Atlanta Daily World

3,000 AME Churchmen Throng Dallas Texas

Bishops Hold 28th Session

Candidates For Episcopal Honors Are Introduced

By REV. C. A. WINGFIELD

DALLAS, Texas—(SNS)

Three thousand churchmen converged on this southwestern metropolis Wednesday for the 28th annual session of the Bishops' and Connectional Council of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The two-day meeting was held at St. James Church, the Rev. Prince F. Jackson, pastor.

With dignitaries of lay and clerical rank present, the meeting proved one of the best in the history of the organization. Dr. V. M. Townsend, president of the council, chairman of the executive board of Fraternal Council of Negro Churches of America and presiding elder of the Hot Springs district, carried out the program on scheduled time, being assisted by Chief Secretary C. A. Wingfield, Atlanta; Recording Secretary Fay S. Robinson, Macon, and others.

Among dignitaries presented and addressing the meeting Wednesday were Bishops J. S. Flipper, senior bishop of the church and W. A. Fountain, both of Atlanta; and Bishop Noah Williams of California.

CANDIDATES PRESENTED

The meeting saw presented, informally, many of the candidates for episcopal honors at the May, 1940, General Conference at Detroit, Mich. Apparently leading the race at present are the Rev. D. Ward Nichols, pastor Emmanuel Church, New York City; Dr. J. L. Butler, Savannah; Dr. J. W. Hall, Memphis; the Rev. T. J. Miles, of South Carolina; Dr. J. H. Clayborn, editor of Southern Christian Recorder; Dr. Frank M. Reid, St. Louis, Mo.; Dr. B. Butler, Texas; Dr. Prince Hall, pastor-host; Dr. Allen R. Cooper, Albany, and Dr. G. E. Curry, Philadelphia.

The educational board meeting of the connection was held at Paul Quinn College, Waco, Dr. A. S. Jackson, secretary of education, in charge.

FLIPPER'S SUGGESTIONS

In a talk before the Connectional Council Wednesday, Senior Bishop J. S. Flipper made the following recommendations for consideration at the next general conference: that careful thought and consideration be given to the transfer of ministers; authority to the senior bishop; a favorable attitude toward placement of a layman as a member of the annual conference; that the bishops have power to assign themselves and hold (Continued on page 4, col. 4)
Church
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conferences all over the entire
church area: that the body carry
the institution of the A. M. E.
Church in the Book of Discipline.
and that all laws passed be in
accord with the constitution. The
Atlanta prelate presided over the
Bishops' Council throughout the
session.

The Council was informed of
the passing of Dr. D. M. Baxter,
general officer and former man-
ager of the Book Concern, Phil-
adelphia.

An estimated 10,000 persons
witnessed the presentation of a
musical pageant, "The Old Ship
of Zion", comprising 100 voices
and under direction of Miss Pau-
line Dailey, Kansas City, Mo.

The hundreds of delegates
from all over the United States,
British and West Indies Islands:
South America, South and West
Africa, Canada and Cuba, gave
praise to the entertainment facili-
ties arranged by Pastor-Host
Jackson.

Bishop E. J. Howard, of West
Africa, preached the annual ser-
mon for the Bishops'
Council
Thursday morning.

D:. J. G. Robinson, Philadel-
phia, editor of the A. M. E. Book
Review. addressed the council.
receiving an enthusiastic recep-
tion.

Dr. L. L. Berry, New York,
secretary of missions, delivered