Oakwood University - Acorn Yearbook (Huntsville, AL)

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ng., fill the office of secretary of the department. The reason for this ac- tion was due to the fact that Elder Peters only served one year. A crisis had arisen particularly in the East because one of our great leaders J K Humphrey, had left the mainstream of Adventist and hundreds of black Adventists joined him in the organization of a Black conference Elder Peters resigned from his office in the Gen- ral Conference went to New York. and under the influence of his powerful spirit filled preaching was able to reclaim many of these members At this time Elder F.L. Peterson, who later became a vice president of the General Conference, was elected to succeed Elder Peters Notice that the statement also said that the secretary be located in Washington D C. having his headquarters in the General Con- ference office I stated earlier that when Elder Green was elected in 1918 he should not have his office in the General Conference, and this time the brethren were requesting that the Negro Department head have his office at the General Conference rather than having it in his home There was strong resistance to a black man even in 1929 and 1930 having his office at our headquarters in Washing- ton DC We now come to the Autumn Council of 1941, and at this coun- cil Elder G E Peters, who was again serving as the departmental 18 , . . v Q - , . 9 ., . . secretary, gives his report. I would like to quote from his historic report: Brother Chairman, I believe that we are all convinced that the Negro Department through the years has made wonderful ad- vancement and achievement. Just think, we have grown from 900 believers in 1909 to 14,537 at the close of 1940. In the year 1912, the tithe receipts were 516,323 from the colored constituency, and during the last five years, or from 1936-1940 inclusive, our colored believers paid in tithe 51,112,000 During the same period, mission offerings were S703,000 as compared with 83,000 in the year 1912. Surely when taking all things into consideration, the colored Sev- enth-day Adventist is more of an asset than a liability. Elder Peters continues, Relative to our present organization, it has been proven that in many instances in foreign fields it paid in large dividends when greater responsibility was placed on native workers. That role holds true when it comes to the Negro work in North America. It is obvious that the colored work made decided advancement when greater and larger duties were placed on their own leaders. It is particularly interesting to note the progress of our book work in certain Union territories where responsibility of leadership has been placed upon colored men. I believe that more will be ac-

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N 1 the colored evangelist of the conference, and two Negro members to be elected. C29 We recommend that in conferences receiving ap- propriations for their colored work the proportionate share of local conference administration expense be on a ratio of one third to the colored and two thirds to the white work, this calculation to be based on practically equal constituency of white and colored mem- bership, and where the proportion of constituency varies from that ofequality, either up or down, the proportion of administrative ex- pense be carried on the same ratio, up or down. The first black person elected to the General Conference was El- der W.H. Green, and he served from 1918 until his rather sudden death in 1928. ln 1929, G.E. Peters, one of the most outstanding black pioneers ofthis church and one of the most progressive lead- ers that we have ever had, was elected to the office. ln 1930, under his leadership, the following recommendations were made at the time of the General Conference Session, June 12, 1930, in San Francisco: tlj That the General Conference Committee select one ofour representative colored ministers to fill the office of secretary of the Negro Department, that this secretary be located in Wash- ington, having his headquarters at the General Conference office: that in giving general supervision to the colored work throughout North America he'd work under the counsel of the General Con- ference Committee as do all other General Conference dep.irtnpe tal secretaries. Then, again, there was the reiteration ot etclliilin tri had been previously taken concerning the organization wl the e- ored work in the Southland and the recommendations tor 1 Northem sections of our country. In regards to the organization ofthe early work in the Soulhlaric the committees that were referred to as the colored committe- were more or less rubber stamp committees. 1-or example. w it I was an evangelist and a representatiye of the colored work in t Florida Conference, we would meet on the same day .is the li-.sec tive Committee: that was the committee made up ot .ill the w lx, representatives of the conference. They would meet generai speaking, in the morning and would make their decisions lfic decisions not only' pertained to the operation of the white work. if also the operation of the black w ork. Then. in the .il-lL'l'l'.Us'11. 2 Colored committee would meet. We would consider the recomztie dations that were made by the Executiy e Coniniittee, .ind w ith y e few exceptions, we would approye the decisions that w ere n1..c prior to our meeting. You will recall that in the recommendation that w .is nzacie 1 General Conference Session in 1-'r.incisco. it w .is requested Lita. General Conference Committee select one of our represent.i11y es

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ll? -fn 'hi Q -S' ' , ,1',.jf ,. , . . B'f:-'N lg' ' 1.510 Wt ik , 1 :IQ '.a'-L .' , '. . 'ffza' .f. f 1:5 s -. . . compltshed as we broaden the scope of organization for the Negro work And, then he referred back to 1929 to certain events that oc- curred It will be remembered that some years ago our colored brethren gave study to its work and its development as associated with this great movement, and the question of Negro Conferences was introduced You see, that was back in 1929. As 1 mentioned earlier, CM Kinney had raised the issue in 1889. The idea was that these conferences would operate under the guidance of the Union General Conference as do all other local conferences. lt was reasoned by the colored brethren that just as prosperity attended the work when Negro churches were established, with Negro lead- ership tn both the North and South for the furtherance of their own work, and such a development brought added souls and means to the cause of God, such a forward step with greater responsibility by Negro leaders who are versed with their own native psychology and means for the advancement of the cause of God and finishing ot the work This move was not considered wise at that time, so there was then offered what was considered a most desirable substitute plan oforganization by a committee of both black and white. This orga- mzatton framed by the Plans Committeewas adopted and became U J l,' ' i 'N I Q . . K I 'Q A Bal 1 N! ' W1 4' 'J I 1. 4. i ' kim ' A Y . 'fx 'A rf, ff 1 , A N M , K , I-,L I l 99 S6 s' , I vw, . ., tx. up-. sl t 1.1, 1, ..'1i flt-age' lg ifitftzf l fizf- 'fxvfi ',y,fA.G,,1,'l S ,s fl vt' -A-.QM .Il ' f V 't W, , fs - ' -vt, x.- Q Y..- ' . '-K ,. -, 3 - -.Nhat A 'S-if' it a resolution ofthe General Conferences He then relerrcti tions of the Autumn Council of the General tynterez t mittee of 1929 in Columbus, Ohio. which concerned ttse.t organization in the Southern Lnton lcxels, these ,. . mittees, and the appointment ol' a leading Black nnniste: retary or an evangelist and the same relationship in areas with the exception that the man would serxe on 1 1 level as a member of the Exectittxe Committee. and ti: level as a member of the local conference eotnnnttee Elder Peters further stated. Brother Chatrrnan, the fia s l referred to has been carried out in full tn certain L nitti ences, but carried Oul only in part in other L nton territ 1 Union Conferences that are now operating the plan. tha fully carrying out their resolution, l atn sure has e nt-1 l K willfully or from any lack of 111101651 tn the colored ts.-r N times in changing leaders the next leaders. in taking up ti- sibility may not have had an opportunity tt- learn alum.: lutions, its background. and lls merits Our colored brethren hat e waited tor sears tot ti: this plan in total. Workers and Iatty are both asking it s vote ofthe General Conference not been tttlls carried .. one years have passed since the department ts as IH .Qt le tl1eN