Church work among the Negroes in the South / The Hale Memorial Sermon No. 2

by Robert Strange

Keeping clearly in mind these conditions, what ought we Christians in the Church of God to do to help and strengthen this smaller, higher class and to persuade many of the larger, lower class to join this higher? In the first place, we must frankly acknowledge the hard facts of the case, and, as far as possible, put to one side theories. We are confronted by a condition, as far as I read and study, absolutely new in the history of mankind, where we have no exact precedent to guide us. The underlying practical fact is this: there must

be separation not from but in the Church between the two races, for the growth of the Church among white men and black men, and for the development of Christian manhood among the black men. Having settled and agreed on that fact, how are we to effect that separation so as to do justice to the negro? How shall we keep him still in the One Holy Catholic Church in the United States of America and bestow on him her priceless blessings; how shall we keep him close enough to receive the sympathy, the support and the guidance of the white race; and yet put him far enough apart to grow and to strengthen, to meet responsibility and to make character, to develop a manly independence and to cultivate a brave and sober initiative? We have long given up the point of contact in the one parish Church, and have made the separation there; we are now giving up the point of contact in the Diocesan Council, and are making the separation there. What more shall we do? The true answer to my mind is: make the point of contact the General Convention, and make the separation, not by superior and inferior Councils in the same Diocese under the one Bishop; but by the erection of Missionary Jurisdictions, made up out of the colored people in different Dioceses under their own Bishop, on equality with any other Missionary Jurisdiction in the Church. We must have Missionary Jurisdictions in the

South—one, or at most, two to begin with—composed of the negroes of two or more contiguous Dioceses, which shall be a part of the General Church, independent of the Bishops and Councils of those Dioceses, bearing the same relation to the General Convention that the white Missionary Jurisdictions do. That is to say, they shall have their representatives to the House of Clerical and Lay Delegates and their Bishops in the House of Bishops. The negro clergy and laity would thus meet together in their Missionary Convocation in numbers great enough to hearten one another and to stir enthusiasm; they would become responsible for their own success or failure; they would discuss, resolve and do their own committee work; they would have large missionary gatherings, which would make a deep impression on the negroes living in the city where the Convocation meets.

Of what race should be the Bishop of this negro Missionary Jurisdiction? There are two answers to this question. One answer comes from those in the Church who still cling to the theory that there must be no race division whatever in the Church, that there must be under all conditions conceivable or inconceivable one Bishop in the same territory to all kinds, classes and races of people. "No," say they, "no negro Bishop. Whatever be your divisions in Councils or Convocations or Conventions, let one white Bishop be

the bond of unity." The same answer comes as a practical matter from men who differ widely from the above theory. It comes from those who look too much, it seems to me, at the mass of the negroes, the lower majority of whom I have spoken; it comes from those who are hopeless of doing much for or with the negroes, who regard them as children, careless and unreliable, with different aspirations from those that actuate the white man. They say, "we must have a white man; no negro is fit to be a Bishop."

The other answer comes from the men who think that we are confronted by facts, not theories, and that theories must be given up in the face of opposing facts; who think that the Church in her wisdom must rise up to meet this opportunity and responsibility, must adapt and adjust her system to the facts; who say that if a negro Bishop is acknowledged to be the best means to Christianize and save the negroes, then we must have a negro Bishop. This answer, again, comes from those who are looking more closely at the few, better, advancing negroes, thinking of them as men, with manly hopes and powers and aspirations, believing that races must be lifted by their own race leaders, that they can only truly understand and follow their own heroes. We say, "Remember Frederick Douglass, look at Booker Washington, know that wonderful Presbyterian Missionary, William H. Shepherd,

consider the African Methodist Bishops, strong men, leaders of their fellows, against whom no murmur of scandal is raised. Surely among our own men in the Church, or our system is woefully at fault, we can find one or two honest, true, able, pure men, fit to be Bishops to their own race." Such a man would be a Bishop indeed to his race, such a Bishop as no white man can possibly be. He will enter, as only a negro can, into their perplexities, their hopes and their joys, sharing really in their social life, of which their religious life forms so great a part. He and his people will be a real part of the Holy Catholic Church, all worshipping according to her incomparable liturgy, all living under the same Canon law. He and his Deputies will come into close contact with their white brethren in the General Convention, and will gain much from such association and consultation. He will meet with the white Bishops, from whom his Jurisdiction is taken, in brotherly conference as his Council of Advice. From such friendly contact and advice from the highest and most sympathetic white men, he will go forth among his own people as their Apostle, their true Bishop and Father in God. In this double relation, in this position of high responsibility, he will stand forth as a true mediator between the races, pleading with both for peace, harmony, justice.

This action of the Church, this frank and fair position given to the negro will so appeal to the better class of the leading negroes, will so cheer and encourage them in their true progress, that they will come, I believe, steadily and largely into the Church.

From this line of thought, which grows clearer and clearer to me the more I read and think and see, I look forward with hope to a wise and fair adjustment of the relation between the races of this land, and to a happy future for a part of the negro race—how large a part God only knows. Towards this adjustment this Church of ours can make a rich contribution; and I believe she has, under God, a great part to play in enlarging the choice remnant and in bringing it to its true salvation.