The Omaha guide., 1937-11-06
Dark Clouds Hang
Over Ohio AME Sky;
Politics Involved

JIG Aoitn Oiio AVilttEiNt u TIC
AME church, Bishop Reverdy c.
Ransom and the Rev. William II.
Hodge, former pastor of Avery
AME church here, is not altogether
settled. There are still a few dark
clouds handing over the horizon,
although Rev. Hodge accepted the
p~astorate at Bethel AME church
at Columbus, instead of the one
offered him Weirton, w. Va, and
to the w. Va. Conference.
It was at Akron that all the fuss
started during the session of he N.
C. conference which Bishop Ransom
reading the appointments, got to
Avery church and announced the
removal of Rev. Hodge. The stun
ned pastors attending the meeting
looked at one another as they came
into the realization that Bishop
Ransom had struck at the one
man under him who had refused to
accept the political faith of the
Bishop.
Bishop Ransom is a Democrat of
many years standing. With the
turnover Of Negroes from the Re
publican party with the rapidity of
lightning, he has doomed larger as
q state and national leader in his
party. Last year he was appointed
a member of the state parole board
by Governor Martin L. Davey at a
salary of $4,000 a year.
On the other hand, Rev. Hodge,
since coming to Cleveland approx
mately five years ago, is very &C
tive in the Republican party. He
stumped the state for his party
and has played a big part in local
elections. When asked about the
rumor that he was not in accord
with Bishop Ransom's program,
Rev. Hodge said that he was not
in harmony with the Bishop and
DR.. d. o. Walker in their program
to make Democrats of all Negroes
in Ohio.
When the newly appointed pastor
the Rev. S. II. Niece, reported to
Avery the following Sunday, mem
bers and officers asked him to
leave the church and would not per-
nit him to conduct the services.
They padlocked the doors. An ell
aborate investigation was launched
into the controversy by local news
paper reporters. 1t was disclosed
through this Investigation that for
ward statements were not in accord
with their findings. Absolute denial
of the circulated story of the pre-
vious week that the Bishop had
transferred Rev. Hodge because of
his political activities was made
! by AME officials.
Facts CLEANED disclosed that the
story was merely a misdirected at
tempt to cover up the real truth
behind the transfer of Rev. Hodge,
which is wholly based, officials
stated IN the fact that Avery
church has shown no commendable
progress during the five years of
Rev. Hodges pastorate there. Re
ports of the last conference dis
closed that members of the church
had asked Bishop Ransom last year
to remove Rev. Hodge because of
his failure to properly carry on
the work of the church and be-
cause the church had made no real
progress since he had been pastor.
AS evidence that Rev. Hodge has
failed to show progress, AME of
ficials point out that the two mort
lagos against the church, one for
$4,000 held by the Cleveland Trust
and a second mortgage of $4,000,
have not been reduced in principal,
nor has the interest been kept up
during his passionate. They also
claim that the financial state of the
church is in a deplorable condition.
In reference to this, Rev. Hodge
stated that he thought his work
in building up Avery church from
a small mission to the third church
in Cleveland, had not been given
the proper recognition by Bishop
Ransom.
Much significance is attached by
tho AME officials to the fact that
most of the delegation which wait
ed on Bishop at Cincinnati asking
for Rev. Hodges return were not
members of Avery-and that all
of the kilograms of protest ex-
cept one, at Hodges removal, came
from Republican clubs. Further in