Oakwood University - Acorn Yearbook (Huntsville, AL)

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tb 1 ., It .4 'fl' ' . .Ji ,ly 4 JW? f , M5524 v r In 1894 there were approximately fifty colored Seventh-day Ad- ventists in the United States. The work began to develop under the strong evangelistic preaching of such men as L. Shaefe, John Manns, Sidney Scott, J. Humphrey, J. Lawrence, G. Peters, M. Strachan, T. Buckner and M. Nunez. In 1909 the membership had reached nine hundred, and in order to advance the work, a different form of organization had to be in- troduced. Consequently, at the General Conference Session in 1909 the North American Negro Department was organized, and W.H. Green was elected as the first secretary of the department. Elder A.G. Daniels, president of the General Conference, gave the following explanation as the basis for the creation of this depart- ment: I believe that under this direct effort, we shall see the work in behalf of the colored people of this country go forward with greater success than we have ever seen it before. The department will have a secretary, an executive committee, the same as the other departments, and on this committee there will be a fair representa- tion of the field. The committee will then meet and plan its work, and outline its policy for the future the same as do the other de- partment committees. Their work will be to carry forward the evan- gelical work among the colored people. They will take up the quest of mission schools, church schools, and the higher schools such as I4 Elder W.W. Fordham is the major editorial consultant for the research material that appears in this section on Black Adventism in retrospect. This is an early baptism. Huntsville, and will look after them. They will look after the pub- lishing literature as will be best adapted to the people. In fact, they will take into consideration all branches of the work. The first meeting of the North American Negro Department of the General Conference was held at Oakwood Manual Training School in Huntsville, Alabama, September 28, 1909. Black leaders at that meeting were: W. Green, D. Blake, M. Strachan, T. Branch, Sidney Scott, Thomas Murphy, W. Sebastian. On Wednesday, Sep- tember 29, it was voted that the headquarters of the North Ameri- can Department be located in Huntsville, Alabama. In 1918 the membership among America's greatest minority had reached 3,000 and at the General Conference Session, the first black ever elected to the General Conference Staff was W.H. Green, a former lawyer who had argued many cases before the Su- preme Court of the United States. However, even though he was elected as the first black member of the General Conference, due to racial segregation in the United States, as well as in the church, it was impossible for him to carry out his duties from the General Conference office. In 1927 there was a joint committee meeting of the Southeastern, Southern and Southwestern Unions, black leaders, which was held in Nashville, Tennessee. This was the first effort in the Southland

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Hpi' lil i ,V an-44 ' ,..-nl an '-49 our to recognize black leadership. At this meeting, Elder McElhaney, President of the General Conference, was present and recom- mended that the Union should separate and formulate specific ac- tions that could be voted upon. It was voted unanimously by the black leaders that the name of all three Unions be changed to read The Colored Department There was also quite a discussion as to the title of the leading min- isters for the colored workg the names of evangelists, secretaries, and superintendents were discussed. After considering the names and responsibilities from most every angle, it was finally voted unanimously by standing that the title for the leading minister of the colored department of the Union and each local conference be evangelist, and that he would carry the secretarial work of the col- ored department. We recommend the adoption and principle of the recommenda- tions regarding the organization of the colored work as passed by the General Conference of 1926, adapting them to tit the condi- tions ofthe three Southern Unions, recognizing the need of stress- ing evangelism in our fields for the colored population, and in view ofthe fact that our resources both in men and money are very lim- ited, and believing that the life and growth of our work among otir colored believers depends upon emphasizing evangelism: there- .,,.-1- -Qi .1 41-if -1 , QQ' -N ,M f' 4 ,,,,-4s- A - J, .f'4 .- - ' 1.- fore, RESOLVED, that we urge our colored laborers lt' Lis: 1:1 utmost efforts to carry the message to all colored people liters adapting the plan of our colored departmental work in our an. and local conferences as suggested by the General Conleretice res- olution in Milwaukee, the work of the union and local departnzerp tal committee be to study and provide for the needs ot' the work :t 7 the colored people in harmony with established policy NX licti :zen policies are suggested, they must be brought before the lzsecaig Committee that the work of the said union or local conferei evangelist be outlined and directed by the president and cotttttttiicc of the respective conferences the same as other laborers. that we recognize the work ofany other department to be the same as 1: is understood to be the work of any other department. that tell ct . sel be had with our colored laborers in planning their work. it bex: distinctly understood that the union of local conferetice es ang '-,. . has no administrative authority We recommend that the Liezzera. Conference recommendation No. Stl. as appears in the Reszew .x Herald oflune 14, 1926, p. 5, shall be understood to apply 1. . - ored departmental work, and to be carried out only as tinatzces mit, and the recommendation referred to reads 'where tize .ic oping and better prosecution ofthe work for our people 7- better attention, there should be appointed such assistant sec