St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1960-02-12

II. Greeue, MARKS lue SUOlu III
Feb IA, 1850 and also commemor-
ates his founding of the Connec-
ton in 1916, at historic Mother
Bethel church here in the City Of
Brotherly Love.
Starts With Is Ministers And
Laymen
From its humble beginning with
Is ministers and laymen. the De-
nomination now has over 1900, 900
members in America, Canada, the
West Indies, Bermuda, South Am
erica and Africa; has more than
1000 churches with as many min
listers and thousands of dedicated
Lay leaders. Allen himself. was
the first ANIE Bishop, elected and
ordained on April IL, 1916.
The three-day celebration here
begins on Sunday, Feb. IA, with
the II bishops preaching in various
churches Of the city at the morn
ing service. In the afternoon a
symposium will be held at Phil
adelphia Academy of Music, and
the main speakers, discussing
Richard Allen in Americas Life,
will include the Rev. Archibald ].
Carey, pastor Quinn Chapel AME
church, Chicago. former UN dele
gate and alderman; Rabbi Rosen-
thai Of Cleveland, Ohio and Atty
Thurgood Marshall, chief counsel
for the NAACP.
A 5O0-voiced maSsed choir rep
resenting the AME churches in
the Philadelphia area will furnish
music. An audience of 5000 can
be accommodated at the Academy
The opening day will close with
a special service at Old Saint
George Methodist Church, where
Richard Allen was a member, class
leader and licensed preacher, and
from which church the early body
of African descendants walked out
in protest over being prohibited
from sitting on the main floor for
services even though the balcony
in which slave members usually
sat was full.
Mother Bethel First AME
Church
Rev. DR.. Harold Roberts, Lon
don, England, president, World
Council of MethOdism, will be the
featured speaker in services to be
held Monday, Feb Is. at Mother
Bethel AME Church, 9Th near
Pine. the first AME church in
America. Mother Bethel is on the
site originally purchased in 1894
by Richard Allen and his follow
ers.
The church was dedicated by
Bishop Francis Asbury, pioneer
Methodist bishop, after much crit
icism from his contemporaries. Dr.
Roberts address will follow spec
ial ceremonies at Independence
Hall earlier Monday morning and
motorcade to Mother Bethel.
Sarah Allen, wife of the found
er, will be honored by the connec-
tional Women's Missionary Society,
Mrs. Anne E. Heath, Washington,
DC, president, Monday afternoon.
Students from Edwards College,
Jacksonville, Fla, will present a
pageant on the life Of Richard
Allen Monday night
Nixon Invited To Speak
Vice-President Richard NJ. Nixon
has been invited to speak Tuesday
afternoon when the Division of
Education and various church de-
partments will relate their history.
A colorful banquet at the Benja-
min Franklin Hotel is being ar
ranged for 1000 on Tuesday night
to bring the celebration to a close.
Bishop David H. Sims, Phila-
delphia, director of the celebration
rs being assisted by Bishop S. L.
Greene, Atlanta, chairman; Bis
hop George w. Baber, Philadelphia,
co-chairman; Bishop H. Thomas
Primm, Waco, Texas. Bishop I. H.
Bonner, Columbia, s. c., Bishop
Joseph Gomez, Detroit; Bishop E.
c. Hatcher, Cleveland; Bishop C.
A. Gibbs, Birmingham; Rev. DR..
George A. Singleton, editor, AME
Review magazine, secretary; ].