The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1940-07-06

dence, R. l., the event was turned into
disgraceful money begging affair
and large sum of money was raised,
but the ministers on the Mission charges
received an average of two dollars for
twelve months as their share of mission
money for suffering and almost starry
ing during the year, and from very au-
thoritative sources DR.. Fuller was told
that the presiding elder took more than
forty dollars from his own pocketbook
to pay the mission preachers about two
dollars each because the Conference
had no money to pay them.
Fourthly, Peoples Church became
Baptist because the A.ME. Church
had, for many years, used the Peoples
Church as a dumping ground" for
ignorant and unframed ministers, which
resulted in the initiation of Locking
the undesirable ministers out of the
church" For many years at each an
nual conference, ignorant, unframed
and unprepared men without even a
grammar or high school education have
been ordained to the A.ME. ministry
and thrown on the smaller churches.
Peoples Church was one Of the major
stations to receive the Undesirable Ig-
noramuses." The recent annual confer
ence ordained a man who had only a
grammar school education, who failed
in every high school and seminary he
tried to enter and who tried very hard
to become an ordained minister in the
Baptist Church, but the latter church
answered his query by saying: "Go
back to school and get some training"
but instead of going to school he went
into the A.M.E. Church and was or
dained. The standards of ordination
in the Baptist Church are so high that
it is impossible for any ignorant man
to be ordained today and be recognized
by the Massachusetts Baptist Conven-
ton, and no man can possibly be or
dained, even if he has a seminary edu-
cation unless he is pastor of church
or has been called to a church when he
applies for ordination. The A.ME.
Church, on the other hand, in reality,
has few standards for ordination ex-
cept being a good henchman for the
Bishop and praising the sons and
daughters of Richard Allen to the very
skies. When ministers fail to be or
dained in other churches they generally
90 to the A.ME. Church where, after
a superficial examination, they are sure
of ordination.
Filthy, our church went Baptist be-
cause the members of Peoples Church
had a burning desire to call their own
ministers and thereby prevent any Bis.
hop from sending any more ignorant
ministers to said church. This has beer
successfully done. Sixthly, and lastly
we went Baptist because the Bishop;
attempt to steal our church property
by taking us to court in 1887 caused {
revolt against the dishonest tactics Of
the AM.E. Church. But for this act 6
disgraceful defeat was the only reward
So we have tried to answer the ques
ton; "Why Peoples Church Became
Baptist" In closing we would like tC
say that the AM.E. Church as an insti.
tuition, is very fine and noble one, ant
it has some of the finest christian gen.
tlemen and women as pastor, evange
lists and other workers that can be
found in any church. 1t also has some
very fine Bishops on the bench, but
the A.M.E. Church is being killed by
ignorance, dirty politics, pernicious
money grabbing schemes, autocratiC
powers and fifth column methods OF
the part of the Episcopal Dictators
Someday they will learn that undesir
able ministers cannot be forced upo1
the people who have to take care OF
them. AS I write this article I have
just received a telephone call from one
of the trustees of the Columbus A.ME
Zion Church in Boston saying: awe
are holding our own and don't intend
to allow the Bishops appointee to &c
into our church as our pastor, for The
church belongs to us and we are going
to have a pastor that the majority Of
the people like or none at ALL" So yor
see that Zion is having the same trouble
that Peoples Church had three years
ago. Episcopal autocracy must fal
sooner or later and if not, both the
AME., and AM.E. Zion Churches are
limited in the time they are to exist.
| COLORED AMERICA AT
COP NATL CONVENTION