The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1907-10-03
FERGUSON | ER||( SI| :.
The 1: !. Only d / Negro
y EpiscopafBishop
Sits In the General Convention at
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Negro
Church Is burning
Question.

Richmond, Va, Sept. 27.--But
one Negro is entitled to sit as;
member Of the Episcopal General
Convention at its coming session in
Richmond. The solitary colored
brother Is Rt. REV. s. D. Ferguson,
ID. D., D., c. L., Missionary Bishop
OF Cape Ralmas, whose residence is
Monrovia, Liberia, West Africa, and
who ,wiN break down race prejudice
and take his seat, in the chancel Of
the, most exclusive church in the
South, St. Paul's. ..
Bishop Ferguson Is now the rank
<'ng Missionary Bishop of the Amerl-
can church in point Of service, hay.
Ing been consecrated in 1885. He
succeeded Bishop G. G. Penick, who
was for six years the Bishop Of Cape
Palmas, and who resigned In 1888
Bishop Pepick was later for many
years the rector Of st. Marks Church
III this city,> and became we'll known
III Richmond. After the resignation
of Bishop Penick, who had proved a
until his health failed in the field,
the church decided that under pres
'ent conditions the sending Of further
white men to missionary. fields in
Central Africa was inexpedient, and
for some years the mission in Liberia
was composed entirely Of colored
men, ..f =
~ All Of the American churches are
said to be coming more and more
to this position in connection with
mission work in Africa, the fevers
prevalent In that country being fatal
to white men, to which the Ameri-
can Negro seems to be almost I'M
.nune, and in many instances Amer
lean Negroes have lived there for
years and 2thriyed. y :.
Only Negro Bishop. ...... .
Bishop Ferguson, the solitary Ne
gro Bishop 4nf tlTe. American Church,
was born III Charleston, s. c., on
January 1, 1912, and was consecrat-
-- ed as a missionary Bishop of the
church In that city on Jnna "a. 1885.
So far from there being any diff
nculty In entertaining the Bishop Of
Cape Palmas in Richmond, the situ-
alton is just the contrary there be-
ing but one Negro appointed to a
whole congregation, every member
CT which is wishing to entertain q
real live Bishop.
With the exception Of Bishop Hol-
'ly, Of Haiti, Bishop Ferguson is prob
ably the only Episcopal Bishop of the
colored race In the world Right Rev
James T. Holley, D. D., Bishop of
Halti. whose residence is at Port all
Prince, Haiti, and whose consecra-
tion in 1874 antedates that of Bishon
ferguson, is an Independent Ameri-
can Bishop, the church In Haiti be-
ing autonomous, and Bishop Holly
does mt, therefore, have a seat in the
American Church House of B;shons
as has Bishop Ferguson,
Separate Negro Church.
mere are no ,colored members Of the
House OF Deputies, as elected for the
richmond Convention. While there
are number OF colored churches
IN many parts of the South belong
Ing TO the American church, and
which in many Instances are entitled
10 representatives in. the diocesan
councils, no diocese has seen fit to
the present instance to elect a Negro
oelegate to. the General Convention,
al1hough In past years there have
peen several colored delegates from
dioceses in the far South.
'One OF the burning questions
"hlch Will come before the church in
the Richmond Convention will be the
rearrangement OF the mission work
among the Negroes, which in the
past Few years has not produced set
lstactory results. A separate church
ior colored people, with diocesan
councils and Bishops Of their own,
Is advocated by some. The plan pre-
eents to others the difficulty of be-
ing '1mperium in imperio," an en-
pre- within an empire, SUGGESTING
the possibility Of clash in S,tbor-
lty between the white and co1ored
b1sbops having jurisdiction in the
same state or section Co1ored snf-
ragan Bishops as assistants to the
"h1te Bishops, not to have the right
' or succession or to sit in the House
or Bishops, is the remedy PROPOSED
ny others, and the disposition of the
work among the Negroes will be one
or the most important and interest
ing questions coming before The con.
Vention.