Arizona republican., 1911-03-05
SPLENDID NEW HOME
 0F THE 4. M. E. CHURCH
Remarks by Pastor Bray on the
 Growth of the Organization

l church was organized m this city
 some fourteen years ago and named
 in honor of Bishop Benjamin T. Tan
 ner of Philadelphia. Pa. one of the greatest scholars of his race and the father of Henry O. Tanner. the artist l of international fame. Four ministers have preceded the present incumbent
 as pastors The building in which
 the congregation has worshiped four | years has d somewhat interesting his | tory. It is said to be the oldest | brick structure in the city and was | built and used for years as saloon.
 It was finally sold to the Presbyter-
 ian church, which congregation soon
 outgrew it and sold to the Christian
 church. After some years this con gregation desiring larger and more
 desirable church quarters sold it to | the African Methodist Episcopal
 denomination for eighteen hundred
 dollars. No improvements were made upon the old structure until the pres
 ent pastor, Rev. II. Franklin Bray, came. Rev. MT. Bray has been here three years, during which time he has built d modern fivc-room bricls
 parsonage and will soon complete a | thoroughly modern reinforced con
 crete church which will have, main
 auditorium, lecture, class and prayer
 meeting rooms, dining room and kit chen. The market value of the
 property when the new church is
 completed will be more than fifteen
 thousand dollars Dr Bray being
 asked for brief history of the rise
 and progress of his denomination.
 said:
 All thoughtful and will informed
 persons concede that the greatest re-
 ligious organization in the world
 among negroes, is the African Meth
 odist Episcopal church. This is said
 in no spirit of boastfulness. but is the
 mere statement of a universally ac-
 ceptcd fact. The progress made by
 our local church is but faint dem
 onstration of the progress we are
 making in every land where there is
 a son of Ham.
 The denomination was organized in
 17S1 in a blacksmith shop in Phila-
 delphia with IA members and one
 preacher. Today we have more than
 d million members; 693i ministers. and 531 churches. We have had
 thirtyfive bishops. 13 of whom ar.
 still living. We own and support
 2f colleges. universities and aca-
 denies and are now raising over Sl00.00O annually for education alone. We have 76 annual conferences. coy ering every state and territory in the union. South America. West India Islands. Bermuda. Hayti. Mexico. south and West Africa. Liberia and San Domingo. We have resident bishops in Cape Town. South Africa. and MOnrovia, Liberia William Fl Heard. cx-U. 5. minister to Liberia, is now the resident bishop of our church there. To give you some idea of the influence of the A NJ F. church with the national government would call your attention to few of the positions her members occupy.
 Every negro chaplain in the United States army. save one. is a minister of our church. The register of the L. S. treasury, pr. w T. Yer non. is one of our minister's the | present U. $. ministers to Hayti and | Liberia. Drs. Furness and Crum. with | the T.. $. military representative in |
 As M. F. church: Prof Bundy. the mili- tary representative at Liberia. is the | son of Dr. Chas. Bundy of Cleve- | land. Ohio. and is graduate of | Wilberforce University and West Point Military academy. one hun | dred and twenty-one occupying posi- | tions in the national government at | Washington, n. C.. are members o. | the A. M. F. church
 Our financial secretary who is at | the. head of our financial depart | ment located in Washington. ID. C. received for that department alone. last quadrenium S665. .55223. and | that amount will be greatly increased this quadrenium. We publish sev- eral church papers and magazines. them, The Christian Recorder. the oldest negro journal in the world | We have the following connection,I departments. viz: Church Extension and Financial. located in our new s5O.oo0 building in Washington. n. | C; Publishing department located in our own mammoth four-Story build. ing on Pine street in Philadelphia. Pa; Sunday School Union. Review. Christian Endeavor and Preachers Aid departments located in our valu- able property on Public Square in Nashville. Tenn; Southern Church Recorder at Columbus. Ga: Educa- tional department at KittreH. $. C.. and the Western Christian Recorder located at Kansas City. Mo.
 Tn their willingness to accept responsibility and exercise initiative les the chief benefit of the AfricaI, Methodist Episcopal church to the 1egro. Its doctrines it did not ere ite: its policy is a copy: but it's manhood and persistence and devel- 'pment of resources are homemade md all wool. Therein is the core 'f racial value to the world waiting or men who make what they cannot , 'uy. and invent what the world has I lot. but needs"
 Many distinguished men and wo- nen of both races will take part i'm he exercises marking the laying of he corner stone next Sunday after oon. The dedicatorial services viIr