George Freeman Bragg, And the Conference of Church Workers Among Colored People--Afro-American...

8/2/2019 George Freeman Bragg, And the Conference of Church Workers Among Colored People--Afro-American Church Work and Workers (1904)

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AFRO-AMERICAN CHURCH WORK AND WORKERS.By the

REV. GEORGE F. BRAGG. D. D.,Rector of St. James' Church, Baltimore, Md., and Editor of the Church

Advocate.

Church Advocate Print,Baltimore, Md., May, 1904.


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AFRO-AMERICAN CHURCH WORK AND WORKERS.

EDITOR'S PREFACE.In sending- forth this Httle vol-

ume, the author may be pardonedfor referring to his own labors inChurch JournaHsm. For well nigheighteen years has he edited andpublished a journal in the interestof church work among the coloredrace. In addition to the literary,and a large part of the mechanicalwork, in its publication, it has beenat his own financial cost. We donot regret the sacrifice we havemade. Nor is this little volume inany way to financially help us per-sonally. In addition to the circu-lation of information about the col-ored work, 'it is our most ardenthope that sufficient may be realizedfrom the sale of this publicationto cancel a mortgage of a few hun-dred dollars on the Rectory of St.James' Church. Our little congre-gation, at present, is engaged inwrestling with a S4000 debt uponour church, and we are loth to di-vert their effort therefrom to thedebt upon the Rectory. We shallbe profoundly grateful to all whomay help us in this undertaking bypurchasing copies of this little book.


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AFRO-AMERICAN CHURCH WORK AND WORKERS. 3

THE REV. ABSALOM JONES, FIRST AFRO-AMERICAX PRIEST.Bom In Siusex, Del., 6th of November, 1740. Ordained Deneon Augnst 6th, 179S.

Died Februarj- 13, 181S.


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On Wednesday September 22,1886, more than 17 years ago, inSt Luke's Church, in the city ofWashington. Rev. Dr. AlexanderCrummell, Rector, assembled theFourth Annual Convocation ofColored Clergy of the ProtestantEpiscopal Church. This Confer-ence was a memorable one. Thelate Dr. Crummell was its presi-dent, and the Rev. Hutchens C.Bishop, Rector of St. Philip'sChurch, New York was secretary.The opening sermon was preach-ed by the Rev. Alfred Co BrownRector of St.Luke's New Haven.The Colored Clergy,now living,who were present at the Confer-ence of 1886, besides the* writer

(who was then only a layman)and the Rev. Mr. Bishop, wereRev. J. B. Massiah of Detroit,Prof. Joseph now in England andthe Rev. Alfred C. Brown, atpresent out of the country.

It was at the Conference of1886 in St. Luke's Church Wash-ington that it was determined tochange the Conference from anexclusively Negro body to onecomposed of Church Workers a-mong Colored People, so as toinclude in its membership whiteas vrell as colored persons. Andin the same Conference, follow-ing the change above noted,wereintroduced the first white mem-bers of this body, the Rev. Cal-braith B. Perry, then vicar of S.

Mary's Chapel,Baltimore Md. andthe Rev. George B.Johnson, thenRector of St James First AfricanChurch of the same city.*The Rev. Mr. Perry, in detail,explained a scheme in his mindlooking to the memoralizing ofthe General Convention, to as-semble in Chicago, the nextmonth, with respect to the ap-pointment by that body of a Commission of Bishops, clergy and laymen for the furtherance of thework of the Church among therace,- The Conference most heartily-approved of Mr. Perry's plan,and on file with the memorialfrom Mr. Perry in the Journal ofthe General Convention of 1886will also be found a certificatesetting forth the action of theConference signed, by Rev. Hut-chens C. Bishop Secretary.At the General Conventionwhich met the next month in thecity of Chicago the memorial ofMr. Perry was assented to and aCommission consisting of fiveBishops, five clergymen and fivelaymen,was created to superviseand further the work of theChurch among the colored peopleof this country.From this date we begin a'new

era in the Missionary activitiesof the special field of Churchwork in which we are engaged.


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.But, before following the prog-ress of the work from this point,it will not be entirely out ofplace to call the roll of our fellowworkers, ofAfro-American blood,who had fallen asleep up to thistime- Absalom Jones,

Peter Williams,William Levington,William, Douglass,W. C. Monroe,Harrison H.Webb,

Josephus, DfeGrasse, Peterson,Berry, Cooley, Saltus Cummings,Cooper, Brady, Allston, Atwell,St. James, Henderson, Harris.Rogers, and Mckinney.

