Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1922-01-14
HEAD OF NEGRO BUREAU MAKES
REPORTS TO METHODIST
HOME MISSION BOARD.

The report Of the Reverend DR.. W
a. c. Hughes, Director OF the Bureau
OF Negro Work. of the Board OF Home
Missions and Church Extension OF the
Methodist Episcopal Church, read at
the annual meeting OF ,.lr;t body IL,
Philadelphia during the first week OF
December, WAS enthusiastically rccciv
Cd. At frequent intervals through tho
report or Secretary Hughes, who is
himself Il man OF Negro blood. the
Board applaudcd, This is the frs.
time DR.. hughes has appeared before
this body TO represent tire bureau O,
Negro Work Of the Church. which wHS
created year ago at the annual meet
ing Of 1920. Previous to that time Or.
Hughes WAS Area Secretary OF thc Now
Or cans Area OF the Methodist EpiSco-
pal Church. He has spoken before
large audiences OF Negroes in many
parts Of ihr country and il regarded
as one OF the most br,lli;nt OF IL"
younger leaders Of tho r,'". He 70.
cciv"d number OF votes ior Bishop
mt the General Conference Of the Meth
odiSI Episcopal Church Il nCs Mninra
Iowa. May. 1920. III spite Of III yuuth.
'S"viCW,n% iir work o: the Nr:.rO
bureau during the pass year. D..
Hughes fratnrW! iEN rural schools pro
V.d"d Ivy the Mcttrodi,, I.Ii Ii,n!
Church for Negro rural pastors. Thcsc
mCn come from all OF thn twenty s.
gro conferences OF the demon, jr'N ION
ia study for several weeks in .hc ,uEl
mcr to WHEY College, Marshall TrXN&
Canon Theological! Son. l.ry. Atlanta
Ga, and Morgan College, Baltimore.
Nd. Here they receive both thcor"ti-
cal ana practical instruct ion in $olV.
ing the problems faced by Il rural min
lister.
DR.. Hughes gave a number Of Sp"cl-
tic instances showing the remarkable
advance achieved by many Negro min
listers after this short period Of care.
f'ti obstruction. lie mentioned Con
Ha!CS DlStl iC'. GOnZai,'$. i ..'.$, "nCi
one OF the summer school graduates
the Reverend j. S. T.. Edmonds0n, has
raised the money to buy sixty acres Or
land and is conducting Il dcmonstrat
ion home garden that has crossed the
color line and attracted the attention
and support OF the entire community.
THE SykeSvillC District, SykeSVillc.
Md. doubled its church membership
i'll Il single year and increased its fin
ancial rating moro than twice over
in 4 short time after its minister. Tho
Reverend T.. B. Miller. had received
instruction.
During 1921 Twenty-Five Rural So"ir
ties were organized under the admin
iSlratiOn Of DR.. Hughes. Farmers in
FtiiutcS are held in conjunction with
The second and third quarterly confer
cnccS in districts where these are IN
tact. More than $500 Negroes in 4
mining section in Kentucky with on.
~ Il single small church was discover
cti by DR.. Hughes who HAS succeeded
in establishing Il second one in that
region since taking office. \ Negro
City Missionary Society has been Or
ganiZed to care fur the unfortunate
members OF the race in Atlanta Geor.
gia.
Tho Mcthodists now have forty-ninc
community ccnters for social AMI
community welfare work among Ne
groes, reported DR.. Hughes. lie tulG
OF the Ebenezer Methodist Episcopal
Church at Jacksonville. Florida anG
the picturesque and substantial dcvci
opmcnt made by it. The finest corn.
munlty building for welfare work
among ProteStants in the entire c0un
try regardless Of color is the Metho-
dist community center for Negro mem
hers in Baltimore. 1t cost 100000.
The creation 3nd rapid growth Of
Negro congregations in several part,
OF the country were described by DR.
Hughes. including one at Microscopes:
Pennsylvania. Lake Charles. Louisiana
and in the latter pace Il church is be
ing erected which will be equipped
with Il gymnasium, shower baths and
Phcr paraphcrnalia for athletic sports
In his survey Of Negro communities
recently formed in Pennsylvania by
Negroes from the South. DR.. Hugh -
discovered twenty-five communities of
Negroes in which there are no rhur n
cs at II and he is bending every Cf-
for to organize Methodist church.
cS in these places. flc also described
the plans for Il church and community
ccnJrc near the State School for Ne
GrocS. Scotland, Louisiana where Il
large number Of Methodist youths are
in schools and have no church there
commensurate with their needs.
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