Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1898-02-26
THE A. N. E. CHURCH
ITS WORKS AND ITS
rlETHODS.
Why 1t is Powerful.
TRUE TO IT'S PURPOSES
A Negro Church-The Afri.
can Methodist Episcopal
Church.

, hr. Editor:-In your issue of the 9th
instant is an editorial in which you say
that "The A. M. e. Church is the
, grandest Negro religious organization
, in the world.''
: Because OF such expression. some
coIored Baptist chief and sub. EDITORS
have appeared as fretted porcupines,
: sHowed their quills and endeavored TO
J write you out of the pales Of the Bap-
tist denomination.
see nothing in the said article for
an intelligent, rational mind to take
exception to, unless it be to kick up a
row, and rush into print as fools love
to do.
THE POINT OF POINTS.
You do not say anything about the
doctrine or polity of the church
but OF her greatness in size, her fine
imposing, impressive appearance, for
auch constitutes Holding
an elevated or advanced rank" In
such you claim that the A. M.E
Church is the grandest religious orpar.-
ization, composs1 entirely OF coiored
persons of African descent
4 She 10 the largest coi0red church in
the United States, her membership is
$50 500 members T; her rival, the A. NJ
K. Zion Church, has 492, 1888 members.
The boundaries OF the A. al. T..
Church are che boundaries of the Unit
ed States. What church of thu colorrd
Baptlsts mas as many members? The
colored Baptists do not stand as a
church, but as churches The Bnptists
do not believe in, or have "a national
universal, or provincial church nor of
any form of extensive aggregation or
concentration of church power there
fore the A. M. K. Church is the grand
est in size.
1t is claimed that there are over one
million colored Baptists in this coun-
try; yet, be it remembered, they do
not stand as church, but as churches
AN UNKNOWN NUMBER.
The number Of the colort d Baptists
! in the United States is an unknown
number. Many of them are undoub5-
eddy counted more than once, for many
of the N hold membership in two or
more churches at the same time, and
persons expelled from Baptist Church
are taken into a Baptist Church with |
out being restored, and although scrip
turally hesthens and publIcans. yet |
are counted as Baptists IN good stand |
ing.
The A. M. E. Church is the grand est |
in appearance and impression, bccause |
there is more unity In it than there is |
among the colored Baptists.
Under the false construct and i
malpractice. and NAL ad minis. ration |
of church independence, church SOW
ereignty among the colored Baptists /
there is no unity among them TO fill /
any one with admiration. There is no /
adherence or cohesion among them in /
that which is edifying and gives them
power. In unity there Is strength,
power; the contrary is weakness, east
ly overcome.
The A. NJ. Z. Church in its unity. in
dustry and uDbuilding is very impress
sive and drawing
ALL MEET TOGETHER.
All A. NJ E. Methodists in the same
community belong TO the same Confer
ence, and meet in the same national
body.
Ali colored Baptists in the same
community do not belong to the same Il
Association or same Convention, state
or national. see the two conventions
in Texas, and Two in Georgia. and
there Is disposition to have two state
conventions IN this state. Colored
Baptists, if they are disple ased in a
church pull out and form q new church.
II there is something in an association
they do not like they secede and form
q new association; II things do not go
right as they wish In a convention they
take their depart ure and form a new
convention. Somewhere on the east
ern coast of the Atlantic Ocean a num-
Der OF ships weekly can be seen.
rnNUE NnrON uuoUCUa ii
See the number of convention
wrecks among the coI0red Baptists !
SINCE the civil war. " here is the Con
sOlidated2 The northwest? The ed
ucation COLvention2 The National ..
Conventions? Where is the Foreign
Mission Convention of the UniLed
States of America that was incorporat-
ed by the General Assembly of Virgin
Ia IN 1882, with I6 members IN VIlgin-I
Ia, TWO IN Alabama, one in North faro s
lIua, one in South Carolina, one in
Georgia, Two IN Ienne essee, one in ,
Mississippi, one in Louisiana, one in
Texas, one in Florida, and one in Ar
kansas, with a perpetual succession" /
and the principal office III Richmond,
Var How many wrecks has the A.
Nj. II. church, is there such supine-
ness, lack OF business tact IN the a, NJ
4. Cnul ch? She has a Book concern or
Publishing House, Book OF DIciDliue
and Hymn Book Of her own enacting C
and compilation. HiscOx' Baptist
Church Directory is from a white man.
v hat Is there in general use among :
the celored Bapusts OF the coloreu
mans bl4ins2
A REMARKABLE RECORD. Z
The A. M. 4. Church publishes a pa
per as her organ. review, her Schools
are her own IN fee simple. They are <
solely under her contIol aud she Is not :
dependent upon white MetnodIsts TO
run her schools, TO transact her busi~
ness nor Is her dOings subject to ap- }
proval at some Methodist headquart- /
ers
ColOred Baptists are dependent on 4.
white baptlsts TO maintain " hat they =
call their or our schools, and much Of =
their doings in which they should be :
are subject TO approval at
some white Baptist headquarters.
Coiored bapLIsts boast Of Co opera Ii
tive movements; yet all such is map G
ped out by white men, anu the white s
man must be there. de is the sun n
around whom ali the colored stars o
must revolve and draw light from. Anl
able cOlOred minister OF The New Test !
ament must bow to the cooperative =,
movement as though he has not the =
ABILITY TO lead his people into green n
pastures, or lie oown by the side of n
till waters.
Al APPEAL TO FIauRRs.
=. l.