Twin-City herald. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1927-1940, 1936-05-09
New York Welcomes
A. M. E. Conference

BITTER FIGHT :. :. .. .. go.
NEW YORK, N. Y, May 10 -
AS thousands of church officials
delegates and visitors to the quad
drennial sessions of the A.M.E. church
connection poured into the city the
early part OF the week, several out
standing events to be reached early
in the sessions being held at Rock
land Palace, starting Wednesday
morning were set forth. They are:
1. Shall there be a GREATER OF
lesser number of bishops in the
A.M.E. church? With over 80 can.
didates in the field bitter battle
looms early on this issue. A last
minute analysis of the situation
among delegates reveals that they are
about equally divided over the more
bishops" question.
Whether or not there will be more
bishops elected will be decided this
week. In case provision is made for
such election actual balloting will not
take place for at least two weeks.
2. A second major issue connected
with the first is the question of gen.
eral financial retrenchment and even
cutting down the number Of existing
episcopal districts half.
Retrenchment includes reorgarizs-
ton of all major church offices 50
that fewer executives are needed 70
carry on the work. Both in this pro-
gram and in the fight against more
bishops, Rev. S. H. v. Gumbs, pastor
of St. John A. M. E. church, and
bitter opponent of Rev. D. Ward
Nichols, host to the conference, APP
pears to be the leader.
8. One of the livest and most in.
teresting issues in the sessions may
or may not be officially brought "
This is the situation centering about
Bishop David H. Sims of Charleston,
S. c., head of the A.M.E. church in
South africa, who recently returned
incognito from Africa and became q
chief subject of the recent A.M.E.
bishops council meet in Kansas City.
There a committee of one bishop
and four laymen was named to hear
charges against Sims, based on his
well-known and much-publicized mari
tai situation.
a. A major subject to come up at
the New York meet centers around
charges brought by Rev. j. G. Powell
of Springfield, Ohio, against the
venerable Bishop w. H. Heard of
Philadelphia, whom he accuses Of
contributing to maladministration of
funds at Wherefore university, of
which the bishop was chairman Of the
board.
At the same time reports are cur-
rent that Heard may retire from the
bishopric post he has held amid many
major storms for many years.
S. 1t appeared during the week end
that if any more bishops are named
Rev. D. Ward Nichols, pastor of
Emanuel A.M.E. church and host to
the conference, holds number posi-
ton as a favorite. His rise in church
meteoric.
6. Rev. Charles w. Abbington Of
Texas has arrived here with many
charges against the stormy petrol Of
the A.M.E. church, Ira T. Bryant of
Nashville. He has called Mr.. Bryant
a "Hitler of African Methodism.".
The main subject under discussion
as the delegates arrived was that Of
election of three more bishops, in ad-
dition to the IA bishops already on
the bench. All of these Ia are sched-
uled to be here when the sessions
formally open under the direction Of
Bishop ]. S. Flipper, senior bishop.
Delegates are about equally divided
on the "no more bishops" battle.
Bishop w. A. Fountain is to preside.