Evening star., 1899-03-04

p. D.. Of Washington. D. C., and Rev. J.
NJ. Waldron of Jacksonville, Fla. F. ].
Grimks, d. D., of Washington is the lead
ing colored Presbyterian minister. Howard
University has graduated 162 in theology.
The majority of Congregational, Episcopal
and Presbyterian ministers are educated
men, but they form only small part of
the army of colored ministers. There are
many intelligent Methodist and Baptist
ministers. The bishops of the African
Methodist Episcopal, the African Methodist
Episcopal Zion and the colored Methodist
Episcopal churches, together with their
Churches. Bishop B. w. Arnett of the Af-
rican Methodist Episcopal Church and
Bishop Alexander Walters of the African
Methodist Episcopal Zion Church are men,
Ders Oh the board of trustees of the United
society of Christian Endeavor
Ihe Methodist Episcopal Church has no
colored bishops. Rev. DIR. Bowen is the
most representative minister of that
enurch. he is a professor in Cannon
theological Seminary in Atlanta. Ga and
was the colored candidate for bishop at the
last general conference of the Methodist
Episcopal Church.
returned missionary. who recently Wis
Ied washington after tour of Porto
Rico, said to a Star reporter of church mat
ters In San Juan: Educated men there are
utterly unable to comprehend why the
Shristian people of the United States want
tire people of Porto REQ educated and
cnrlstlanlzed. statement of the real
reason does not impress the uuestioner at
all. He simply does not understand if,
anything apart from financial gain is be-
yond him. If churches in the United States
can make money building schools and SELL
ing them to Porto Ricans or If thew can
conduct schools and make profit-this
they can comprehend, although they
rightly doubt that it could be done But
ethical teachings. altruism-these are lost,
and 1t is not worth ones while to argue the
the
nation.
What is to be done by the Christian peo-
pie Of the United States in the task that is
now laid upon them? In my Judgment,
they should take up the burden. 1t is a
burden which impresses ne much. But it
should be taken up along educational and
evangelical lines, not along evangelical
lines alone. Apart from nv own training
l cannot help believing that the same meth,
DDS are best there that have been found
best among the ignorant people, white and
black, of our own south
Il think schools should be erected at
central and strategic locations-the seven
county seats. These schools should be
splendid buildings, and be equipped with
every modern appliance. But they should
not be public schools. They should be pri-
pie Of the United States. The instruction
In them should be distinctively Christian.
Bible teaching should be made prominent
None but thorough Christian men and wo-
men sHouiu teach IN them. !5y the side OF
these school houses place churches. Slow
ly develop Christian congregations out of
the rightly educated pupils of the schools
They in turn will become teachers for the
young throughout the island 1t is the
young to whom we must look. II is a hard
philosophy, but it is true. that little can be
done for the adult who is now forty years
of age and upward. Evangelical work un-
attached to the school may succeed to some
extent, but education on 4 substantial
Christian basis is the only thing that will
make of Porto Rico a Connecticut, a Min
neSota or a Iowa.