The Colorado statesman., 1912-06-22
FOUR new A. NJ
BISHOPS chosen
Hurst, Jones, ChappeII and
Connor the Successful
Candidates.
DR.. RANSOM ELECTED EDITOR
PASTOR OF. BETHEL A. M. e.
CHURCH, NEW YORK, TO EDIT
A. M. e. CHURCH REVIEW
OTHER OFFICERS ELECTED.

Kansas City, Mo.-With four new
bishops elected and the officers for the
various official positions within the
gift Of the denomination chosen, the
twenty-fourth general conference of
the A. M. E. church, which has been
In session at Allen A. NJ. E. church,
wound up its final business.
The new bishops-Drs. John Hurst,
Joshua H. Jones, w. D. Chappelle and
James M. Connor-were formally or
dained Sunday afternoon with impres.
sive services.
Each of the new prelates is widely
known in the connection. DIR. Hurst
was born in Haiti about 80 years ago.
He came to thie country when lad,
and was connected for few years
with the Haitian legation at Washing
=, ton. Later he entered Wilberforce
= university. After his graduation, he
was appointed pastor at Elkridge, Md.
For sixteen years he was pastor of
leading churches in Baltimore and
four years ago was elected financial
secretary of the denomination.
DIR. Jones is about 81 years of age.
He was educated at Clafin and How
ard universities, and for eight years
served as president of Wilberforce uni
versity, being succeeded four years
l. ago by DR.. w. s. Scarborough. He is
regarded as one of the most eloquent
speakers in the denomination.
DR.. Chappelle is about 55 years of
age. He was educated at Allen uni
versity, Columbia. S. c., of which
school he has been president for the
past four years. For eight years he
served as secretary of the Sunday
School Union.
DR.. Connor is one Of the big men
of the southwest. Unlike the others,
he has not received collegiate train
ing He has served as a member Of
the financial board Of the A. M. E..
church for the past four years; is pre-
siding elder of the Little Rock (Ark.)
district. He is president of the execu-
tive board of Shorter college.
The big surprise Of the general con-
ference was the failure Of DIR. w. w.
Beckett to be elected to the bishopric.
Until a few days before election 1t
was generally understood that DR..
elected bishops, and his name was
mentioned favorably on every hand.
Dr. Chappell, however, who also halls
from South Carolina, was aspirant for
the highest honor the church could
confer, and he made such an effective
canvass that he defeated DR.. Beckett
by thirty-ive votes.
Among the other defeated candi-
dates were the Revs. M. M. Ponton,
r. H. w. Leake, F. Jesse Peck, James
Dean, R. R. Downs. ]. A. Jones, T. N.
NJ. Smith, and I. N. Ross.
The balloting for general officers re-
suited as follows: John R. Hawkins,
a layman. financial secretary, succeed
ing Bishop Hurst; the Rev. ]. w.
Rankin, Waxahacie, Tex, missionary
secretary, succeeding DR.. w. W. Beck
EFT; DIR. ]. I. Lowe, manager of the
Book Concern; DR.. w. w. Wright, edi-
tor Christian Recorder; DIR. Reverdy
c. Ransom, editor A. M. E. Review
Ira Bryant, secretary Sunday School
Union; the Rev. ]. C. Caldwell, secre-
tary of the Allen Christian Endeavor
Union.
In the election of DR.. Reverdy G.
Ransom as editor of the A. NJ. E. Re
view the pastor of Bethel A. M. E.
church. New York, won a signal vic
tory. His strongest opponent was DR..
c. v. Roman of Nashville. So over
whelming was the sentiment in favor
of the selection of DR.. Ransom that all
his competitors withdrew and he was
elected by acclamation.
The next general conference will be
held at Philadelphia, where the A. M.
e. church was founded in 1916. In
connection with the next session the
centennial of the denomination will
be held
The report of the commissioner of
education, John R. Hawkins, showed
that nearly 100000 had been received
from the general treasury of the
church toward the support Of the six
teen schools and colleges maintained
by the denomination during the past
four years. This does not take in ac-
count the money paid in tuition by the
thousands of young men and women
who have been enrolled in these
schools. the money contributed by
churches. conferences and individuals.