In October 1886, when theCommission was created, the fol-lowing who are now living werein Priests' orders,

H. L. Phillips W. H.WilsonJ. G. Bryant S. KerrT. G. Harper A. A. RobertsH. C. Bishop C. M.C. MasonJ. B. Massiah P. A. Morgan.There were also 12 persons,now living, who were then dea-

cons, five of whom are still dea-cons to-day,and one ofthe twelve,Archdeacon Pollard of NorthCarolina, was advanced to thePriesthood before the close of theyear 1886.

Since the close of the year 1886the followingr brethren have^.alian asleep.

W. E. HOWELL. F. W. DUNN.WALTER LEWLS BUKWELL.GEORGE G. MIDDLETON,BEVERLY M. lEPFERSON,MARKF. NELSON. T.W.VAUGHAN^BENJ. L J vCK, JOHN G. URGLING,MATTHEW McnUFFIE,A. H. MCNEILL, C. C. C. xMAPP,WILLLAM F.FLOYD, W H. MORRIP,

J. PALL.'^M WILLIAMS,T. W. CAIN,ALliXANDER CRUMMKLL.J, E, and CHARLES H. THOMPSON.WILLIAM A. GRF.ENCHARLES L.8UTHEPN.During the same period, the

following, 11 in number, havebeen deposed from the SacredMinistry.D. WILSON TAYLOR, R.A.SMITH

L. W INFIELD, BENJ. F LEWIS.W, H. COSTEN. R.B.BRUCE.D. E.JOHNSON, M. D. HINTON.W. B. P5RRY. J. B. McCONNELL.GEORGE W. HONKS TY.All deacons, save one, and all

of themj we think, without oneexception, came into the Churchfrom some of the christian bod-ies. It is rather singular thatnot one of them was brought upand raised in the bosom of thechurch.The following, ordained during

the same period, in this country,are now working in foreign parts.

B, W. TIMOTHY. J. H. DIXON.J. ALFRED HOLLEY. H.HARTLEY

.^ J. BENJAMIN WILLIAMS. >JOSEPH N. DURANT- ^^


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4^THE I.4TE ni


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Deaths previous to 1886,23Since 21Depositions 11Out of country- 6

TotalPresent clergy List

Priests 64Deacons 29Total,

61

93.During the past seventeen

years the Church has made muchheadway and growth in alldirections, and although it is farfrom what it ought to be, yetthere can be no doubt with respectto actual progress in every de-partment of the church, in thisfield, in all sections of the coun-try.

First and foremost among theagencies largely responsible forthis growth and general awaken-ing is the Annual Conference ofChurch Workers. We haye notonly kept the subject before theChurch, by our meetings, fromyear to year, but the indirect in-fluence going out from this Con-ference has been something won-derful, far more than we seem toappreciate or realise.We have already intimated how

that this conference was largelyif not chiefly, responsible for thecreation of the church commis-sion, which has greatly stimulat

ed interest in this department of^the Church's Work. In the Gen-eral convention of 1889 anotherpractical agency was inauguratedthe direct result of agitation andeducation upon the part of thisConference the appointment ofArchdeacons for the Coloreded work in various parts of thecountry.In the Spring of the year 1889

the Diocese of Virginia eliminat-ed the Negro from its DiocesanCouncil, and our Conferencewhich met in the September fol-lowing, memorialized the Generalconvention which met the nextmonth in the city of New York,asking of that body a definitionof our status in the church. Therewere two Committee reports be-fore that body on this particularmatter. The majority, practically,told us to fight it out the bestway we could in the various dio-cese3,for the General Conventionhad no power to act. Strangeas it may appear, yet true, theminority report which champion-e i our cause, was as radical andd3cisive as any one could desire,was signed by three clergymen,one a Southernman and a Virgin-iin, the late Dr. Bird of Texas,another not a Virginian but whohad gotten his Theology at theVirginia,Seminary, the late Phil-lips Brooks, and the third one Dr.


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Vibbert, then of Chicago. De-spite Dr. Brooks's ringing wordsupon the floor of the House ofDeputies, the majority reportwas adopted, and the directanswer to our query evaded. Atthe General Convention of 1892,we were again in evidence in ourplea for a closar adaptation of theEpiscopate to the needs of ourpaople, but nothing was done.At the General Convention of1395 at Minneapolis we were a-gain before that body pleadingfor field secretary, the adaptationof the Episaopate, and the founding of a Church College. Somelittle notice seemed to have beengiven to our memorial. At onetime it was thought that a largesum from the late Missionary en-rollment fund would prove avail-able for the establishment of aChurch College for the race, butfor some reason it failed. Ourrequest for a field secretary wasfavorably commended to theBoard of Managers for action,and the board of Managers inturn turned it over to the Com-mission where it has been underconsideration ever since. At theConvention of 1898, in Washing-ton, a committee of this Confer-ence succeeded in appearing be-fore Committees of the House ofBishops and the lower House,with respect to the adaptation ofthe Episcopate. The action in

