The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1920-01-23
NEGRO FL0ATERS
WOULD OBSTRUCT
THE ORGANIZATION
Moderator Refuses to Affiliate
With Medina Second Baptist
Church If "Floater" Is Made
the Pastor.
SHERIFF PUTS STOP
TO TROUBLE-MAKERS

Medina has few colored people
that are honest and reliable citizens,
men and women whose word is as
good as their bond. Naturally these
people are never in trouble them
selves and don't make trouble for
others.
These people are christians and
have been affiliated with some of the
greater denominations in church ac-
tivities. Being men and women with
families, and having been converted,
it has been their desire that their
children have an opportunity for
christian teaching and culture. As
there were but handful of them,
and knowing the expense of maintain
ing church and pastor as they
should be, these people at first con-
sidered the question Of affiliating
with the church protesting the same
creed as themselves. Attendance was
begun at these churches; and accord
ing to several who were interviewed
they were treated civilly, but given
no welcome; the attitude of these
protesting christians was cold rather
than Christ-like; they saw they were
not wanted and with one accord de-
cided not to push their way into the
white mans church. y
Things drifted along for many
years until families in several cases
became SO large, and the children
inquiring about things religious, that
these parents state they felt the urge
to do something for their children's
salvation, and if the white man
with his great profession of brotherly
love when he wanted the colored
mans vote-wouldn't do anything in
the matter then it was up to the col
ored men, few and poor as they were,
to DIP something for themselves.
The outcome was movement for a
church Of their own, and a house has
been purchased with that end in
view, Then a minister from Lorain
was given an opportunity to join
1thefl Ia the establishment of new
church. '' IN ''--fs' a
The eelored people of Medina are a
peace loving class who own their
properties and pay as they 60. They
are, too, class Of citizens one can
rely on; they wish for the education
in the school and church of their chill
dren and their aim in life is to get
ahead.
There is a second class of colored
citizens in Medina, termed foaters by
many, who have no property and are
here today and gone tomorrow, This
second class have no religion, only
one or two among them have ever
made profession, but they have an
ambition to become leaders among
the colored people, even willing in an
effort to- that. end to become trustees
or deacons in a church society that
they may have title to their name.
An outside man who represented
himself as. a minister was given an
opportunity to become pastor of the
new church, to be called the Second
Baptist Church Of Medina. At first,
in the purpose of the property, it was
styled club; planning later to in
corporate into church. Inquiry was
made as TO the man who wished to
become pastor. A report by the
Moderator Of the Baptist colored de-
nomination in Ohio came to the ef-
feet that the Medina church would
not be given fellowship with the par
ent body if the ambitious pastor was
taken into the work. When this re-
port was received by the rejected
pastor he at once laid his plans to
stop the organization or incorpora-
ton Of the new church, and boldly
stated his position.
The floating element" among the
colored people follows the rejected
pastor. Among this following are
but one or two who hold certificates
Of membership in any other Or
ganized church. The charge is made,
and surface indications corroborate
it, that the floating element-here to-
day and gone tomorrow-has de-
clared it will rule or ruin the whole
proposition.
Threats were so loud as to what
this floating population would do at
the Sunday services that Sheriff
Bigelow1 was asked to attend the
meeting. So great were the efforts of
the fioaters to rule or discredit every
thing that Sheriff Bigelow took a
hand and laid down the law to the
obstructionists. The foaters hung
about the church till late hour Sun
day, evidently determined to block
everything they did not sanction.
The resident negroes are the ones
who must foot the bills and pay for
the church edifce and service and
they are determined that such being
the case they will have the say as to
how the money is spent and how the
services are to be conducted. There
seems to be little or no religion in the
ranks of the floaters, just simply a
desire to be in jangle and to help
make winning fight. The author
tiles might be well within the bounds
Of right if they told few of these
men to either stay away from the
church or to move on to other fields
for their disturbance.
------e--
"A. x. Root was in Cleveland on