Oakwood University - Acorn Yearbook (Huntsville, AL)

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Lake Region Conference-First teacher's institute, January 6-8, 1946, Chicago, Illinois. ' 22. -3 M ' ,.,,',, historic years 1944 and91955, racial segregation was still the policy, though it was unwritten in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. And this condition led our church to its vital historic compromise that was the organization of regional conferences. When I think of the historic event, I am reminded of the words of Ellen G. White- until the Lord shows us a better way. This phrase is lifted from the statement made by Sister White in Vol- ume 9, pp. 206, 207, written at the turn of the century. It says in essence that because of the tensions between the races, because of the rigors ofJim Crowism, white and black believers would be wise to build and operate separate facilities, and that this is to be done until the Lord shows us a better wayf' It was for these very rea- sons that we made reference that Black Adventism was organized into separate local jurisdiction with black leaders. The meeting to organize conferences was in Chicago in 1944. I quote from the minutes of that historic meeting. Whereas the present development of our work among the col- ored people in North America had resulted under the signal bless- ings of God in the Establishment of some 233 churches with some 22 ,Jul- Qtr: as v,,, G0 P' 1 xv, 17,000 members, and whereas it appears that a different plan of or- ganization for our colored membership would bring further great advance in soul-winning endeavor, therefore we recognized, that colored conferences sustain the same relation to their respective union conferences as to their white conferences. Some leaders who played key roles in the establishment of black conferences were G.E. Peters, J.H. Wagner, L.H. Bland, J.G. Da- sent, J.G. Thomas, H.W. Kibble, T.M. Rowe and W.W. Fordham. It took us one whole century-from 1844 to 1944-to reach a membership of 17,000 in the Black constituency. In the 30 years since the organization of conferences, we have rocketed from 17,000 to l00,000. In 1929, at the Autumn Council Session in Columbus, Ohio, E1- der Peters made the appeal which I referred to earlier, Give us a fair chance and I assure you there will be yet greater results in the building up of the work of God as related to the great Advent Movement. We thank God that the chance was finally given to us in 1945 to demonstrate what God could do through consecrated black lead-

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Church school group, Detroit, Michigan 1957. Q l F W '!? N911 . -A 0 as .75 el 'h s .A a. : 1 I v I L I 616 'l-I... black leaders. But the church turned a deaf ear, and at that time, several of our leading black pastors left the orgnized church. J.K. Humphrey organized the first black conference, churches were es- tablished in America and in the West Indies. And there were other conditions existing in the church organization which placed the black believer and the black pastor in a position of inferiority. Now here are some examples which I think are very important to an un- derstanding ofthe subject we are endeavoring to present. I have already referred to the operation of the committees, par- ticularly in the Southland, and how it was more or less a rubber stamp committee. Then secondly, there was inequality of wages and allowances. For example, a black minister in Atlanta with a church of 500, with I5-20 years of service, would have a salary less than that of a young white pastor with a church of one hundred members. I can recall that when I first went to the Southwestern Union as union evangelist, one ofthe first prerequisites I laid down was the fact-of equality of salaries. That was in 1946. Thirdly, there were limited funds for church and school build- ings. Surprisingly, very few churches were built for black congrega- tions during the years prior to regional conferences. There were limited funds for evangelism and very little equipment of any kind. . I 1 During this time, our black leaders were forced to attend sclircr ted meetings held by the church: that is. annual cittlliclls I remember an experience back in the early 3U's ol the Rui.. Council in Fort Worth, Texas. where our black leaders had to .. the service elevatorg of course, many refused lo do that. and th were branded as agitators. etc. During those days Scy enth-day .-X ventist blacks were not accepted in our hospitals and sanitari..:t The sanitarium in Washington did not permit blacks to enter un l940. Prior to that, there was a very tragic experience 'where woman who was very' ill was refused admittance and died later t R her way to Freedmen's Hospital. Blacks could not eat .it the view and Herald until the early l95O's. When Elders Peter and P terson had their oflice in the General Conference. they could :1 even have their meals at the cafeteria. lf was in the iqftllis bet. the largest white Seventh-day' Adventist church in Detroit accept its tirst black member, And. today. a Black Set enth-day AX ventist is not welcomed in the white church in Nlobile, sXl.th.i::' So you can see how the trend of segregation yytthit: the I ' continued, even though in the 50's many other clttlfclics opened their door, to say nothing of the change of climate .11 sports and in the other areas ofsociety. Conscqtiently, on iitc ey C I

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Educational Institute. Cleveland, Ohio. ershtp The record of progress speaks ever so eloquently for itself. Now the question is What of the future? Let us remember that black conferences were brought into existence because of social conditions within America and our church conditions which we hope will change Their presence will be a reminder of weakness. not of principle but of practice within our organization. And fur- ther let it be known that black conferences were accepted by the black faithful and loyal constituency of this church because it was the most practical way of evangelizing the millions of black Ameri- cans We cannot predict the future. The Lord may yet reveal to usa better way however for many of our black leaders that better way was regional conferences, and even today there is still the need for refinement of our organization in order to reach the millions, ap- proximately 25 million in our cities. This thought was articulated in l969 when the Commission on Black Unions met in Washington, D.C. and as a result of that meeting the church leadership sensed its failure to provide lead- ership opportunities on higher levels: I am referring to Union Con- ferences Consequently today, on most of our union levels you will s I C sxf iii, e rv' , L lf at l 1.4 T.'L I'f, t --4 '7V ' ....--4. Q-1. - las- , Y- tind black otticers. The question of how best our elttxe the need ofits black constituents and pcrspeettse bla A the face of the growing racial unrest tn our cities is one. For example. the unp.tr.1lleled growth .ind iris.. Black Muslims in our cities is .1 real challenge to the P sth. rf' ..4'T' .Je VC- li -e, F, .- . 'Ari'-1,3 1- , . -.., Q, -..a. V ss , Q4 ,Az ,lt ,' -r-' r.4,, ... lfls . Hr.. I. A. .'l ,. ,.,..n- 1 i ,s. .,- J' 'sa- 4.44, s. L 'f'7 L . FT-. 'Lv-Tk sf' Ln A. wg' I. uc. . ,L ELL X the Third Angels Message by the black Se-tenth-tif. Xu--' Church. Therefore. we need xottr praxers .ind sLt .t s . black Seventh-day .-Xdxentist Church is the onlj. rentapr' s to Adventism in our cities. for .ts son know most ot' have fled to the suburbs. Theretore, for the present .ind the tioreseeable tintt.rc. -s that regional conferences hate conic upon the stage ol t... x . 5... such a time as this , .ind its goal under Liotl ts to titttsii s K and to hasten the coming ofthe lord .iestls Cltrtsi NN NN it'ftii1.:ff1. D gt Regional l7c:'.i s