The Washington bee., 1897-07-10
SEPARATE CHURCHES FOX
THE NEGROES.
From The Literary Digest.

Ored people belonging 10 tlIdI u0hO!il
ination to withdraw from the White
churches, to form separate and IN
dependent congregations, ana 10 hoId
independent presbyterles, synodS' ana
general assemblies. The Kew. Or.
Williams (colored), president OF the
seminary Of Abbeville, 5. C.,, made
plea in behalf of separate church Tor
his people. He said: eve do not re-
quest you to turn us out, but we want
; you to allow us to withdraw and or
ganize a church of our own y This
was accordially done. Writing of this
action III an editioral note, The
Lutheran O6SerVer(Philadeiphla) says:
eve are inclined to think that this
is the most practicable plan, under all
the circumstances. Although under
the Gospel there is neither Jew nor
Greek, barbarian, Scythian, bond or
free, but all are one in Christ; yet
when there are enough of one national
ity or language to form congregation,
it is generally more agreeable for them
to worship separately by themselves.
| But where the number is too small to
form separate congregations it is es-
pecially necessary that they should
worship with their white brethren; and
to this there should be no objection
on the part of either "
The IndebeNdeNt (undenom., New
York; speaks of the division made by
the Southern Assembly as the setting
up of a new denomination, which it
earnestly deprecates. 1t will add one
more to the branches of the Presby
terian family, making the total num-
Der of denominations having the Pres
byterian name thirteen. The IN
debeNdent says that this setting apart
of the colored Presbyterians as a sep
arate and distinct religious body had
! been a foregone conclusion for years.
at was the end the church Southern
Presbyterian had in view before the
foundations of its negro work were
laid. The ndebendent continues:
"The new church has as ministers,
[ 81 churches and 1904 communicates.
The ministers have been well trained,
the members are doubtless intelligent,
and the churches well organized; but
1t is small beginning, leaving ample
room it may be said, for growth.
There are four presbyteries, one hav-
ing been dissolved because it lost its
quorum. There IS no synod yet. 1t
has been the purpose of the church to
organize one. Sufficient funds were
raised, but two of the colored presby-
teries did not think last year that the
time had come. Are they now con-
vinced that there should be not only
a synod but General Assembly?
"The experiment is doubtful one.
The growth, under the fostering care
of the church. has been slow. A white
minister has admirably superintended
the work, and considerable money has
been contributed to it. Will it in
crease faster under an independent
organization? We see no reason for
been better, it seems to us, to turn
these colored churches over to the
Northern presbyteries in the South.
They have a much larger colored con-
stituency and would have warmly
welcomed the Southern churches and
ministers.
1--WE do not like the idea of racial
churches. God made all of one blood.
His church feels authorized to set up
difference"
1he Central Presbyterian (Southern
Presbyterian, Richmond) contains the
following editorial reference to the
matter:
"The action OF the General Assem-
! bly, as to an independent Presbyterian
church for the colored people is of
great interest. The action is not final
but appoints a committee, with the
moderator, DR.. GoetchluS, as chair
man, to confer with the presbyteries of
colOred people, now in connection
with our church. These presbyteries
are themselves not at all unanimous
in desiring the separation. The plan
of our church's work among the col
ored people anticipates such an inde-
pendent organization, and it has been
only a question of development of
their churches and presbyteries to such
degree of strength as would justify
the separation. There is no question
as to the sympathy of our church with
their work, and, if organized separate
ly, that sympathy will not be leSsened,
nor the assistance given decreased"
The editor of The Southwestern Pres
6yterian New Orleans) in summing up
the work of the Assembly at Charlotte,
says with reference to the action taken
on the colored churches:
we went 10 the Assembly, per-
suaded that the time had not come to
carry out our immemorial policy on
the subject, and convinced that the
initiative must come from them, if 1t
came at all at this juncture. 1t will be
seen that the majority of their preach
erS have asked il, and SO the Assem-
bly, arranged for the separation. We
have never felt that our Southern
church has done her full duty by the
freedman. The stereotyped answer to
the question in our narrative blanks
has been: Nothing done-they pre-
fer their ow churches and preachers
There was refreshing candor as we'll
as agreeable variety in the reply of one
of the churches of New Orleans pres
bytery: We have left them to work
for their own salvation after their own
devices 1t is to be hoped that our
people generally will now rally to the
support of the Tuscaloosa, and color
ed evangelization. If this is not done,
one or two things will inevitably hap
pen: as a church, they will become
extinct, or be absorbed in the North
ern Presbyterian Church."