers of an able secretary. It requires the application
of the greatest amount of ecclesiastical force that can be de¬
veloped by an episcopa lagency, systematized, districted, well
defined and made thus to be of the most practical effect, so
that the incumbents, trumpet-tongued and full of fire, can go
in every section of the land and cry out, "The harvest fields
are ripening and the laborers are few." Thousands upon
thousands are wailing to give response to such a grand incen¬
tive.
The Publishing Department, prostrated and gyved like a
mighty giant prevented from manifesting his strength to rise
and stand upon his feet, says, " Let the twenty-eight hands of
fourteen Bishops be applied to my outstretched form, and
let the cheering order, ' Now then !' be uttered whilst a united
effort is made to lift me, and I'll arise, stand upon my feet,
break every fetter, shake my Samsonian locks and electrify
the whole Connection." All the latent power of this circum¬
scribed would-be great institution appeals unto the thinking
men—the men of reason throughout the Church—to do that
which will be the most efficient method of bringing about a
grand and glorious deve!opment Who would not spend five
hundred dollars to make a thousand, and, moreover, to pro-
portionably increase a people's moral worth ?
The work of education is obscured like the light of the sun
by a sombre cloud. It says to the Church, "Remove these
obstructions and I will shine. Clear the way for me, and I
will put a halo over every altar and a nimbus around the head of
every priest. Let my course be uninterrupted and I will prove
to you that in connection with the grace of God, ' knowledge
is power.' " It pleads not for secretaries, but for Bishops, for
an ample number of them, for men who, by virtue of their
office, will be able to touch the heart of every multitude when
they shall stand up and say, " Hear us for our cause, and be
silent that you may hear." It pleads for Bishops to do this as
Bishop Campbell did it at Asbury Park. , «
The Church Extension arrangements, the Sabbath school
work and all, send up a plea in th s direction. Let those whom
it may concern, then, take heed and comply with the argument
to sustain them. Let them pay due attention to—
66
1. The preliminary remarks made to guard them against
cliques and combinations;
2. The present condition of the Episcopacy ;
3. The great amount of Episcopal work that is to be per¬
formed ;
4. The character of the men needed to do it;
5. The number of additional men required to do it;
6. The men suitable for election to the office ;
7. The complement of them to be kept in existence;
8 The means of preserving this complement;
9. The regulation of the episcopal districts;
10. The provisions to be made for the oldest Bishops ;
ir. The business ideas to a greater extent needed in the
episcopacy for the advancement of Church work ;
12. The animation created in Church organizations by epis¬
copal visits;
13. The necessity of having Bishops on extra occasions;
14. The Connectional strength that will be manifested by an
adequate number of these officials ;
15. The proselytes that will be made to African Methodism
by the influence of such a complete board ;
16. The temporal advantages whicb will be gained by such
a board ;
17. The power it would wield over the General Conference
sessions;
18. The condition of affairs peculiar to colored people that
demands such a force ;
19. The Connectional ascendency that will be gained by this
increased means for episcopal evangelization ;
20. The urgent demand of all departments of the Church
for a compliance with this argument—let them consider all'
these deductions in all their bearings in every .direction, and
just so surely as they do it reason will overcome prejudice and
immature notions, so that no just one will say that the assump¬
tions are erroneous. The truth will be admitted, the necessi¬
ty will be observed, the benefits will be secured. It will be at
once concluded that the all-important step should be taken to-
accomplish the work before us. It will be conceded that it
should be done to reach the teeming millions—black, white and
red, on the continent and on the islands in the Caribbean Sea-
The power of the Lord God of Hosts will be invoked, every
resource of the Church will be brought into command, and a
67
mighty assault will be made upon the unregenerated world.
By thorough and substantial organization the Connection will
be qualified for stupendous accomplishments between the
present and the time to come, when the greater centennial
period shall dawn in 1916. It is wise now to begin to make
the organization develop its strength for that time. Let us at
once put an end to all bickering, extinguish all jealousy,
stamp out all envy, and cultivate love for one another so that
we can build up the walls of Zion for the end of the century
that is to come. Let us coolly, calmly and devoutly deliber¬
ate upon the propositions laid before us and let each one es¬
teem others as better than himself. Whilst we weigh all these
measures to make the Church stronger, and look forward to
the period when the Connection shall have lived one hundred
years, let us have no ill feeling towards each other. Let us
put our candidates all in a row and then view them and make
our selections from them. Far be it from any one concerned
to abuse and villify any brother for the purpose of defeating
him. This is an auspicious time for us to indulge in loving
kindness that our hearts and minds may be blended together
in a zealous manner for our Master's cause. The vintage is
commanding us to do our best in supplying it with our ablest
foremen to lead on in giving it efficient service. So important is
this point in our argument, that personal relationship should
always be discarded, and the qualification of the men be ac¬
cepted. Taking this in connection with all the other weighty
propositions, let us turn our attention to them that we may he
blest in our decision. If we do this, great indeed will be our fu¬
ture progress ! Step by step the old Church will move on in de¬
veloping all its energies. It will bring in the talents of outside
men and build up agencies to produce a moral effect in every
avenue of life. It will by the grace of God make the very na¬
tion hear 'its voice in the time of peace and the time of war.
Twenty-nine years hence, when this my labor of 'ove shall be
remembered or forgotten and a m.ll.on of members shall have
hearts all beating in unison to celebrate the great centennial
year, they shall say: " We thank thee-
» That thou, O God, didst first inspire
Our fathers with supreme desire ;
To found a Church who^e creed should be
The good of man, the love of thee."
INDEX.
Introduction, Page 3
Preliminary Remarks, «« j
Chapter II.—The Present Condition of our Episcopacy, " 7
Chapter III.—The Great Episcopal Work that is to be
Performed Page 10
Chapter IV.—The Character of the Men Needed for
the Episcopal Office, Page 12
Chapter V.—The Number of Additional Men Needed
for the Episcopal Office Page 14
Chapter VI.—The Men Suitable for Election to the
Episcopal Office, Page 17
Chapter VII —'The Episcopal Complement fhat should
be Kept in Existence Page 20
Chapter VIII.—The Means of Preserving the Episco¬
pal Complement, Page 24
Chapter IX.—The Regulation of the Episcopal Districts " 27
Chapter X.—The Provision to be made for the Oldest
Bishops, * * Page 30
Chapter XI —The Business Ideas Needed in the Epis¬
copacy for the Advancement of Church Work. ..Page 33
Ph^ntpr XII —The Animation Created in Church Or-
ganizalionsby Episcopal Visits, Page 36
CI ter XIII.—'The Necessity of having Bishops on
iaP Extra Occasions, Page 39
.—The Connectional Strength Manifested
Chapter ^ Adequate Number of Bishops, Page 42
The Proselytes made to African Metho-
ChaPtdismby the Influence of a Full Episcopal Board, .Page 45
70
•Chapter XVI.—The Temporal Advantage to be Gain¬
ed by the Operations of a Board of Fourteen
Bishops, .Page 48
•Chapter XVII.—The Power a Board of Fourteen Bis¬
hops would Wield over the General Conference,.Page 52
Chapter XVIII.—The Condition of Affairs Peculiar to
the Colored People of America that makes it
Necessary for this Ample Force of Bishops, Page 56
•Chapter XIX.—The Connertional Ascendency Gained
by Increased Episcopal Evangelization, Page 60
Chapter XX.—The Urgent Demand of all Departments
of the Church for Compliance with the forego¬
ing Argument Page 64