The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-10-25
DOING VALIANT WORKI
Is What tho Missionary Society Says of f5ihe1s'
Various Church Denominations n SSsi SSsS35
PROGRESS OF AMERICAN HIGHLAADERss
What Dir. Rome, of Charleston, says
Th" Newspapers of the Day The
New Movc'nent Ina Georgia - The
Ordination Of the Eirst Chinaniaiss
M n Minister. I: Is

Detroit Mich Oct. 24.-The Amert-F
can Missionary Association has selectsi
Ell Boston as the place for holding thSs
jubilee annual meeting next year. ts9 IS IS
The report on the church work of the
association in the South was presenteds
ny Henry Martin Ladle. d. D.. of sCleVelt
nnd. lie reported that in one State Of
North Carolina alone the associations
nhd nhd last year organized more churchesS
tnan II had organized through the5
whole South during any one OF the
preceding years. Th!rty-four churches;
for colored people and eight mountain
churches, h total of forty-two nemj
churches In one year is the unique re-i
cord. 81 ts3'
The most surprising and most an
couraging feature OF the work at the
South has been the apparently sponta-
neous generation of congregational
churches among n people and under
conditions where such development
would be least expected. Science may
know nothing of spontaneous genera
tion, MS u fact, but congregationalisrn
does. NJ -
The free churches" of Georgia ana
the Carolinas, like free pilgrim churches
or the North, has gained their freedom
solely by the truth. The new move
mcnt In Georgia Is most interesting as
illustrating how congregationalisnr
springs into being, not only in New
England. but among negroes OF tho
Black belt .E5.l1
There was IL gain of 1425 new menu
bers In these churches during the past
year. There has been a remarkable5
progress OF church work among the:
mountain whites, or american high
ianders,' resulting in eight new
churches and rapidly increasing
membership. Y
A gain In membership of over 80 per
cent In three years out OF a populations
which remains practically stationary
unaffected by booming towns and
crowfDg settlers, Is probably unparal-5
lelcd IN any section OF our country.
Some of the incidents of the last.year2
are the first mountain church to self
support, the ordination of the first
Chinaman as minister. the sponta-i
neouS development of the congrega-s
tional idea In the black belt, and the
largest accession of churches and new
members In many years.
Rev. G. Rowe, pustor of the Ply
mouth Church, Charleston, S. c., said
that the work of the American Mis-
slonary Association in the organiZa-.
began nearly 80 years ago. We now
have 169 churches. The majority Of
them are still weak, and unable to carr
ry their financial burdens without
outside help. S}iffa
Now and then one missionary be-;
comes sclf-supporting as in the case
of the Savannah First Church. the!
Atlanta First Church, and Plymouth
Church, Charleston, s. C.. which Mr.
Rowe has served about ten years. sg
The newspapers of the day would
give us the idea that the life of the!
negro race is inseparably connected
with lawlessness and crime. While
enumerating the faults Of the worst
class, they overlook the quiet but rapid
development in religious. moral, INTEL
lectual and industrial life that is gn-:
ing on. They overlook the life OF
steady, uprighteousness lived by so;
many members of the race, and select
the criminal, vicious, lazy, ignoranri
and worthless classes as representa-i
tive of 81 people who are rising and de-
veloping every department of life. The
church and school work Of the Amerl-,
lean Missionary Association has
wrought nightly in the Southland in
character and intellect building. The;
Methodist Church In all Its branches;t
the Baptist, the Presbyterian and the.
Episcopal churches. have all been at
work doing valiant service.