Evening star., 1938-07-12
Happy Am 1.-The Story of Elder Miehsu,
BY BLAIR BOLLES.

Elder LlghCoot M1chAux claims an
imposing mystical authority for his
position as religious monitor for hun
dreds Of thousands Of white and COLI
ored persons. OF all the members
Of his race none outrages him 20 much
as Father Divine, in whose arroga-
ton Of godship Michaux sees the
devils hand, yet Michaux himself
presses awesomely close to the Heav-
emily throne.
The Happy News, the Church Of
God monthly, Of April, 1896, gives q
page to "The Great Radio Preachers
Message to America" In which Radio
Preacher Michaux writes: The Lord
said to Elder Michaux: I have made
you q watchman unto my people. I
want you to listen to what I say and
give my people warning from me-"
Then he adds: Brother, Is q watch
man sent by God to warn men and
women Of their sins, I am not going
to fail to deliver my soul I am going
to declare unto you all that God tells
me-"
His Precious Ones"
The members of the Church Of
God are Michaux's precious ones"
and the precious ones who heed his
radio exhortations to purity and hap
piness, attend one of his seven
churches or flock in sincerity to one
Of his revival meetings regard him
as . sort Of colored st. Paul, spread
ing the gospel to all peoples Of the
republic with the aid of the great
modern communications convenience,
the microphone.
The emphasis on the divine rela-
tionship, however, is . small factor
in Michauxs success. The elder sell
dom stresses it. He builds strongly
on his own colorful calls to the path
Of Righteousness. The key to his tri-
umph is his optimism; he insists that
his followers believe they can be happy
in this world. And the practical
watchman works vigorously to improve
the lot Of the colored man. His chief
hope is that he will live until his
500-acre retreat for the colored per-
son in James River County, Va, Is
working institution.
When Elder Michaux began to dis
pense religion in Newport News, he
put up . building which was q COM
bination church, cafe and community
center. He fed the blind and para
lytics free. and operated . charity
store, whose profits went to the sick.
The Happy News cafe here Is the
center Of his Washington charity en-
deavors: there he feeds the INDECENT
in return for made work and con-
ducts free employment agency. It
is circulation headquarters for the
Happy News. whose vendors are the
jobless.
Two Saints Homes"
Two saints homes" where the
Gospel Spreading Association carries
on the Church of Gods business af-
fairs and where the poor and i'll get
care, are now in Newport News. The
property in Washington, all held by
the Gospel Spreading Association, in
cludes the church at 2030 Georgia
avenue NV. and the Michaux house
at 1712 r street NV. It rents a
building at 1893 Park road NV. as
clerical headquarters. The i'm
proved property in Newport News is
valued at $98,750, on which the debt
Is $25,263. The Washington property
valuation is $47,500, with $2s, $50 in
debtedness. In Hampton. Va, the
property valuation is $1,000. with
$4,000 Indebtedness. The Baltimore
property valuation i $l3,100, with
$3,050 Indebtedness.
These constitute the only imme-
diately available figures on the imam
cial situation Of the Gospel Spreading
Association. It owns churches In
Philadelphia, New York City and
Edenborn, Pa. In Edenborn Elder
Michaux IS almost completely = white
mans evangelist.