The American Missionary Association and the Am. Home Missionary Society have both announced their purpose to enter upon enlarged church work in the South. Is it not questionable whether it is best for the Home Missionary Society to enter the Southern field at all? Does that Society propose to do the same broad work for all races and classes which the A. M. A. aims to do, and in good measure has done? If so, why duplicate missionary machinery for this region? Or is it proposing to do a work less broad, and if so, are its friends ready to support it in so doing?
The Congregationalist.
THE OHIO IDEA.
RESOLUTION OF CONGREGATIONAL CONFERENCE AT AKRON.
Whereas, During the past twenty years the work of the Congregational churches for the needy millions of the South has been performed in a manner that is fast winning the respect and sympathy of all classes; first, by its being based upon Christian needs without too evident attention being paid to denominational advantages; second, by its uncompromising fidelity to Christian principles in respect to the spirit of caste;
Resolved, That we, the members of the Congregational Association of Ohio, do earnestly deprecate the adoption of any permanent policy by which Congregational churches shall be established in the South, practically, though not professedly, on the basis of what is called the “color line;” and that in our judgment two distinct Congregational Societies, the one working mainly for the white and the other for the black race, in the same field, will inevitably tend to perpetuate race prejudice, set at variance Congregational brethren themselves, and so defeat the end of true religion.
WHAT IS A COLOR-LINE CHURCH?
BY PROF. C. G. FAIRCHILD.
The State Conference of Ohio recently protested against the establishment by Northern missionary funds of churches based “practically, though not professedly, upon the ‘color line.’” What is a color-line church? A church at the North composed largely or exclusively of colored members, following naturally a race line of cleavage, as do the Irish or German, is not in this sense a color-line church. Most white churches at the North have only white members; but probably there is not one of them but would receive a colored member without hesitating in the slightest about his color. These are not color-line churches. There are many important white churches at the South that have had for many years colored members; but the colored members must wait for the communion until the whites are served, and must occupy special seats. Such churches are color-line churches. Churches at the South composed of blacks, with a few white teachers and their friends, who would welcome with tears of gratitude any Southern white families who would show their love and sympathy by identifying themselves with them are not color-line churches. A church at the South, composed of whites, in the midst of a large colored population, or in close contiguity with a church of kindred organization and sources of support, and where the advent of the first colored member would be deprecated, not welcomed, is a church based practically, though it may not be professedly, upon the color-line. * * * * *