Evening star., 1899-01-28

Methodist Episcopal Church, who was re-
Gently in Washington, has started for
sierra Leone, Africa. for the purpose of
holding the annual meeting of the West
African Conference. After this conference
the bishop will visit Monrovia Liberia
Where ne expects to preside over the LII
oerian conference. This is the bishops
nrst trip to Africa, as the former confer
ences held there were conducted by Bishop
turner, who became so much impressed
with the richness of Africa and its op-
portunities that he has since been advising
the negroes in America to pack up and mi
Crate to their fatherland.
Whlle in Washington, Bishop Grant said
ne olo not believe in negro emigration to
africa now, but as to how he would feel
after visiting the dark continent ne could
not tell Continuing, he said:
am going to help in the religious re-
deInpt1on OF my fatheriand. L shall hold
TWO conferences in Africa and shall do all
IN my power to help spread the gospel
there We have established churches and
missions in several parts of the continent
ana We nave preachers and missionaries
ana schools there. My mission is 10 confer
with our pastors and teachers and to pro-
vide them with funds to prosecute their
work We but recently established our
work in South Africa, and as result T.
ooo members of the Ethiopian Church, with
their pastors, united with the African
Methodist Episcopal Church. The word
African caught them Bishop Turner
VISITED Johannesburg and received them
INTO our church, and they will be presided
oyer by Nlcar-Bishop Dwaune one of the
natives, who speaks Kaffir Dutch and sew
eral other languages Vicar-Bishop Dwaune
is now in this country visiting friends and
becoming acquainted with the laws, usages
ana customs of our church in order that
he may be able to conduct the South AZ
r1can work as we do here.
Il go to my new field of labor with great
nope Tor the future of our church. Africa
offered big field for the development and
spread of the church, and l believe that in
years Inc greater part of our membership
VIII be found in Africa. While this is true
L am not In favor of the negroes eInigrat-
ing to Africa en- masse. This country is the
country Tor the race, and while it is fit
and proper that should have great in
terest In the future of our fatherland yet
! peneVe we can best assist it by sending
" AFRICA educated preachers. teachers
doclofs, nurses and laborers, and by bring
ing natives here and educating them and
ietting them return and teach their own
people We have now at Wilberforce Col
leSe several native young men and women
VINO are being educated and will return to
AFRICA to teach their brothers and sisters
"hat they have learned here"
Rev. DR.. Odermatt of Alaska is visiting
various churches in the archdiocese of Bal
soon. Father Odermatt is the head of the
oenedictine colony at Mt. Angel He is
mere IN the interest of the COLONY endeay-
oilng TO raise funds to replace a part OF the
short time ago. The loss on the buildings
amounted TO $4,000 Father Odermatt was
born in STAINS UnterwaIder, Switzerland.
December 10, 1874. He attended the pa
foehiaI schools Of his country from 1S4g un-
I'll 1886. after which he completed his class
zeal studies at the Benedlctine College I'm
Engelberg in 1861 One year later he
entered the Benedictine order In the Alb
bey OF Engelberg, where he made his
molly profession In 1885, and finished his the
oiosicai course at the University of Salz-
burg IN 1863. He was ordained priest May
. or the same year. and for three years was
professor and assistant pastor at the Col
lege of Mt Angel, Switzerland. In 1881 he
founded the St. Benedfctfne order at Mt
Angel. Oregon. After six months travel
through Colorado. California Washington
and Oregon he selected the spot where he
has since continued his Iabors In May.
lSS2 Father Odermatt returned to his
mother house in Switzerland to report as
to his success In the states and was appoint
ed first frfar of this order. He returned TO
Oregon in 1882 The fire destroyed the mon
astery. church. two semnarfes, carpenter
shop and Touring mills. seven buildings IN
all, and the Benedfctfne fathers were left
almost pennileSs.