The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1947-08-16
WHATS WRONG WITH
THE MINISTERS?"

EBONY magazine publishes timely and probing ed
toriaI entitled What's Wrong With the Ministers IN rs
September edition The TRIBUNE terms Inc eqllotial
t5el. because il precedes the annual National baplS1
Convention 10 be held next month in Kansas CITY Win an
estimated % 600 delegates in attendance ana Is OBVIOUS
IL intended 10 focus the attention Of the raSia Chrsan
Wors IN The problem Of ineffective church leadership on
q national and local level
Il i probing for through able research credltaoe
sralvss Of facts revealed EBONY presents these 1acts
in a fortnight manner giving an eHec'Ne arg 1nsH' 80
discussion 81 the subject
Dating back 1873 when the FIRST Negro b a P rs
church r America was organized al Silver Bluff near Au-
ests Ga saws the editorial. the denomination alohg
v All Negro ne gious institutions has long glorious ira
dI, r. For the Negro church in early America was more
tran pp, and peWs; rallyng ground for slaves
who grasped hlngrily Tor freedom
Charging he modern church with beng passive by
s+rder he editorial points that since those trying
Turbulent dsvs something 70 have been lost IN the
Negro hureh As the Baps gather their mock IN Kansas
or, next month very much eNldent mat me one
spark mat inspired Negro religious men % eao 'ne''
people to freedom mas been extnguished
EBONYS assertion that the Negro church today Is
gyrg behind hard-dghting militant, aroused people
d4e, IA refute after viewing objectively the overall
church And the piece states the oldest o. al Ne
gr5 organizations and strongest IN numbers me
church is fa g in Us obligations 20 spur the battle Tor
frrate citizenship for Negroes in America as part Of rs
responsibility for spiritual good health q its eongre-
cations
True bas been for the most part that the action the
par7 OF the tharch gone beyond passing strong
wordv resolutions Al annual conFento's As result (he
Christian nsttuton has become Virtually passive by
stander age-od hgh, for racial decency IN American
ife
The pnoto.edi,orial asks the following questions
What wrong with the Negro church today? What is y
that has mmobized the potential potency Of his great
institution?
The answer is given in one potent straightforward
Essentially the faults Of the church directly
attributable to The man behind the altar. The editorial
explains that the ministry has kept with the
tire advances Of the Negro people cites facts showing the
lack az educational preparation Of Negro Of the cloth
and the discussion with statement by South
ern coored preacher which accurately trend
r. az Me- d
all preachers supposed do is preach the Lord
and Saviour Jesus Chrs and Him Crucifed and that's
True Is hat too nany lack.eg preachers insist on
performing ard making he Negro church freak-show,
yet too belle that hroagh gradua increase Of we'll
trained Young ministers places Of worship the commu-
nty will become attractive csnters from which guidance
viii be sought by tho intelligent citizenry.
There nporsn, fact about this problem of
ehlrcn taderhp that EBONY failed clarity During
slavery he Negro rIted in desire FOR single achieve
menttreed1T As result even the mos, spneess lead
er 'yas forced eep' the challenge thrust upon him by
hf''es Nin no nero Tree q AT least chatter
honds he t1a different The leader has not that en-
masse FORCE ,pr 10 lead his congregation eco
nomc freedom he membership Of TOO many churches is
contetted merely raising money building edifce
and lstentrg 81 the Word Hence We find the minister
Flooding along coutendy this Of least resistance
An evolution, In keeping with modern times and the
Tue gospe now underway the church should be stirred
10 full force. There time Christ ably demon
straed the temple when action is necessary That ac-
ton be effective the modern church when the
leader and membership unite in spearheadng the attack
for long overdue rights and privileges Of American c-
zanship
Either the Negro ministry will shoulder its response
bility with awakened support Of indifferent member
ship the Negro church will find its influence uurped by
colored businessmen, professionals and labor unions
Added to this threat is the growing interest Of intelligent
Negroes IN the Catholic church
The humiating and unChrstan treatment accord
ed coored delegates in faraway Copenhagen during the
session of the World Baptist Alliance can be traced d
recty to the doorsteps Of Inundated here in America
Those who deuded to think that they could es
cape the fruits Of their indifference and naction here
given sharp awakening through the imposition of
Jim crow fostered by fellow white brethren from the
States.
These Baptist leaders and delegates know now from
bitter experience that their little isles of Christian worship
in the States do not exclude them from the shaces an
aroused minority is fighting to shake loose. This a very
definite challenge to the Negro church TO pearhead the
struggle for freedom here the States Once the battle
here such humiliatng incidents happened in Co
penhsgen will be non-existent.
Such organizations s the National Baptist Conven-
ton, Inc, give the answer. Either they turn 70
streamned practical methods and FAIRS world
minded ministers else they forfeit community leader
ship" -
Verify, the time has come when the church should
take its rghtful place militant leader in delivering
he eolored ctzenry from the nustices here earth
mArR