The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1916-06-10
Centennial General Conference Of
the A. M. E. Church, Held in
Bethel A. M. E. Church,
Philadelphia, Penn,
May, 1916.
- BY EDw. R. VAUGHAN.
Dean Shaffer Theological Seminary,
Western University.


wish to give your many readers the
benefit of some information about our
General Conference which closed last !
week in Philadelphia.
This is very large as we'll as very
representative body of Colored people. |
Classified, it is composed of the fol-
lowing: Bishops, General Officers,
Presidents of our Colleges, Dean of .
our Theological Semlnaries, and men,
bers elected by the various annual (
conferences. The total membership /
is 634 AS to the magnitude of the (
work and territory covered, some idea |
may be gained by this statement: We .
had delegates from South and West .
Coast Africa, British America, Ber-
muda, the West Indies, South America I
and the United States. Thus viewed
it is seen that the sun never sets on
African Methodism in action. AS to
the personnel of this body, every pro-
fession of gainful occupation was rep
resented-teacher, preacher, lawyer |
doctor, banker, insurer, farmer, arti- /
san and what not was there. Truly a /
cosmopolitan gathering of representa-
tive Negroes.
Philadelphia, the city that enter
tanned the conference was founded
about 1851 by the Quakers under Will |
lam Penn, on vast tract of land
along the Delaware river, granted the
Penn family in cancelling great debt
which the English Crown owed the
Penn family. Every inch of ground,
therefore, thereabouts is historic and
most of the great fundamental prinei-
pies underlying our government had
their origin here.
But back to the subject: A centen-
NAL procession was formed in accord
with the classification above and was
four and half blocks in length. 1t
encircled a square, passing the an
cient landmark, the A. NJ. E. Book
Concern, returning entered Mother
Bethel where rests the ashes of Rich.
ard Allen its founder, and where may
be seen the quaint old pulpit from
which he preached. the old chair in
which he sat, the old clock that look
ed forward to the Centennial General
I Conference.
! Bishop Tyree and the sub-commit-
4 tee of management had provided well
/ for the conferences entertainment.
A post office, telegraph office, tele'
phone office, spacious dining rooms,
automobile service and a banking sys-
tenn directed by very efficient finan-
cial secretary. Professor John X.
Hawkins. The Daily Recorder, larger
and more complete than ever before
at any of our General Conferences,
was we'll edited by Professor Wright,
DIR. Mcdonald and DR.. Allen. The
west will be pleased to know, because
of efficiency the most conspicuous
person on the staff of reporters was
Miss Jaunita Adams, who graduated
from the Business Department OF
Western University a few years ago
and who is now with the A. N. e. Sun
day School Union. Bishop Lee pre-
sided over the opening session.
Early in the second week of con-
ference a large delegation made an
official pilgrimage to Bethel A. NJ. E.
church. Baltimore, Nd. which enjoys
the honor and distinction of being
contemporaneous with Mother Bethel,
Philadelphia, in early labors. 1t is,
therefore, an historical spot, Hence
the visit.
The fraternal messages from other
churches were very cordial and indi-
Gated a healthy growth in them. AT
one time It seemed that all our semi
naries would be discontinued but two,
the Western Christian Recorder dis
continued, the office of the Manager
of Book Concern abolished and also
that of educational secretary, but ma
! turer deliberations left them as they
were. The election of more bishops
was controverted for several days, fl
! nally by very decided majority vote
/ the doors were opened and an agree
} ment entered into to elect two more
bishops.
, After a very spirited campaign all
the old general officers were re-elect
i ed. By resolution all our schools, col
leges and universities are to be stan
dardized through the cooperation OF
: Educational Secretary. Committee to
/ standardize all our Theological Semi
) naries are Dean George f. Woodson
: Wilberforce University; DR.. o. e
) Jones, pastor Lexington, KY; Dean
t Edward R. Vaughan, Western Univer
I sity; President W. A. Fountain, Nor
ris Brown College; Dean T. B, Nelson
l of Allen University.
; The pageant arranged by Prof. Du
: Bois to counteract the Birth of Ma
/. ton" was a great feature in Phila
delphia during the conference. Twelve
; hundred persons took part. 1t has
3 been played in New York, Boston ano
e Philadelphia to mammoth audiences
!. The episcopal committee on which
t our own DR.. Ransom, DR.. Peck, DR.
= Crews and DR.. Craw are members
/ made the assignment of bishops fol
q the ensuing quadrennium.
Thus ended the Tooth anniversary
of African Methodist growth.
!. Mrs. Cora Cox, 2216 Woodland ave
q. ! 4,,.k -of,,rnad from a yicii