African Americans gather to remember Central Jurisdiction Sept. 1, 2004
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A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose Participants
in the first reunion of the former Central Jurisdiction light candles
in memory of those who have gone before them.
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Participants
in the first reunion of the former Central Jurisdiction of the
Methodist Church in College Park, Ga., light candles in memory of those
from the jurisdiction who have gone before them. The jurisdiction was a
racially segregated structure for black Methodists that existed from
1939 to 1968, when it was dissolved into the five current geographic
jurisdictions of the United Methodist Church. From left are: Earl
Cleveland, Patricia White and Katie Harrison. A UMNS photo by Mike
DuBose. Photo number 04-361, 9/1/04
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By Pamela Crosby* ATLANTA (UMNS) — In 1939, the Methodist Church told blacks they were not welcome in the same church pews as whites. The
Central Jurisdiction was formed as a racial compromise.
African-American United Methodists from across the country gathered Aug.
27-29 to remember, reflect, and redirect their efforts regarding the
history, problems and circumstances of the forced separation. The
Central Jurisdiction was established in 1939 and eliminated by action
of the 1968 General Conference. Many Methodists — Dorothy Height, James
Lawson, and Joseph and Evelyn Lowery, among others — were leaders for
social justice on the national level and within their church. Blacks in
the Methodist Church could not be part of the struggle for desegregation
in society and not fight for the same reform within the church. “The
Central Jurisdiction was a compromise,” said William McClain, a
professor at Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, who was ordained
in the Central Alabama Conference in the Central Jurisdiction. “It was a
way that the church avoided integration. It was a compromise to bring
the southern Methodist Church and the northern Methodist Church together
and to merge them in 1939. The truth was that black people were abused,
insulted and disappointed that the church was not willing to be one
church.” While
Methodism’s founder, John Wesley, vehemently opposed slavery, racism
was woven into the heart of American Methodism. It was an issue as early
as the Christmas Conference in Baltimore in 1784, and ultimately the
pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions led to a church split in 1844.
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A UMNS photo by Mike DuBoseEvelyn G. Lowery, convener of the reunion, welcomes participants. |
Evelyn
G. Lowery welcomes participants to a reunion of the former Central
Jurisdiction of the Methodist Church in College Park, Ga. The
jurisdiction was a racially segregated structure for black Methodists
that existed from 1939 to 1968, when it was dissolved into the five
current geographic jurisdictions of the United Methodist Church. Lowery
convened the reunion. A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose. Photo number 04-369, 9/1/04. |
When the
separation happened, most of the African Americans protested and some
left the Methodist Church. Others stayed, still seeking to live as God
would have them, despite a church that would not. More
than 300 participants gathered for the reunion, with the theme,
“Reviewing Yesterday, Discerning Paths to Tomorrow.” Evelyn Gibson
Lowery, a United Methodist who founded the Southern Christian Leadership
Conference’s Women’s Organizational Movement for Equality Now,
conceived and organized the reunion. Her father, the Rev. Harry Gibson,
served under the Central Jurisdiction. Lowery and the Rev. Chester Jones, top staff executive of the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race, led the event. “The
Central Jurisdiction Reunion is the first of what is hoped to be many
to come since the merger,” Lowery said. “This reunion is long overdue,
and we are hoping that it will be the beginning of efforts to educate
persons about the past experiences of African Americans in the church.” The
participants shared stories of the former Methodist Church during
segregation, and they drew comparisons between U.S. and Methodist race
relations. Some noted that the nation moved faster than the church in
dismantling racist structures. “The
Central Jurisdiction did not end officially until 1968,” said the Rev.
Gilbert H. Caldwell, “whereas our U.S. Supreme Court had said that
separate but equal was invalid in a 1954 Supreme Court Decision.” From
1960 to 1966, W. Astor Kirk and James S. Thomas were part of a
five-member committee commissioned by Central Jurisdiction church
leaders to search for an inclusive Methodist fellowship. They were
involved in a major reform movement aimed at purging the church of
organizational structures based on race alone.