the upper house on the proposi-tion was not favorable. In thelower house, the committee, sug-gested the necessary legislationto make the matter effective, anda special committee of which thelate Rev. J. J. Faude was a mem-ber was appointed to consider thematter and bring it up at thenext Ganeral Convention. Thelast General Convention, at SanFrancisco, was a little too far forus, and with the many heavysubjects, before the GeneralConvention, at that time, and thecharming beauty of the PacificCoast, it is jast possible thatthe report of the committee wasoverlooked.During this same period, since

the creation of the Commission,our beloved brother the Arch-deacon of Southern Virginia hascalled intD being and built up,principally through his own per-sonal exertions, St. Paul's SchoolLawrenceville, the largest insti-tution of it its kind, in numbers,operated by our church for theColored race. In the meantime,the older school, St. Augustine'sRaleigh has been greatly improv-ed and strengthened. The BishopPayne Divinity School Petersburgalthough in existence as a branchschool of the Virginia Seminary,at the time of the organizationof the Commission has since that.


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AFRO-AMERICAN CHURCH WORK AND WORKERS. it

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THE REV. T. W. CAIN.Who Represented Texna in the Gen- 1'HE LATE REV. WM. DOUGLASS,eral Convention. *" Marylnnd, First Colored Man Or-dained in trie South.

k i^'ARCHDEACON POLLxVRD, N. C. ARCHDEACON Rl SSELL., So. Vii^nla.


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14 AFRO-AMERICAN CHURCH WORK AND WORKERS,

anniversary of the ordination tothe Priesthood of our presentmuch beloved and honored "se-nior" Presbyter Rev. H. L. Phil-lips,bat a few vears ago,was cel-brated in grand style by thepeople of his own congregationamong whom he has spent all ofhis cleriacl life.

If St. Thomas Philadelphia isthe oldest of us all, St. JamesBaltimore, is at least the oldestsouth of Mason and Dixon's line,and as all of us are members oneof another, so St. James is in-debted somewhat both to St.Thomas Philadelphia, and StPhilips, New York, for her founder William Levington was a NewYorker by birth, while he receiv-ed his orders in Philadelphia, verylikely within the walls of theOld St. Thomas church'. St.Jameshas partly paid its debt, forMaryland sent St. Thomas herWm. Douglass, and we have givenSt. Philip's New York, for herRector, and the best she has everhad, one of our own children.And in order that we might giveven more than we recieved. St.James, more than 59 years agosant her first born son into theministry to the city of New Hav-en, and St. Luke's church tellswhat Eli Worthington Stokeswrought. So a few years agothe old Southern mother "St.James" Baltiinore celebrated her

75th Anniversary by pulling upstakes and lengthening her cordsin a more desirable portion of thecity, that she may continue inthe future, as in the past,to send forth her sons as found-ers and builders of Churches.The Church Advocate, in sea-

son and out of season, has livedby some means as a connectinglink between the scattered breth-ren, during all these years, andit has not been published entirelyin vain, even though its editorhas had to pay a royalty for theprivilege of advocating a causeand interest dear to the heartsof all Afro-Americans.

Certainly, as we impartially re-view the vrork of 17 years past,and take a bird eye view of thenumber of clergy, churches chap-els schools and other agencies,then,now, we must give thanksand high praise to God for thegrace andfavor bestowed upon us.unworthy as we are, in being per-mitted to note so many gratifyingevidences of success and useful-ness to the race and tothe Church.May the Almighty God continueto pour forth upon us his favorand blessing, and may He also,of his infinite mercy and goodnessgrant refreshment, light andpeace to our fellow workers whohaving fallen asleep, have pass-ed on out of our sight into theParadise of God.


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AFRO-AMERICAN CHURCH WORK AND WORKERS. . 15

REV. H. L,. PHILLIPS, Penn. REV. J. W. PERRY, N. C.

REV. C. M. C. M VSp?f, Mo. mEV. H. S. McDlFFV. Lo.g tol.nd.


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i6 AFRO-AMERICAN CHURCH WORK AND WORKERS.INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT.

At the 19th annual meeting of the Conference of Church WorkersAmong Colored People, held in St. Luke's Church, New Haven, Conn.,Sept. 15th, 1903, a Commission of Fifteen was created to seek an interviewwith the Bishops in southern dioceses, with respect to the adjustment ofthe Historic Episcopate to the needs of the Colored Race. Through thekindness and courtesy of the late Bishop Dudley of Kentucky, chairmanof' the Commission for Work Among Colored People, an audience wassecured in the city of Washington, at the Pro. Cathedral, on MondayOct. 26, 1903. Bishop Dudley presided in this conference, and the Rev.Geo. F. Bragg, Jr., D.D., and the Rev. Prof. J. W. Johnson, of theBishop Payne Divinity School, Petersburg, Va., were selected by theConference Commission to be their "spokesmen. Bishops from the follow-ing dioceses and jurisdictions were present: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia,Kentucky, Lexington, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tenn-essee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia (BishopCoadjutor) and the jurisdiction of Southern Florida.

