The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1907-12-13
ON1N1UNTCATIONS
Layman for the Managership of the
Sunday School Union Of the
A. M. E. Church.

ulCSC bllIlluS QuCotlOu lldJ Will engage
the minds of the delegates at the Gen
eral Conference of the A. M. Ell Church
next May Will be whether a layman,
per Sc, is eligible to the Managership
of the S. S. Union.
1t is claimed by some that laymen
ale incompetent because the Manager
is responsible for the literature sent
cut by the house; that a layman does
not know enough about the Bible and
Sunday school literature to publish
such matter. Others simply claim
that it is a preachers job. The first
objection is too unreasonable to bear
anything like a light being turned on;
and the second is too silly to be no
ticed at all. 1t is not the purpose of
this article to answer either argument.
But l wish to advance a few thoughts
why a layman may manage a publish
ing house operated by the church as
easily as he can any other business
concern; and then to make some other
observations.
The Sunday School Union Publish
ing House is, to all intents and pur-
poses, a business concern, the publica-
ton of the Sunday school literature
being a feature of the work done in
the establishment; and as the volume
Of the business shall increase from
year to year, that feature of the bust
ness will no doubt grow less impor-
tant in proportion to the other work
done there. At least it should. if it
doesn't. By this | NEAR that the pub
LEGATION of the Sunday school litera-
ture will be a very small item COM
pared with the volume of business that
will be done by the house; especially
if the Manager is a business man.
The A. M. e. Church has two pub
fishing houses; one in Nashville and
one in Philadelphia. The history and
name of the Nashville house is unique.
It's establishment was a creature of
circumstances; its founding was acct
dental. And yet l believe that Div1n-
lty shaped its destiny. Its founder
was an ambitious man. He was deter
mined to make for himself a name.
He took the children of the church by
storm. He secured the treasures OF
every Sunday school in the Connec-
ton, and raked in money by the thou
sands till he did not know what to
do with it. Finally the happy thought
struck him of purchasing a building
and establishing a department which
would memorabilia his name forever.
To have given it out that he was es-
tablishing another publishing house
would have been the signal for the
bittereSt fight he ever had on his
hands. He was shrewd enough to
know that. Hence he took the money
and purchased a building and dedl-
Gated it to the children of the church,
and called it the Sunday School Union
Publishing House. And now what is
it but a publishing house, pure and
simple?
To say that a layman is incompetent
to operate a publishing house is to ar
que that gospel ministers are the bust
ness men of the world-a statement
too far from the truth to admit of re-
spectacle controversy.
According to tho single-handed
methods employed by the founder of
that institution, there was a charter of
incorporation drawn up making the
head of the concern most independent
and, at the same time, the most multi
headed official in the Church. His
power lis all but absolute, as an official.
We is manager-secretar y7treasurer-ed
tor, and eX-oficio candidate for the
bishopric.
The Sunday School Union has had
two different executive officers. Beth
Of them have found time to fill all
aforesaid positions as chief official.
They have not only edited one publica-
ton, but they have edited two at the
same time, viz: the Sunday school lit
erature and some official organ of the
concern. 1t is, however, just to them
to state that neither of them has ever
pretended to have done all this work
personally. They have had to have
help, and a plenty Of it.
The first attempt at editing the lit.
erature Of the A. M. p. Sunday schools
was made in 1898, and it happened
that l "a the first mar to do the
work under the employment of DR.. C
s.. Smith. 1t has been done by 9th
ers, except the Manager, ever since
And it will ever be the same as long