Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-19
Anniversary Celebration Of the
Zion A. N. E. Church.
BISHOP HOODS ELOQUENT SERMON
History Of the Development Of the
Black Man.
OTHER ROCEED ING S

The centennial of the founding of the
Zion A. NJ. E. Church, which occurred in
the city of New York in 1196-the founder
being Bishop James Varick-was begun
this morning at IL o'clock at Metropolitan
Wesley A. NJ. E. Church, D street between
ID and Sd streets southwest. where the
been in session since Wednesday. The ex-
ercises will be continued this afternoon
and evening.
Bishop Hood presided at the morning SEES
sion. The conference was regularly called
to order, and the minutes of yesterday s
proc eedingS read and approved, after
which the special order of the day-the OBJ
servance of the centennial of the denomina-
tion-was taken up.
After an gan voluntary, the singing of
hymns and religious exercises. Bishop
Hood delivered the centenary sermon.
bishop Hoods Sermon.
Bishop Hood said in part: I'VE can trace
the origin of every important branch of
the Afro-American Church back to the lat
ter part of the eighteenth or beginning of
the nineteenth century. The movement
was widespread and nearly simultaneous.
In 1896 the African Methodist Episcopal
Zion Church was organized in New York !;
in 1904 the Abyssinian Baptist Church was
organized in New York: the Joy Street
Baptist Church was organized in Boston in
1905: in 1905 the Colored Methodist Church
was organized in Wilmington, Del. which
resulted seven years later in the organza-
ton of the African Union (MethodisD
Church in the same city; the First African
Presby terrain Church was organized in
Philadelphia in 1907; about 1909 the First
Colored Methodist Church was also organ
lied In Philadelphia, which resulted seven
years later in the formation of the BetheD
African Methodist Episcopal Church This
was most remarkable movement, and,
repeat, unparalleled in the history of the
Christian Church.
1T was general exodus of the colored
members out of the white churches for
reasons before known. Secessions from
churches are generally the result of differ
ences of opinion on doctrine or church
movement. but 1t was neither of these
which caused this movement The seceders
in every case formed churches of the same
faith and order. and the same form of
church government as that from which
they separated.
I'm forming these organizations there
were many difficulties to be overcome The
ministers of the several denomina tons
We're opposed to the movement especially
the Methodist ministers. including ma
tority of the bishops; and the EDscoDal
form of government was favorable to the
purpose of the Methodist ministers to him
der the success of the colored brethren in
their effort to be free. The Presbyterians
and BaptiStS had only to find three friend
ly presbyters in order to secure ordination:
but in the Methodist Church the authority
TO ordaln was vested in the bishops and
conferences. The conference elects and the
Dlshop conducts the ordina ton
This being the case. 1T was much more
easy to hedge up the way of the coiored
Methodist By magnifying the Importance
OF particular forms it was easy matter
to SOW discord in the ranks of the blacks.
and this was freely done
Development Of the Black Man.
1T is remarkable fact that the develop
ment of the black man has come almost
wholly through his church. 1 believe that
God has some great purpose respecting the
negro race; whatever that purpose may
be, l feel assured that the negro church
is, and will continue to be, the most i'm
portant factor.
If there had been no negro church he
would have had no opportunity for the
development of his faculties nor would he
have had any platform on which to ex-
hibt his vast possibilities. The negro
church was one of the powerful instrument
talities by which the accursed system of
American slavery was overthrown; it was
an agency Of the underground railway by
which communication was kept open be-
tween the north and the south; it was
magazine from which anti-slavery missiles
We're drawn to be hurled against the ram
parts of the doomed institution; it afford
ed platform upon which anti-slavery
agitators cried aloud and spared not. No
mortal can tell how much the negro church
contributed to the emancipation of the
slave.
1T must be evident to ali who think on
the subject that without the African
church at the period at which 4,UO,OO of
bondmen We're fl eed they would have been
absolutely without trained leaders of any
cor siderable intelligence. And what must
have been the state of things? The white
ministers of the SOUTH as a rule, for the
first five years after the emancipation took
interest at all in the religious instruc-
ton of the freedmen; thousands of them
have not yet conquered their Indifference.
What must have been the condition of
things if the African Church had not been
prepared to take hold of the mass of sin
and ignorance which was turned loose upon
the nation? The Methodist Episcopal
Church has done grand, a glorious. yea,
a praise orthy work in its schools in the
south. If it had confined it's work to this
line it would have been an unmixed bless
ing to our people. But in its attempt to
tablish churches among the colored people
1t has in many places done more harm
than good 1t has in many places him
dered US from doing what it could not do;
hence, in such instances nothing worth
naming has been done where much might
have been accomplished.
Growth of the Church.
'"rhe wonders that the Afro-American
Church has accomplished in building up the
thousands of churches throughout the
south, without any means except what they
could collect from the freedmen themselves,
attest their devotion and sagacity, as also
the presence of the Lord among them and
His gracious favor toward them.
The negro church today in it's several
denominations has millions of souls under
its care, and it is doubtful If any other
race has so large a proportion of church,
going people. Its institutions are now pre-
pairing men and women to go into the dark
parts of tine world, bearing the lamp of
gospel light to the millions yet in dark
ness.
I'm the white church the black man was
deprived of the privilege of exercising his
spiritual gifts: coming out he got his pull
pit, in which he has developed into a work
man of whom none need be ashamed. To
reach the top the black man must 20 up
on his own plane, must climb his own lad
der. The white man will never step aside
to make room for him. l need hardly state
the feeling of superiority is inherent in the
white race in this country.
With such feelings and such a claim no
degree of merit on the black mans part
could entitle him to the first position in
the white mans estimation.
But while white men may not feel ii
their duty TO assist in the exaltation Of
one whom they look upon as belonging to
an inferior race, yet when a black man, on
his merit. and upon his own ladder. has
r.. nt1oH h.,f fret