The members of the Conference Commission present were: Rev.Messrs. Bragg, Bishop, Miller, FL L. Phillips, Waller, Tunnell, E. R.Bennett, Johnson, and Archdeacon Pollard. LaityMessrs. Dr. J. C.Norwood, R. R. Florner, Walker W. Lewis, and Solomon DeCourcey.

By a careful reading of the addresses below, it will appear that thecolored clergy and laity of the Church do not ask for anything startlingor revolutionary. They do not ask for any mandatory enactment. Theyonly ask that -the general law of the Church be so changed that wheretwo or more diocesan Bishops, in contiguous dioceses, deem it wise andhelpful to the work, upon their united request, a colored clergyman maybe consecra!ted as" a Missionary Bishop, to exercise jurisdiction over thecolored people within their territorial bounds, under such regulations asmay be determined upon by the House of Bishops.

The following address was read by Rev.iDr. George F. Bragg, chair-man of the Committee, and Secretary of the Conference of ChurchWorkersAN ADDRESS TO THE BISHOPS IN SOUTHERN DIOCESES.Venerable Fathers in God:We desire, first of all, to tender you our sincere thanks for yourprompt and ready response to the invitation of the Conference of ChurchWorkers among the Colored People, to meet in friendly conference withrepresentatives from that body, with respect to matters pertaining to abranch bi the Church's missionary work in which you, as well as ourselvesarc profoundly interested. There are grave and serious difficulties which


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i8 AFRO-AMERICAN CHURCH WORK AND WORKERS.the colored people, and if we shall seem, in this address, to confine our-selves wholly to one of these disadvantages, it is because, in our judgment,the removal of the same carries with it the solution of most of the remain-ing ones.

Those of us who work in the South, or have worked in the SouthernStates, can and do most cheerfully testify to the unfailing kindness, love,gentleness, and deep interest in this work which have characterized manyof our white brethren. The peculiar conditions which militate so stub-bornly against any great advance of the Church among the colored raceare to be sought from other causes rather than from any lack of intereston their part. While the members of our own race sustain the profound-est respect, good-will, and appreciation for the dominant race, yet suchare our racial idiosyncrasies and past ecclesiastical education, that wefind it increasingly difficult to adjust ourselves, ecclesiastically, to theseeming demands of our white neighbors and brethren.

It is far from our purpose to condemn or indulge in unkindly criti-cism. We desire simply to state the fact. As at present constituted, itwould seem utterly impossible for the colored c;lergy and laity to receiveequal and impartial treatment and consideration in the several diocesanconventions. As a result, much is said and done which hinders ratherthan advances the cause of our Lord. We are supremely desirous thatpeace, friendship, and love should mutually obtain between us ; and infurtherance of such a laudable end, to the glory of Almighty God and thesalvation of all souls, we are led to ask of you your good offices'in securingsuch additional canonical legislation as will remove us from the humiliat-ing and undignified position in which we find ourselves in the Church.

The Historic Episcopate does not touch us as closely and as helpfullyas the needs of the great body of our people demand. This is not somuch because our Diocesan Bishops are indisposed to do their utmostin this particular, but rather because the civic and social condition obtain-ing between the two races renders it difficult for them so to do. Diocesanconvocations for colored people, subject to the control of diocesan conven-tions, as established in several dioceses, do not meet the requirements ofthe situation and have not been fruitful of satisfactory results. Theygreatly aggravate conditions already distressing. Too often it is thecase that prominent laymen in our diocesan conventions are also prom-inent in civic conventions which do not so lovingly deal with the civilconcerns of the colored race. Our people do not believe that the menwho minimize their civic rights and privileges can safely be trusted toadvance the human side of their spiritual interests.

In view of the present exigencies, and, pre-eminently, as a measureof


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AFRO-AMERICAN CHURCH WORK AND WORKERS. 19S^< Jv*S>,'*S'*:W*?:"'^"SSS!>''^ ">* "*;w)JC-^

REV. P, P. ALSTON, N. C. REV. H. B. DELANEY, North Carolina.

f"j'^y!g!fyMywMwy.^a,. .^ ..^^..^K- s^lnu l^^ J>u^.^^u ' Jl>J ^

REV. W. P. BURKE. So. Vlrslnla. REV. J. N. DEAVER, New Jersey.


