Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1894-04-07

FREETowN, SIERRA LEONE, w. A.
Feb'y. %, 1894.
Elder w. j. Jordan,
Durham, N. c., u. S. A.
Dear Brother IL had wanted TO |
wait while before writing to you
from these far off shores. 1t takes
time to do things here, and In fact |
everywhere. There is a little (yet |
large) matter upon my heart OF
which / must write you now. 1t Is
about your coming to Africa.
have SO constantly thought OF the
long conversation you and / had
upon this subject. Even now can
not cay much to you upon this mat
ter, the situation being so tedious
and the matter being so very great.
AS understand it you are serious
Iy contemplating the matter OF SELL
ling out your property and coming
to this country. My advice TO you
is GO SLOW. l should not, yet, sell
one inch of good property with the
intention of coming to Africa. am
very must tempted to tell you many
J reasons for this but, lest l should
appear "meddlesome," l must for
bear for the present.
, Words suggest thoughts and II
YOU are q reader of the RECORDER, i
} am sure you have seen words there
i which show the attitude of "The
: Christians at home" towards Dark
Africa" | mean more specially tn
A. M E. Church. In my extensive
} travels In the u. s. last year was
e forcibly and favorably impressed
2 with the fact that many of our peo-
+ pie want to come to Africa-that If
q the laboring class. While on the
other hand it was so disgusting to
4 see leading men-"the tall, the wise,
n the Reverend head"--all "down on
: it."
= WHAT THE A. NJ. E. CHURCH CAN DO.
al Yes, this Is the case. 1t is this
i thing I have some reference to. Ii
would tend to weaken and possibly
r utterly overthrow your project fol
i. the present. fully believe the A. M
B. E. Church In the United States Il
q able to send out and support TWEEN
he ty-fve missionaries-if they Qik
Is Rev. and Mrs. A. l.. RidgeD woul,
come out to work for God and HI
"a glory. But on the other hand tn
~ A. Nj. f. Church is Ike the Interna
no tIcnal Missionary Alliance, of whic
Ju thank God, am a member. The
1t. are not able to send out people, VIII
re- come out under the cloak of "Mis
t 8 onaries' for the sole purpose {
getting rich. 1t is strange thin
ed to me that so many men specially
u the A. M. E. Church, claim so muC
ia love for the 'Negro and his rights
gs and yet II you make mention of Aft
as, ca in any way they are "down on 1t
M I can only sam 1t up thus First
90 is a great lack of Religious Obedien
of and Faith. Christ says, $50 and
am with thee" Second, it is contr
of ry to what they profess. 1t Is u
'ou neighborly and very unpatriotic.
)ur do not mean to attack the A.
no. E. Church. But must not close b
i'd fore referring to the fact that tn
or seem to be becoming negligent of t
red work they have begun here unC
.se. the powerful Elder Frederick. T
ing Rev. and Mrs. A. L. Ridgel, 80 POI
lex liar In the RECORDER have been
no may say, totally neglected and eve
Sierra LeOnan thinks 1t a shan
J. and something unworthy the A. M.
connection. The fact Is the Church
home is overburdened with .unneC
sary expenses instead of being &C
the tent with such things as We have
order that Gods conquest might
extended-"Lengthen thy cords 6
life strengthen thy stakes"
ady ,,0, :.
ne - 10 q III - -
and must also say / do not see
ther need of patriotic movement
le of that In the mind of Bishop TurI
| &C That is i don't see it is needed yet
d af- Go slow The Scriptures speaI
into better things than this. Hear n
after seek We first the kingdom of
and and his righteousness" am oh
must ed to think that the American
Ius- we'll as the African needs to lie
gro-' this lesson. There Is not only