The weekly echo., 1933-01-13
REV. 1. GARLAND PENN, JR.

For the past few weeks there seems
to have been quite bit Of news paper
comment upon the fact that the Rev.
l. Garland Penn, Jr., was appointed
to the pastorate of the Williams Temple
c. M. e. Church at Shreveport, La.
Rev. Penn was at one time a member
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
and pastor of said Church. Presum-
ably one of the outstanding pastors.
He is the son of the late DIR. l. Gar
land Penn, one of the foremost race
men in his church. Rev. Penn, Jr..
was also District Superintendent in
his Church. According to News Paper
reports he became involved in finan-
cial matters. ETC., to the extent that
save himself-to leave his church and
hunt shelter somewhere else. In seek
ing shelter it is reported that he came
to the c. M. E. Church and was &C
cepted. And in recent Annual Con-
ference was appointed to one of the
most outstanding churches in our con-
nection at Shreveport, La The ap-
pointment of Rev Penn to this church
has caused quite bit of comment. 1t
seems to be the concensus of opinion
that though DR.. Penn is well quail
fed intellectually, that the Bishop in
appointing him to Williams Temple
because of the record behind DR.. Penn
has made a colossal blunder.
There is a great question in the mind
of the Editor of the Weekly Echo with
reference to such appointment. We wen
der if men should be taken in by other
churches Of other denominations who
are running to save their hide we
wonder if it pays, we wonder if it
helps the church-in gerenal. We Won
der if it helps the individual. We are
of the opinion that if man is
preacher in the c. NJ E. Church and
desires to flee from the wrath to come
he should get a clean Board of Health
from the denomination and the Church
that he represents. And the same is
true with minister's of other churches
INTELLECTUAL TRAINING
The Editor of the Echo belives in
intellectual training and ability, but
we do not belive that Bishops and
leaders should take men Just because
of their intellectual training and their
supposed standing. belive that some
of our c. M. E. Leaders can be right
fully criticized for accepting men with
out giving any consideration to their
record Quite few outstanding c. M.
E.s. have brought this matter to our
attention and not one is of the opinion
that the appointment Of Rev. Penn to
such an outstanding church in our con-
neCClOn, TO TAKE care VI Olli iii,SiS COZ;
was Unstable. / know that the c. M.
E. Church as all other churches needs
men, However, we believe that there
are several men who are our men in
our church who could have taken care
of this church. 1t is known fact that
the News Papers have reported from
time to time that the c. M. E. Church
has lost one or two big churches in
Chicago through Court Litigation and
this has cost several thausand dollars
aside from the less of the property;
and il is report that DIR. Penn was in
volved in these matters before coming
to our church. May we candidly ask
what is the wisdom and where is the
good judgement in making such APP
pointments? Somehow the Editor of the
Weekly Echo has never been too much
impressed wifi, minister's leaving their
own denomination and going to other
churoses. There are, however excep-
tons, but the exceptions should be
this; that minister's who quit their
churches and 90 to other churches do
not leave under fire or criticism. I