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20 AFRO-AMERICAN CHURCH WORK AND WORKERS.ment, the result of many years of patient observation, study and prayer,that the prosecution of our work in the Southern States, among thecolored people^ should be placed more directly under the general Church.We believe that there should be missionary jurisdictions extendingthrough two or more dioceses, with a Bishop at the head of each, drawnfrom the same race represented by the clergy and people among whomhe is to labor. Thus, we would respectfully, but most earnestly, askof the General Convention through you, our Right Reverend Fathers

The adoption of a canon, not mandatory, but permissive^ embracingthe following general features

(a) That it shall be lawful for the General Conventit)n, upon therequest of two or more Diocesan Bishops contiguously situated to con-stitute into a missionary jurisdiction their territory, as pertaining to thecolored race.

(b) The Diocesan Bishops within the bounds of each missionaryjurisdiction thus constituted to compose an Advisory Council for workamong colored people in such territory.

(c) Such jurisdictions to be absolutely independent of diocesanconventions, and represented in the General Convention as that body mayprescribe.

(d) Any jurisdiction constituted under this canon to be altered,re-arranged, or terminated at the will of the General Convention.

Such in brief outline are the salient points of the adaptation of theHistoric Episcopate to the needs of Afro-American people.

But it is urged in objection to this plan(i) That it will result in divorcing the present Diocesan Bishops

from the affection and esteem of their colored friends, for whom theyentertain fatherly affection and earnest solicitude.On the contrary we "maintain that, by the operation of this new sys-tem of endeavor among the race, the aft'ection, esteem, and mutual respectw^ill become far more vital and real, and instead of our Right Reverend'Fathers being further removed they will be brought into closer touch,to the very hearts of the people among whom we labor. They would befree from the heart-aches of constantly trying to reconcile the radicalelements on both sides to a conservative course. There would be no.occasion for impleasant occurrences in diocesan conventions on accountof the presence of increasing numbers of colored clerical and lay delegates,nor would there be any longer ground for fear, in the event of an electionof a Diocesan Bishop, that the colored delegates would vote unanimouslyfor the candidate of the white minority because of his outspoken friend-ship for negroes. For in the case of a close vote, the negroes effectinga decision, it would prove a clear case of alleged "negro domination."


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REV. E. N. HOLLINGS, S. C. REV. C. \V. BROOKS, ALABAMA.


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22 AFRO-AMERICAN CHURCH WORK AND WORKERS.(2) It is further urged against our plan that in event of its adoption

the colored work would surely languish rather than increase, for, it isfeared, the Church having, at least , to some extent, cut apart from thenegroes, the latter would be left to die for want of financial support.We maintain that a perfect analysis of the situation will result ratherin furnishing the most reasonable grounds for anticipating directly theopposite finding.

To be perfectly frank, the Southern white people of culture andmeans are, indeed and in truth, most kindly disposed towards the coloredpeople, and yet, because of our present plan of operation, they are re-strained from enthusiastically assisting in this work. If, perchance, theydid, it would simply mean the increase of vexations, troubles, and annoy-ances with respect to possible happenings in the event of a considerablenumber of colored clergymen and laymen being admitted to their diocesanconvention on an equality with themselves.

In the adoption of the present plan under consideration, the wholebone of contention is removed. White persons who are wont to teachnegro Sunday-schools, conduct mother's meetings, and help in the use ofmany other agencies would be free from the restraining influence of apossible alleged "negro domination," enthusiastically to help in this workin every proper way.

In the presence of increased enthusiasm and good-will, on the partof both white and colored Churchmen in the South, and the bright andunobstructed prospects ahead, means from the philanthropic Churchmenof the North would flow as never before. And besides this, the coloredpeople would do more for themselves than they are now doing. Any manwill do more when placed upon his honor, and when he feels himself tobe something, than he will when he is secretly distrusted and ratherexpected to fail.

(3) And, lastly, there are among some of our best white friendsthose who seem to oppose our plan ; because they are far from beingpersuaded, in "spite of all these years of. operation, and the good workof our many seminaries, that real competent colored priests can be foundsufficiently equipped, of such an administrative and constructive calibreas to warrant the hope that they would prove equal to the demands of themissionary episcopate. We confess much diffidence in addressing our-selves to this objection. Unquestionably, from their point of view, thereis some ground for this position.

It is hardly possible to know a book, and even a man, from theoutside. One must have a vital and real contact with the life, hopes,

said know him.


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AFRO-AMERICAN CHURC?I WORK AND WORKERS. 23

t. Liuke's Choir, Washington, D. C.


