History of the Negro Race in America from 1619 to 1880
Chapter 129 : The General Business Manager, Dr. H. M. Turner, reported the receipts in the Book Conc

The General Business Manager, Dr. H. M. Turner, reported the receipts in the Book Concern to be $50,133.76. This was the largest amount of business ever reported by the Concern.

The receipts of the two departments were $150,133.18. The total amount raised in 1826 was $1,151.75. The gain since that time has been $148,981.43.

RECEIPTS.

Amount of contingent money $27,897 36 " " dollar money 33,400 00 " " missionary money 25,248 08 " " ladies' mite missionary money 2,296 06 " for Sunday-school purposes 115,694 40 " " pastors' support 1,282,465 16 " " pastors' travelling expenses 36,608 16 " " presiding elders' travelling exps. 7,338 20 " " presiding elders' support 106,817 20 ------------- $1,637,764 62

RECEIPTS.--(_Continued._)

Amount brought up $1,637,764 62 Amount for educational purposes 6,125 46 " " building and repairing churches 596,824 48 " " charitable and benevolent purposes 20,937 02 ------------- Total annual collection $2,261,651 58 ------------- The amount for four years 9,046,606 24 The General Business Manager's report 51,000 00 ------------- Grand total for four years $9,097,606 24

STATISTICS OF MEMBERS.

_Travelling Preachers._

Number of bishops 9 " " general officers 4 " " travelling licentiates 434 " " travelling elders 445 " " travelling deacons 940 ----- Total number of travelling preachers 1,832

_Local Preachers._

Number of superannuated preachers 21 " " local preachers and exhorters 7,719 " " elders 42 " " deacons 146 ----- Total number of local preachers 7,928

_Members and Probationers._

Number of members 306,044 " " probationers 85,000 ------- Total number of members and probationers, 391,044

SUMMARY OF MEMBERS.

Total number of travelling preachers 1,832 " " " local preachers 7,928 " " " members and probationers 391,044 ------- Grand total members.h.i.+p 400,804

SUNDAY-SCHOOLS.

Number of Sunday-schools 2,345 " " teachers and officers 15,454 " " pupils 154,549 " " volumes in library 193,358

CHURCH PROPERTY.

Number of school-houses 88 " " churches 2,051 " " parsonages 395

VALUE OF CHURCH PROPERTY.

Value of school-houses $26,400 00 " " churches 2,884,251 00 " " parsonages 162,603 20 ------------- Total value of church property $3,073,254 20

PAPER.

Number of subscriptions to "Christian Recorder" 5,380

In 1818 a publis.h.i.+ng department was added to the work of the Church.

But its efficiency was impaired on account of the great ma.s.s of its members being in slave States or the District of Columbia, where the laws prohibited them from attending school, and deprived them of reading books or papers. In 1817 the Rev. Richard Allen published a book of discipline; and shortly after this a Church hymn-book was published also. Beyond this there was but little done in this department until 1841, when the New York Conference pa.s.sed a resolution providing for the publication of a monthly magazine. But the lack of funds compelled the projectors to issue it as a quarterly.

For nearly eight years this magazine exerted an excellent influence upon the ministers and members of the Church. Its coming was looked forward to with a strange interest. It contained the news in each of the conferences; its editorials breathed a spirit of love and fellows.h.i.+p; and thus the members were brought to a knowledge of the character of the work being accomplished.

At length the prosperity of the magazine seemed to justify the publication of a weekly paper. Accordingly a weekly journal, named the "Christian Herald," made its appearance and ran its course for the s.p.a.ce of four years. In 1852, by order of the General Conference, the paper was enlarged and issued as the "Christian Recorder," which has continued to be published up to the present time. In addition to this a "Child's Recorder" is published as a monthly. About 50,000 copies of both are issued every month.

The managers and editors in this department have been:

From 1818 to 1826--Right-Reverened Richard Allen, First Bishop of the A. M. E. Church, served in the capacity of Bishop and General Book Steward.

From 1826 to 1835--Rev. Jos. M. Corr. He was the first regularly appointed General Book Steward, and served until October, 1836, at which time he died.

From 1835 to 1848--Rev. Geo. Hogarth.

From 1848 to 1852--Rev. Augustus R. Green.

From 1852 to 1854--Rev. M. M. Clark, Editor; Rev. W. T. Catto, General Book Steward, and Rev. W. H. Jones, Travelling Agent.

From 1854 to 1860--Rev. J. P. Campbell (now Bishop) served in the capacity of General Book Steward and Editor.

From 1860 to 1868--Rev. Elisha Weaver served the most of the time as both Manager and Editor.

From 1868 to 1869--Rev. Joshua Woodlin, Manager, and Rev. B. T.

Tanner, Editor. During the year 1869 Rev. Joshua Woodlin resigned.

From 1869 to 1871--Rev. A. L. Stanford served until above date, when he also resigned, and Dr. B. T. Tanner was left to act in the capacity of Editor and Manager until May, 1872.

From 1872 to 1876--Rev. W. H. Hunter, Business Manager, and Rev. B. T.

Tanner reappointed Editor.

From 1876 to 1880--Rev. H. M. Turner, Business Manager, and Rev. B. T.

Tanner again reappointed Editor.

1880--Rev. Theo. Gould, Business Manager, and Rev. B. T. Tanner was for the fourth term appointed Editor.

In addition to the work done here on the field, this Church has been blessed with a true missionary spirit. It has pushed its work into "the regions beyond." In 1844 _The Parent Home and Foreign Missionary Society_ was organized by the General Conference. Its first corresponding secretary was appointed in 1864, John M. Brown, Was.h.i.+ngton, D.C.; 1865 to 1868, John M. Brown; 1868 to 1872, James A.

Handay, Baltimore, Maryland; 1872, Rev. W. J. Gaines, Macon, Georgia; 1873, Rev. T. G. Stewart, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; 1874 to 1876, Rev. G. W. Brodie; 1876 to 1878, Rev. Richard H. Cain, Columbia, S.C.; 1878 to 1881, Rev. James M. Townsend, Richmond, Indiana.

The following is the last report of the present missionary secretary:

RECAPITULATION.

_Receipts._

Collected for general work (including $300 from the W. M. M Society) $2,630 35 Collected on the field in Hayti 1,221 54 Women's Mite Society (in addition to the above $300) 364 31 Collected for domestic missions 3,743 87 --------- Total receipts $7,960 07

_Expenditures._