THE GEORGIA CONFERENCE.
REV. C.W. HAWLEY.
The Georgia Congregational Conference, from which I have just returned, is a large body, if an extensive framework can make it so. My share of the travel to its second annual session at Savannah was about six hundred miles. Of the fourteen churches, two of which are in South Carolina, all save one were represented, and the meeting was much enjoyed by all. The color line was a little indistinct and almost forgotten. The colored brethren were quite in the majority on the platform and on the floor, and gave good proof of their ability to preside with dignity—Rev. Floyd Snelson was our Moderator—and to speak fluently and well. In fact, they showed a real genius for public address, warranting the statement of a city daily—the Southern press is growing liberal—that their speeches were “worthy of the most dignified deliberative body.” Dr. Roy reported the great meeting at Chicago, giving, as he had already done at Atlanta and Macon, rich skimmings from the papers and speeches there presented, and greatly cheering, with these proofs of the sympathy of Northern Christians, those who must here learn to do without the sympathy of their near neighbors. His lecture on Congregationalism also elicited much interest, and nothing but the lack of money to pay the printer prevented its immediate publication in full, as a much needed campaign document for the use of the churches. To whatever church a man here belongs, it becomes him to be able to state and to justify its faith and polity. There is kept up a running fire of small arms between denominations here. It was encouraging to see that the men of this young Conference desire to be intelligent Congregationalists, and able to defend themselves; but it is hoped that they will not fall into the mistake of making denominational strife the chief end of their existence, as some of their neighbors seem to do.
The reports from the churches do not show any rapid increase. “We must expect the churches to be small, perhaps, for twenty years yet,” said one who has grown up with this work. There are obstinate prejudices in the way, and there is a great educational work yet to be done. A lay delegate sagely remarked: “When the ground is rough we must go slow, or there’ll be trouble,” adding also his personal testimony that, in seeking to bring others over to his way of thinking, he found it “mighty hard to sense them into anything better than their old ideas, that a man cannot have religion without making a great big fuss about it, and cannot pray without hollering as though the Lord was deaf;” but still he was sure that “if we kept pulling at the wheel and rolling on the chariot we should gain the field.”
TWO COUNCILS.
On the way down to Conference, some of us stopped at Macon, according to letters missive, for the examination and ordination of Preston W. Young, acting pastor at Byron; and during the sessions of Conference another council examined and ordained two others, A.J. Headen, of Cypress Slash, and T.T. Benson, of Orangeburgh, S.C. These three young men passed very creditable examinations, and, with Rev. J.R. McLean, moderator of the second council, formed a very interesting and promising group—all Talladega men and classmates—a fine illustration of the good work done by the school for the church. Putting all things together—Conference and Councils, and acquaintance with the teachers and their excellent work in Macon and Savannah—it was with us all a grand week, quickening in its Christian fellowship, and profitable in its revelations of work already done, and of harvests yet to be gathered.
THE CENTRAL SOUTH CONFERENCE.
Education—Discipline—The Exercises.
REV. HORACE J. TAYLOR, ATHENS, ALA.
The Central South Conference embraces the Congregational churches of Tennessee, North Alabama and Mississippi. Last week we enjoyed the rare privilege of welcoming to our homes some of the members of this Conference, and the Field Superintendent of the A.M.A. On Thursday evening, Nov. 20th, Rev. G.W. Moore preached the opening sermon from Psalm lxxiii. 24, “Thou wilt guide me by thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.” The subject was clearly and forcibly presented. On Friday morning an organization was effected by electing Rev. J.E. Smith, of Chattanooga, moderator. That morning was spent in hearing the narratives of the churches. The reports generally showed progress. Athens alone reported a less membership than last year; but in this church there has been a growth in grace in many of its members.
