The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1897-07-25

supp over, balu keV. Iyncn, will you
discontinue your business and work
me up congregations" 81 WILL"
Elder Wood answered, and he did as
he said. He laid aside his business
and labOred all that day to collect
congregation. That night Rev. Lynch
preached from Job the text IL Know
That My Redeemer LIVES" He
preached an able sermon, after which
he set forth the merits of his church.
He opened the doors of the church,
but no one joined, whereupon he said
to his congregation, "Brother Wood
has joined my church." The question
was asked all over the house "Brother
Joe, have you joined?" He said: 81
have" The congregation at once re-
quested the doors to be re-opened,
whereupon every one in the church
Joined, except Brother Andrew Mont
gomery, who gave as his reason, he
had a preacher, Rev. James Payne,
who had been sent by the conference
to preach to the colOred people. Elder
Wood joined the church that morning
and was appointed its pastor that
same evening, and from that day to
this. has been holding some office IN
the A. M. E. church. Rev. Payne re-
manned in charge until Sunday follow
ing, when he was informed that Elder
Wood was pastor, and at once with
drew, Rev. Lynch went to Ohio,
where he met Bishop Daniel Payne
and informed him that Elder Wood
had joined the church and was made
pastor at Atlanta. In a few days
Bishop Payne wrote to Elder Wood
saying that he wanted him to inform
all of the colored preachers of the
state of Georgia to meet in Savannah
on May Is in annual conference. This
was done.
In short time after Elder Wood
had joined the church, Bishop Henry
McNeal Turner, then chaplain in the
United States army, came to the
church one Sunday as the former was
preaching. After services he asked
what church that was. He was in
formed that it was the A. M. E.
church, cit is not" replied the bIsh
Op. Elder Wood informed him that it
was. "It is not" replied the bishop
again. "because that Is the church I
belong to up north, and there is no A.
M. E. church in this country" When
he was shown a discipline of the A. M.
E. church, he exclaimed: "My God,
how did you get into this church,"
He was told the story and said 81
am here as chaplain in the United
States army, but if you are here IN the
A. M. E. church will go to my cap
tain tomorrow and resign as chap
lain, and come right back ahd take
hold and help to establish the A. NJ.
E. church in this country. Give out
an appointment for me to preach"
At the confere nee in Savannah FL
der Wood was appointed back to the
church in Atlanta, which is now the
Bethel church. He went from there
to the Decatur street mission, where
he remained one year and built four
churches.
Elder Wood was subsequently sent
to the Griffin district as presiding ell
der, from there to the Cuthbert dis
trict, thence to the Savannah district,
the Albany district, and thence to the
WaycrOss and Brunswick district,
where he is now serving his fourth
year, having served four years at all
of them except the Cuthbert district.
where he served only three years.
When he came to this district the
membership was only about 500, with
thirteen appointments. Now it has
membership of upward of 5000 and
thirty-three appointments, besides
having created in the most part the
Brunswick district.
Elder Wood Is the pioneer of Afri-
can Methodism in Georgia. He has
spent the greater portion of his life in