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24 AFRO-AMERICAN CHURCH WORK AND WORKERS.nection with that life within that the colored priest moves and has hisbeing, so that those without can hardly appreciate the fulness, the courage,and strength of the life shadowed by the veil and penetrating the hiddenchambers of that life, many joyful surprises are certain to dawn uponthe earnest and sincere inquirer after truth. Among the eighty oddpriests and deacons who live within this veil are a number who, despite,their lowly origin, have made steady ascent along the road of self-con-quest, amid environments full of difficulties and hardships, and thusforecast still greater ascent and conquest if only given a fair, honest, andgenuine opportunity.

Burdens imposed beget the strength and powers for faithful per-formance. The poor negro lad, once a sailor, newsboy, or just an ordin-ary youth, having attained the priesthood and gone forth, hamperedwith poverty and environed with hardships, has from nothing calledinto being a parish. In such wonderful development he has had no well-trained business mert, lawyers, or other professional men to share withhim the burdens in the administrative functions or the constructive workin which he was engaged ; and little and insignificant as it really is bycontrast with the accomplishments of those of noble birth, blessed andhelped on every side, and starting out in life with a rich inheritance,along all lines of endeavor, yet it tells a story, pathetic though it may be,nevertheless one of noble self-sacrifice and triimiph, and plainly intimatesthat such an one, so faithful, noble, and true in a few things, has withinthe capabilities and powers for even higher and nobler achievements.We are but pleading for what has been advocated byt some of theleading Bishops and laymen of the American Church. As far back as1873, an important correspondence on this plan took place between twoof the most distinguished prelates that have ever adorned and shed lustreupon the American episcopate, the lamented and greatly-beloved BishopHowe of South Carolina, and that marvellous and massive giant in intel-lectual and spiritual powers, the foremost of his brethren, the venerableBishop Whittingham of Maryland. The letter of Bishop Whittinghambears so pointedly on the present matter before us that we herewith givethe same :

(Bishop Whittingham to Bishop Kowe.)"Baltimore, May 30, 1873.My dear Bishop :The plan of an episcopate for our colored popu-

lation is by no means new to me. Long before the Civil War I had beendriven to mediate on it, by conviction that the blacks in my own diocesecould not be efficiently provided for on our present scheme, and that theredid seem to be ground for anticipating good success for work among


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26 AFRO-AAIERICAN CHURCH WORK AND WORKERS.or "tongue" episcopate, jurisdiction, ministry, and pastoral supply.

The double, mutually compensatory and completory, kinds of juris-diction, topical and lingual ; or distributed by metes and bounds, for acertain portion of the population, and by race or language (distributedover or scattered through the same metes and bounds, with or without rec-ognition of them) to a certain other portion (or several other portions)of a collimital population, / believe to have been existent and more or lessextensively employed as called for, throughout the Church in all ages.

I see no reason why the Church should not resort to its use in ourcountry, so wonderfully peopled and still peopling by myriads of incomersfrom many and very diverse races and tongues.On that plan we might have an episcopate for the Scandinaviantongue, another for the German, another for the Chinese, and, above all,for the millions of our native blacks.Of course, in the outset, each of these must of necessity have a mis-sionary character ; and with the exception of the lastand possibly alsoof the thirdbe constituted with distinct recognition of a steady processof evanishment in proportion as the several races or tongues shouldbecome merged in the general mass of the community.

But to institute such a work, I suppose we should have to add newcanonical provisions-just as was proposed (and, I think, by mistake,not done) in the last General Convention for our foreign congregationsin Europe and elsewhere. A canon, in a few sections, might providewhen and where such work should be done^by whom election, etc., shouldbe effected, and what the relations of the new organizations should bewith existing diocesan and missionary schemes.

I, for one, am ready to enter upon endeavors to devise and executesuch a plan of Church extension (to which Providence seems to be callingus in more than one direction) whenever my brethren shall have faith andzeal to set about it. Our new Indian episcopate is a long and noble steptoward the enterprise.

Heartily thanking you for the opportunity of exchanging opinionsupon the subject, and wishing that you and our brethren of the adjoiningdioceses would bestow the study and labor which the due preparation of awell-devised scheme would doubtless require, but would certainly thor-oughly deserve,

I am faithfully and truly your loving friend and brother, ,W. R. W., Bishop of Maryland."The late venerable Rev. Dr. Hanckell of Virginia, indefatigable and

exhaustive in his investigation and study of such affairs, among other


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St. Stephen's Ch6lr, PetenibarK, Va.


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^8 AFRO-AMERICAN CHURCH WORK AND WORKERS.Council in 1879, presented the following:

"Resolved, ^\a.st\y, that our deputies to the next General Conventionbe charged with the duty of bringing before the house of clerical andlay deputies the question of the expediency of giving to the colored peopleof Virginia and other Southern States, when desired, a full and completeChurch organization of their own race, under such constitutional andcanonical provisions as the General Convention in their wisdom maydevise and ordain."