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A UMNS photo by Mike DuBoseUnited
Methodist Bishop Woodie W. White (right) and Barbara Thompson help lead
a panel discussion during the Central Jurisdiction reunion. |
United
Methodist Bishop Woodie W. White (right) and Barbara Thompson help lead
a panel discussion during the first reunion of the former Central
Jurisdiction of the Methodist Church in College Park, Ga. The
jurisdiction was a racially segregated structure for black Methodists
that existed from 1939 to 1968, when it was dissolved into the five
current geographic jurisdictions of the United Methodist Church. A UMNS
photo by Mike DuBose. Photo number 04-363, 9/1/04 |
Kirk, in his book,
Desegregation of The Methodist Church Polity: Reform Movements That
Ended Racial Segregation, explained that the Committee of Five not only
did a noble job for the Central Jurisdiction and the Methodist church as
a whole, but it was committed that the Central Jurisdiction die with
dignity and in a way that would be possible for the church to go
forward. Central
Jurisdiction members recalled that although the segregation was
painful, they made the best of a bad situation. For example, individuals
had opportunities for leadership and growth that would not have been
possible otherwise. “I
looked at (the Central Jurisdiction) as maybe a hindrance or a handicap
at that time,” said Mai Gray, a retired educator. “But as I have
thought of it more deeply, I have seen it as an opportunity. “If
we had not had a Central Jurisdiction,” she continued, “a lot of our
people would not have had opportunities for real leadership, and so this
to me, was a place where they learned and honed their skills. Even
though it was not pleasant, it was still an opportunity.” “When
reunion finally became a reality in 1968, I knew the beneficiaries of
this new church would not just be African Americans in the Central
Jurisdiction,” said retired Bishop Forrest C. Stith, “but whites as
well, for we brought with us not only a property or resource gain, but
we brought a deep spirit of faithfulness and the love from one another
that could not be transcended.”
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A UMNS photo by Mike DuBoseThe Rev. Joseph E. Lowery helps lead a panel discussion during the Central Jurisdiction reunion. |
The
Rev. Joseph E. Lowery helps lead a panel discussion during the first
reunion of the former Central Jurisdiction of the Methodist Church in
College Park, Ga. The jurisdiction was a racially segregated structure
for black Methodists that existed from 1939 to 1968, when it was
dissolved into the five current geographic jurisdictions of the United
Methodist Church. A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose. Photo number 04-364, 9/1/04. |
Panel discussions
covered the “Committee of Five’s Search for an Inclusive Church,” “The
Journey: Telling the Story” and an “Evaluation of the Merger: Lost and
Gained,” which included Bishop Woodie White, Joseph E. Lowery and
Barbara Ricks Thompson. Lowery led the Southern Christian Leadership
Conference; White and Thompson are former top staff executives of the
United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race. In
a discussion of the future, speakers called for vision and action from
all church members, examined the implications of cross-racial
appointments, and challenged participants to become activists by “not
only remembering history, but making history remember us.” The
final evening included a recognition banquet, honoring people from the
17 Central Jurisdiction conferences. After a service Sunday morning, the
reunion closed with a fellowship picnic at Cedar Grove United Methodist
Church. Yvonne
Williams Boyd, a pastor from Altadena (Calif.) United Methodist Church,
said she was impressed by the event and the church’s rich history. She
suggested having another Central Jurisdiction reunion for young adults,
college-age students and new members “so we can reinforce the story,
empower them to know their history, and support their work in the
church.” Today,
more than 420,000 African Americans are members of the United Methodist
Church in the United States, representing about 6 percent of the total
U.S. membership. The Central Jurisdiction legacy continues 36 years
later as the United Methodist Church seeks to revitalize black churches,
provides relevant resources and holds special worship services to
repent of its racism. *Crosby is a freelance writer, video producer and consultant in Nashville, Tenn. News media contact: Kathy L. Gilbert, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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