The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1912-01-19
Bishop Gaines An.
SWerS the Call.
DIER AT HIS HOME In
ATLANTA JAN. IL
Host Of Colleagues and Fellow Ministers
Pay Last Respect-BishOp Evans
Tyree Attend Preached Fare
well Sermon.
Special to the Globe.

Special to the Globe.
Atlanta, Ca, June 16.-On Friday,
January 18th, Wesley John Gaines,
enc of the oldest bishops in the Afri-
can Methodist Church, passed away
at his home on Houston street,
in this city He had been i'll only
short time, and his death was some
what surprise to his most intimate
friends. Although well advanced in
years he was in apparent good health.
He was well-known in this city, hav-
ing lived here many years as well as
other places in the state.
He was an aggressive churchman
and never compromised with wrong.
At the last General Conference of
his church he was appointed to the
first district which consists of the
states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey,
New York, Rhode Island, Connect
cut, New Hampshire, Massachusetts,
and Maine. He had only recently
returned from his work and was
spending the winter at his home in
Atlanta.
in Wilkes County, Georgia, October
4, 1910. His parents, VIM. and
Louisa Gaines, the former a Meth
odist and the latter a Baptist, raised
him in slavery. He was converted
at nine. His boyhood was spent on
the plantation At eleven he mas
tered the alphabet in week, learned
to write from copy book, and to
read while sick, studying the Bible
In 1855 he removed to Stewart Coun
ty, Ca, and in 1856 to Muskogee
County and dated his call to the
ministry to this time, when he was
wont to preach funeral sermons over
dead birds and animals. He mar
ried in 1863 Miss Julia A. Camper,
who made him a helpful WIFE They
had one child, Mary Louisa.
He was ordained to preach in 1865,
admitted to the South Carolina Con
ference in 1866, and ordained elder in
1867 He filled many positions OF
trust in his church He was elected
bishop at indianapolis in 1885,
Bishop Gaines was well-informed,
pious and eloquent preacher, of i'm.
posing presence, and of blended po
likeness and dignity. He possessed
both administrative and creative ca.
pacity Of a high order and adds to
his energy, firmness and ability excel
lent tact and discretion He did
some remarkable work in getting
money and building churches. In
his ministerial labors it is estimated
that he raised 100000 for the Afri-
can Methodist Episcopal Church.
Early in his pastoral career he wiped
out debt of $4,000 and completed
Cotton Avenue Church, Macon, Ga. !;
built st. James Church, Columbus,
Ga, at cost of $4,000; erected
Bethel Church, Auburn Avenue, at a
cost of $4,000. He is an author, hav.
ing written several we'll prepared
and valuable productions, among
them being African Methodism in
the South" "The Negro and the
White Man." "The Gospel Ministry"
He Travelled extensively in this coun.
try and Europe, visiting many of the
leading cities of England, Belgium,
Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Italy
and France.
The funeral of the deceased pref
ate brought to Atlanta many of the
leading men of the African Methodist
denomination. They came from all
parts of the country to do honor to
the distinguished citizen and church.
man.
Bishop Evans Tyree, NJ. D., D. D.,
of Nashville, Tenn, was chosen to
preach the funeral He chose for a
text the 95th verse of the 9Th chap
ter of John, which reads as follows:
"He was burning and a shining
light: and We were willing for a sea.
son to rejoice in his light" Bishop
Tyree had been an intimate friend
of Bishop Gaines for a number of
years. and was well prepared to
preach his funeral. The text chosen
in itself sets forth the character of
the deceased, and Bishop Tyree han
died the subject in a masterful way,
thereby inspiring all who heard him
to new hopes and greater endeavor.
The order Of exercises which was
carried out almost in toto was as fol-
lows:
Hymn, Servant of God, we'll done"
mo. 1860, Rev. H, Y. Arnett; prayer,
Bishop John Albert Johnson, D. D.;
1st Scripture lesson, Eccl. 1917,
Rev. M. w. Thornton; End Scripture
lesson, Cor 15:35-5S, Bishop w. H.
Heard, D. D.; obituary read by Bishop
r F. Lee, D. D.; singing, Lead
Kindly Light" Rev. h. c. Ransom,
D. D.; sermon, Bishop Evans Tyree,
D. D.; solo, Rev. B. F. Watson, D. D.;
remarks, Bishop L. j. Coppin, D. D.;
remarks, Bishop H. B. Parks, D. D.;
singing, "The Home of the Soul;''
i remarks, Bishop c. T. Shaffer, D. D.;
Glee Club, Morris Brown College.
Honorary Pail Bearers-Rev. Bruce