In the year 1888 the late Rt. Rev. Dr. H. M. Jackson, then rectorof Grace Church, Richmond, Va., and one of the editors of the SouthernChurchman, although opposed in^ principle to anyt'^iing like a separation,was thoroughly convinced, in the light of the peculiar exigencies of thattime, that the identical idea which we now advocate, before you, shouldobtain.

The foUowing letter from Bishop Jackson was then written to acolored priest in the Diocese of Virginia :

(Bishop Jackson's Letter.)"Richmond, Va., June 4, 1888.Your letter was received this morning. Your idea is mine exactly.

Personally, I do not want any separate jurisdiction. I am perfectlywilling to have'you and your people in council on equal footing, and Ido not share the apprehension of others. But it is nothing what myindividual views may be. You know as well as I do the widespreadsentiment which renders some arrangement, permanent or temporary,absolutely necessary. I deplore the fact, but yet it is a fact, and as suchmust be taken into account. If, therefore, a separate jurisdiction isnecessary, I am very much concerned that it should be effected by theGeneral Convention and not by the individual dioceses. Because

First. If it is the action of the whole Church, it will be much morereadily acquiesced in by your people.

Second. If it is the action of the whole Church, it will be muchmore readily acquiesced in by the Northern people.

Third. It will secure a uniform system for the whole South.On this last point it seems to me to be a thing greatly to be deplored

if one policy prevails in one diocese and another in another.If the colored people have rights and privileges in one diocese which

they have not in another, it will have most disastrous results. Forinstance, Florida sends a colored delegate to General Convention, andVirginia excludes the colored people from its own councilsuch a differ-

the feeling which the colored people of Virginia must have


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AFRO-AMERICAX CHURCH WORK AND WORKERS. 29

St. James' Church (Interior), Baltimore, Mil.


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30 AFRO-AMERICAN CHURCH WORK AND WORKERS.will not the Northern people say, 'Florida treats the colored people fairly,Virginia unfairlytherefore our money goes to Florida, where there ishope of results' ? But there is no use to argue, any one can see that theremust -be uniformity of policy on every hand. Therefore I am for mis-sionary jurisdictions under the control of the General Convention, suchas you sketch; and after a time, when prejudices die away, these juris-dictions may lapse and things fall back into the normal order.To this end I shall make some effort. I shall sound the delegatesto the last General Convention to see how far the sentiment of the North-ern Church is likely to yield to this measure. I wish you would help mein this, as it will take a deal of writing. If you will, let me know.

I hope if I can come into the next council with some evidence thatthe General Convention will be likely to consent to such missionary juris-dictions, I may be able to stay action."

We are animated with but one single purpose, and that is to seeour beloved Church take hold of our race and carry to them the Gospelof our Lord Jesus Christ as received and taught by this Church. A cruelinjustice is done to a faithful body of missionary workers in our field,when it is made to appear that our persistent and earnest efforts in thisdirection are inspired by an unholy ambition to seek exalted positions forthe leaders in this movement. The present want of a general system ofaction in this missionary department of the Church's work makes ourlabor more strenuous and difficult, keeps self-respecting people out ofthe Church, and makes it harder to get suitable and sufficient candidatesfor Holy Orders.We utterly abhor and repudiate any insinuation that what we askis the first important step in the creation of an African Church apart andseparate from our present American Church. Separate jurisdictions andconventions do not imply separate and distinct churches. We are in theone Church by virtue of Holy Baptism ; and the episcopate, whetherdiocesan or missionary, constitutes the visible expression of the unity ofall the parts in the one Catholic Church of Christ.And now, Right Reverend Fathers in God, we rest our case withyou. We are most anxious that you should have the benefit of anyadditional light' or information which any of us can impart, and it willbe a pleasure on our part to respond to any questions which may suggestthemselves to you in connection with this subject. We have endeavoredto place before you the main facts, and a general outline of the legislationwhich we deem necessary for the successful and aggressive prosecution ofthe work among our race by the Church in which we have the honor ofclaiming sonship.


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32 AFRO-AMERICAN CHURCH WORK AND WORKERS.

AFRO-AMERICAN CI.ERGY LIST.PRIESTS:1S7. HENDERSON.356 Crown St.. Npw Havpn. Cona.REV. G. ALE"VANDER MAGUIRE,1B09 Pino St.. Philadelphia. Pa.REV CHAS. W. BROOKS, Birmlner.ham. Ala.

REV. E. G. CLIFTON. 611 E. 158th U,New YorkREV JOHN r DENNTS. Savannah, Q*.REV. F. I. A. BENXt^TT.Linden St., Washington, D. C.


