The Omaha guide., 1932-12-24
DIR. w. o. DARLINGTON, AME
ZION PASTOR WINS SIGNAL
HONOR

Washington (CNS) A notable SER
mon, "A Door Opened in Heaven" by
the Rev. W. 0. Darlington, pastor of
the John Wesley AME. Zion Church,
has been selected as one Of the twenty
five select religious discourses to be
included in the 1882 anthology prize
sermons" to be published this month
in book form by the Macmillan Com
pany Of New York. Six Hundred and
n~inety-two leading ministers from all
parts of the English-speaking world
participated in the sermon contest, in
Guiding scholarly divines in every
State in the Union, except Louisiana
and North Dakota. Canada. England,
Corea, Bolivia also had theological
writers among the twenty-eight relig-
ious denominations that were repres-
ented in the contest.
The Macmillan publication has
been compiled and edited by four of
the leading theologians and comment
ators of the country, including DR..
E. A. McAlpin, who says: "Dr. Car
rington's sermon is a fine illustra-
ton Of a keen imagination coupled
with sound scholarship"
Mr.. Darlington was pastor of the
John Wesley Church from 1920 to
1924, during which time he also was
on the faculty of the school of relig-
ion at Howard University. In the
In the summer of 1882 he returned
to the Washington charge. He is a
native of British Guiana and was edu-
Gated in private schools and in Lon
don (England) theological institu-
tons, for the Wesleyan Methodist
ministry.
The sermon entitled "a Door Open
ed in Heaven" takes for its text a SEN
tence from the story of John the Dis
ciple on Patmos. John, imprisoned
saw a door opened in heaven, and Mr..
Darlington developed this theme as
an example of the support to be gain
ed from religion in times of stress
The discourse was written while Mr..
Darlington was the pastor at the
Main Street Church in Hartford and
was delivered at that Church.
For a number of years prior to the
Washington pastorate in 1920 DR..
Darlington was dean of Hood Theo-
logical Seminary, Livingstone College
Salisbury, N. C. which is the chief
Institution of learning of the AME.
Zion Church. The training and pro-
ficiency of many young ministers in
the Zion Church and other denomin-
atlons it is claimed can be attributed
to the work of DR.. Darlington while
he served at Livingstone and Howard
University. For more than twenty
years he has been regarded as the
foremost Biblical scholar and exeget-
zeal orator, and this achievement in
sermonic work is regarded as a dis
tinct honor to the AME. Zion Church
and ministry Of the race.
Some years ago, DR.. Darlington
won first prize in a contest sponsored
by the Homiletic Review for the best
series of ten outlines on any subject.
At that time his subject was "Some
Aspect of Divine Providence"
Referring to a sermon by DR.. Car
rington published in Homiletic Re.
view, January 1882, the Review edi-
tor has the following to say:
eve wonder if the Yale and Hart
ford Divinity students know the pow
erful preacher near at hand in the
Main Street AME. Zion Church Hart
ford. This sermon by the pastor of
that church will bear intensive study
on a much used text in a practical
manner"
The editor of the Star of Zion. the
official organ of the African Metho.
dist Episcopal Church, in commenting
on the selection of DR.. Carrington's
sermon says:
LAS a proud and loyal son of Zion,
filled with UNCONVENTIONAL pride and
race-consciousness, I am exceeding.
ly proud of DR.. Darlington: (1) He
has brought fame to our Methodist
family; ~ he has brought prestige
to the Negro pulpit; (3) he has
brought honor to Jul Zion; therefore,
let US all rejoice and be glad, and
thank God for such a valuable rep.
resentative among US, as DR.. W. o.
Carringtoni Nav his tr;ho ;rcra.s %