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. G. 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 Ilrat body II,
Philadelphia during the first week OF
December, was enthusiastically receiv
cd. At frequent intervals through tho
report or Secretary Hughes, who is
himself man Of Negro blood, tho
Board applauded, This is the frs.
time DR.. Hughes has appeared before
this body to represent Tire bureau o.,
Negro Work of the Church, which was
created year ago at tho annual meet
ing Of 1920. Previous to that time Dr..
Hughes was Area Secretary of the New
Orleans Area of the Methodist Episco-
pal Church. He has spoken before
large audiences Of Negroes in many
parts of the country and is regarded
as ono OF the most brilliant of the
younger leaders Of the race. IIo re-
ceived a number of votes for Bishop
at the General Conference Of the Meth
odist Episcopal Church 81: Dcs Moines
Iowa. May, 1920, in spite of his youth
Reviewing tho work OF the Negro
Bureau during the past year, D..
Hughes featured the rural schools pro
vided by tho Methodist Epis gopn.
Church for Negro rural pastors. These
men come from all Of the twenty Ne
gro Conferences Of the denomira' ion
81 study for several weeks in the sum
mer to Wiley College Marshall Texas
Cannon Theological SCR! Try, Atlanta
Ga, and Morgan College. Baltimore,
Nd. Here they receive both theoreti-
cal and practical instruction in solv.
ing tho problems faced by rural min
lister. ....
DR.. Hughes gave number Of spocl-
fic instances showing the remarkable
advance achieved by many Negro min
listers after this short period OF care
ful instruction. He mentioned Gon-
zales District, Gonzales, TeA!,s, where
one OF the summer school graduates
the Reverend J. S. T.. Edmondson, ha.,
raised the money to buy sixty acres or
land and Is conducting q demonstrate
ION home garden that has crossed the
color line and attracted the attention
and support Of the entire community.
Tire Sykesville District, Sykesville,
Md, doubled it's church membership
in single year and increased it's fin
ancial rating moro than twice over
in n short time after its minister, tire
Reverend T.. B. Miller, had received
instruction.
During 1921 twenty-five Rural Socic
ties were organized under the admin.
istration OF Dr.. Hughes. Farmers in
Etitutes are held in conjunction with
tho second and third quarterly confer
ences in districts where these are IN
tact. More than $500 Negroes in n
mining section in Kentucky with on.
ly single small church was discover.
ell by DR.. Hughes who hds succeeded
In establishing second one in that
region since taking office. A Negro
City Missionary Society has been or
ganiZed to care fdr the unfortunate
members Of the race in Atlanta Geor-
gia.
The Methodists now have forty-nine
community centers for social and
community welfare work among Ne
groes, reported DR.. Hughes. He told
of the Ebenezer Methodist Episcopal
Church at Jacksonville, Florida and
the picturesque and substantial devel
opment made by it. The finest con-.
munity building for welfare work
among Professionals in the entire coun
try regardless of color is the Metho-
dist community center for Negro mem
hers in Baltimore. 1t cost 100000.
The creation ond rapid growth Of
Negro congregations In several part,
OF the country were described by DR..
Hughes, including one at McKeesport,
Pennsylvania, Lake Charles. Louisiana
and in the latter place church is be
Ing erected which will be equipped
with gymnasium, shower baths and
other paraphernalia for athletic sports.
In his survey of Negro communities
recently formed in Pennsylvania by
Negroes from tho South, DR.. Hugh IS
discovered twenty-five communities Of
Negroes in which there are no church
es at IL and he is bending every Of
for to organize Methodist church
es in these places. He also described
the plans for church and community
cenyre near the State School for Ne
groes, Scotland, Louisiana where a
large number Of Methodist youths are
in schools and have no church there
commensurate with their needs.