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REV. JOHN R, BRCK)KS.Montgomery, Ala.1N9.REV. E. T. DEMBY.Key West. Fla.REV. B. W. PAXTON, Newark, N. J.V.EV. A. E. JENSEN,Croom. Md.REV. W. GEO. AVANT, New Beraa,N. C.REV. W. J. HERITAGE.Asheville, N. C.REV. JAMB*' N. DEAVER.170 Arctic Ave., Atlantic City, N. J.iU5V. SCOTT WOOD.Brunswick, Ga.t900.REV. 4. G. COOMBS,Augusta, Ga.REV. GEORGE BUNDY.906 John St.. Cincinnati, O.1901.REV. JOSEPH B. TUCKER,Memphis, Tenn.REV CHARLES I. SMliTI.

200 F St., S. W., Washington, D. C.i9oa.REV. EDWARD S. WILLETT,Keokuk, Iowa.REV. JOSEPH LIVINGSTON,Port Tobasco. Md.REV. THOMAS O JKOWN,Philadelphia, Pa.REV. E. W. DANIEL. t. Paul, Minn.REV. D. R. WALLACE,Boston, Mass.' 103.REV. ROBERT DAVIS BH' >WN.Columbus, OWoREV. J. S. QUARLES,Peake. S. C.REV. R. T. MIDDLETON.Vicksburg, Lilsa

lK6(t.REV. P W. CASSEY. St. Nicholas, Fla1S6.REV. W. W. CHERHTER. BoUvar.TnnISS.I.REV. J. W. CARROLL.

St. Tammany, Va.

REV. J. T. HARRISON,Totaro, Va.1886.REV. GEORGE E. HOWELL,New Brookland, S. C.1887.REV. B. B. TYLERWilson. N. C.18UO.REV. J. T. KENNEDY. Frankiin, N. CREV. F. M. MANN. Darlen, Ga.REV. D. D. MOORE. Palatka, Fla.REV, C. L. SIMMONS, Union Level, Va1803.REV. JOHN B. MANCEBO. Columbl*.S. C. 1806.REV. T. B. BAILEY. Statesvllle, N. C.REV. G. R. JACKSON, St. Slmon'iMills. Ga.REV. J. E. KING. Raleigh. N C.REV. ROBERT J. MORGANNashville. Tenn.1897.REV. J. M. MUNDY, Hendeloon, Ky.1899.REV. J. B. BROWN. St. Tammany. Va.REV. C. B. PRITCHETT.Kingston, N. C1901.REV. R. L. WILSON,Hopklnsville, Ky.i9oa.REV. A. E. DEY, Atlanta, Ga,REV. NATHANIEL PETERSON BOYD.Brooklvn, N. Y.REV. ROBERT GORDONSan Antonio, Tex.1903.REV. D. LEROY FERGUSON.REV. ROBERT W. BAGNALL.

Blackstone. Va.REV. M. M. WESTON.Edenton, N. C.REV. A. ST. CLARE MOORE. ^Philadelphia. Pa.1904.REV. E. E. MILLf.KR.Gordonsville. Va.REV. C. H. MALE.Oxford. N. O.REV. M. SPATCHES.Key West, Fla.


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AFRO-AMERICAN CHURCH WORK AND WORKERS. 35r

St. AusuNtinc'ti Church, Camden, N. J.


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St. Philip's Church (Sanctuary), New York.


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All Saints' Church, St. LouU, Mo.

St. James' Church, Baltimore, Md.


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:^"R^St. Paul'8 School, lia^-reneevllle, Va.

Gollegrlate Department, St. Augrustinc's Setaool, Raleigh, S. C.


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St. Js\:jies' (Interior), Ooaln, Fla.

St. AuKostlne's, Atlantic Clt>-, N. J.


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40 AFRO-AMERICAN CHURCH WORK AND WORKERS.THE CONFERENCES.

The Southern Bishops having calledI a Conlerence of white persons to meet

at Sewanee, Tenn., in the Spring orSummer of 1883, to deliberate concern-ing the Negro, a Conference of ColoredClergy was called to meet in New Yorkthe fall of the same year. It was held inthe same city the year following. Sincethen the places of meeting have been asbelow; 1885. Richmond, Va,

1886. Washington, D C.1887. Baltimore, Md.1888. Norfolk, Va.1889. New York.1890. Philadelphia, Pa.l9l. None held.i892. Baltimore, Md.1893. Louisville, Ky.1894. Philadelphia, Pa.1895. Washington. D. Ci896 Charleston, S, C.1897. Baltimore, Md.i898. Richmond, Va.1899, New York.i9oo. Raleigh, N. C.i9oi. Philadelphia, Pa.i9o2. Washington, D. C.1903. New Haven, Conn.

Chapel St. Augustine's, Raleigta, K. C.


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FACIU-T',,


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George Freeman Bragg, And the Conference of Church Workers Among Colored People--Afro-American...

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