In the afternoon we discussed the subject of education. The young people were especially urged not to be content with a little schooling, nor even with a good common school education, but to press forward with a determination to secure the very highest education that can be secured. The idea that the schools at Chattanooga, Athens, Florence and Memphis ought to be feeders of Fisk University was well brought out. These schools cannot give the high education that can be gained at Fisk, and their success should be measured largely by the number of students they send to Fisk University. Rev. J. E. Smith read an article on the necessity of church discipline. The subject was well presented, and in the discussion that followed, as in the paper, the idea that church discipline ought to have for its main object the reclamation of the offender, was clearly brought out. Dr. Roy and others also spoke as to the method of church discipline, and especially the propriety of getting evidence from any source. It seems that some, perhaps a majority, of the churches about here will not receive the evidence of any but their own members. Some think that Congregational churches should be bound hand and foot in the same way, so that the devil and his followers can manage all in their own way. Then any member could be guilty of theft, adultery, fornication or anything else; if he only were not seen by members of this church he could remain in “good and regular standing.” Dr. Roy said emphatically that evidence was to be sought from any source, and weighed carefully. Others agreed with him.
At night Dr. Roy spoke, using his fine large map, on the work of the Association in the South. The house was full, and all were deeply interested. Saturday morning we listened to a paper by Rev. G. W. Moore, on how to reach the young people. Saturday afternoon was mainly taken up with hearing reports of committees. Revs. H. S. Bennett and J. E. Smith were chosen delegates from this Conference to the National Council. Saturday night we listened to the news of Trinity church and congregation. This was one of the best meetings of Conference. Sunday morning Rev. H. S. Bennett preached from Acts ii. 3, and Revs. A. K. Spence and G. W. Moore officiated at the communion. At night Rev. A. K. Spence preached to young people from Ps. cix. 9.
I cannot give in this paper an idea of the interesting meetings we had. Each meeting was a feast of fat things. It was a great privilege to meet these brethren from abroad, to have them sit at our table, to talk with them about the common cause we all are interested in, and above all to meet with them around the table of our Lord. Some of us may never meet them again in Conference, but the memory of this good meeting will remain through life; and we trust that this church will receive a blessing in consequence of this meeting.
GEORGIA.
Thanksgiving Services and First Impressions.
REV. C. W. HAWLEY, ATLANTA.
I have just come in from our social evening service of thanksgiving and prayer for the A. M. A. About fifty were present, and there were repeated expressions of gratitude for blessings here received, and fervent prayers for the continued and increasing success of the cause. One brother thought the Association the chief agent in the abolition of slavery, and spoke most feelingly of the inexpressible relief which that abolition had brought to him and to his people. Another in his prayer thanked the Lord for the schools and the church in the city, expressing the conviction that if the A. M. A. had not sent its workers here “things would be in a considerably worse fix than they are.”
One woman told her story: her blind gropings as a slave, her joy in being sought out and taught by the teachers of the A. M. A., just when she “did not know what to do with her freedom,” and made capable of giving her children, now converted, a Christian training, with a purpose henceforth to use for the good of others all the light and help she had received. Another told us how the A. M. A. had reached out its helping hand to him in this city when he was ignorant and vicious, and through the influence of a faithful teacher in a night school had saved him from evil companions and the curse of drunkenness.
It has been an intensely interesting meeting to me, and would have quickened the zeal of any friends of the A. M. A. who might have been present. Our regular prayer-meeting comes tomorrow evening and is a pleasant anticipation to me. I reached the field the 11th inst. and am not yet well acquainted with it. I am sure to be interested in it. I have quite enjoyed the welcome given me and have no painful sense of isolation. Their faces, their intelligence, their quiet good sense, their homes, so far as I have seen them, all surpass my expectations. The work that has been done for them shows. I shall esteem it a privilege if I may do something to help it on.
ALABAMA.
Emerson Institute—1865-1879.
REV. O. D. CRAWFORD, MOBILE.
It was named after Mr. Ralph Emerson, a resident of Rockford, Ill., whose timely gift enabled the Association to purchase “Blue College,” a commodious building, with beautiful grounds, in the western part of the city, two miles from the post-office. It was originally built for the education of the white youth. In the transpositions of the times “after the surrender,” as the close of the war is here styled, it became the resort of three hundred Freedmen. In April of our Centennial year it crumbled in the flames. The school went on in unfavorable quarters until, in May, 1878, it entered its new and elegant building, which was designed for two hundred and fifty pupils. Last year the yellow fever delayed the opening of school and crippled many of its friends. But adverse influences are now disappearing, and the ten thousand colored people of the city are looking to it again as the hope of their youth.
