The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1911-03-30

your march under the flag Of. the
Methodist Episcopal Church. We
look over the past and find our HIS
tory illuminated with an array of
men, whose valour and heroic deeds
weave chaplet of undying fame for
their sable brOws. -
We have built up a constituency of
$4,000 strong whose church holdings
amount to $1,472,346.00 and this ad-
ded to our school property, gives us
a working base Of $1,572,346.00. "
From the day that our American
Methodism met ia her infancy in q
prayer meeting in the hay loft in New
York City and throughout the Pauline
journeyings of her first great Amer
lean Bishop to this very day, we have
sustained and do now sustain a vital
and integral relation to and -eonsti-
tute vital and integral relation to
| and constitute a spiritual unit in the
| spiritual solidarity of the church OF
our birth and choice. This relation
ship and birthright we do not intend
to surrender.
! In these days when the questions o
federation and organic union with
other Methodisms are C,lder passage
way, there is a darkening Of counse
and an attempt to mislead the unwary
by the multiplication of untempereG
words as to our relation and preroga
tlHes in our church. The opinion has
gained currency in certain quarters
that we, the Colored members of oul
church, are contemplating withdraw
| ing from our church to enter one O.
the distinctive Colored Methodisms o.
1.-THE land and that our church is con
iemplating inviting us to withdraw
from her fold or is ruthlessly plannin,
to set us aside. To sustain this state
ment, we refer you to the columns
OF The Christian Recorder"-the Off
cial organ of the African Methods
Episcopal Church-in a recent publ
cation. That that great paper SHOULD
open its columns to such a statemen
as appeared therein is an evidenc
hat greed for PROSECUTING has III
baAEced it's reason and destroyed it
o|e for accuracy. We regard sucl
statement as descriptive Of our rank
and destructive of our peace and w
declare that there is no such offcia
effort or purpose within our church
We further regard such publication
as referred to above as .unsupportet
by facts, unbrotherly and violative o
the Christian spirit and of interde
nominational courtesy
| Beloved, to all, who hold SUCH opin
ions or entertain such discussions o.
make such attacks, we declare the fol
lowing to be our deliberate convic
items and sincere purpose.
First: The Methodist Episcopa
church is the church Of our faith am
love. She has not in her of1cia
capacity, or in her Official voice Of
In the general administration OF he,
machinery uttered single note o,
taken a single stand, or placed upor
her statute books a single act contror1
to the spirit Of the brotherhood OF
that may be construed as preiudica1
O our highest interest or that looks
towards inviting us to leave our
fathers house.
Second: Our great church has a
history upon all questions that may
he read In every chapter without the
suspicion Of charge Of double deal.
ing being placed at her doors touch.
ing our interests and there is nothing
In the present negotiations for fedora
ticn or organic union, that may give
warrant to the charge that the church
Is not true to us for that looks to the
ACKNOWLEDGMENT of Eplscopaps faithful
people. Further, isolated or inciden-