Last year, two-thirds of our whole number in attendance entered after the Christmas holidays. This year the second month closes with fifty names more than the highest number of last year. The rooms are furnished with the best of modern desks; but their present capacity is exceeded by more than forty names. If another room and sufficient teaching force be added by the friends of the Association after New Year’s, our present number of two hundred and forty will, in every probability, run up to three hundred. To meet the wants of these, we should have six teachers besides the superintendent, including one that should give half an hour each day to instruction in vocal music and some time to instrumental music. We now have one that is competent for this work, but she has no time for it. Our overworked force is to be somewhat relieved by the expected arrival of a fifth teacher this week.
At present we are obliged to receive many primary scholars, not only to relieve the public want, but also with the view of raising up normal scholars, for whom the Institute has been specially designed. We regret the seeming necessity that is laid upon the colored parents of taking their children from the public schools. We do not advise their action. The feverish desire for education which seized the body of colored people immediately after emancipation has subsided. Their best men are now obliged to urge upon them the duty of educating their children. In this they have come down to the level of the whites. An organization has been formed to promote this interest. The largest church has established a school of more than fifty members. The pastor of the most influential church, in point of intelligence, has opened one, with an attendance of more than forty, and teaches it himself, in addition to preaching three sermons every Lord’s day and performing the other usual duties of a minister. These schools are intended to awaken their people in the matter, and to raise up candidates for the work of teaching, that may get their fuller preparation in our Normal department.
The friends of Christian education could not ask for a more needy and promising outlook than lies before us. Will they put into the hands of the Association the necessary means?
The Church—1876-1879.
Organized with forty-seven members, it now has sixty-one. It owes its origin and existence to the presence of the Institute. Its members are very poor in this world’s goods, but delightfully rich in grace.
It was natural that the spirit of independence which found full scope among the Freedmen should seek for a church organization and connection with an ecclesiastical body whose history was not tainted with oppression. This disposition, however, has sometimes asked for more license for fleshly indulgences than pure Congregationalism permits. In this city it is impossible for your Superintendent to find a provision store having any considerable variety of goods that does not include among its principal commodities wines and liquors. Members and officers of churches are engaged in the trade, and scruple not to advertise conspicuously that branch of their business, which we regard as exceedingly immoral. Yet there are some churches, both white and colored, whose rules and discipline would delight the heart of a Puritan. Congregationalism is an exotic in this soil; and its Northern friends have reason to be pleased if it grows even slowly. Among the adverse circumstances against which our church has had to struggle may be mentioned a frequent change of pastors. In its three and one-half years it has suffered the perturbations incident to two summer supplies, and now the fourth pastor. These changes have tended to prevent some from making their church home with us. More permanence is a necessity. We have no such opportunity for reaching those under our educational care as is offered by a boarding-school. The parents of most of our pupils are connected with some church, and the children themselves with Sunday-schools. The kind of instruction they receive is one of the necessities of our continuance. The growing intelligence of the colored preachers, and the attractiveness of the large congregations which gather about them, make our beginning less attractive to the young, who otherwise might prefer our place of worship.
Your missionary has preached to the largest colored church in a revival meeting, and exchanged pulpits with the other leading pastor; but we cannot expect any special help from other churches in building up a new denomination in the midst of them. J. H. Roberts, now in the Senior Theological Class at Talladega, supplied the church very acceptably through the summer, and just before his departure witnessed the reception of four persons to fellowship. Since then the attendance has increased some. The interest in the Sunday-school has likewise received the impetus given it by the return of our schoolteachers; yet our hopes of an increase in members have not thus far been realized. As accessory helps we need Sunday school papers and a library. Our problem is that of reaching the young with Christian influences in the form of direct religious instruction. For this purpose we have some advantages, and hope for more. We wish to keep this missionary work upon the prayerful hearts of our Northern friends.