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CONTENTS.
page.
Chapter I.—Birth; Childhood; Death of Parents;
Early Training; Difficulty in Obtaining Knowl¬
edge 9
Chapter II.—Removal of Family to Missouri ; Con¬
version; Joining Church; Licensed to Exhort in
1833 ; Learning to Read and Write 15
Chapter III.—Organization of an A. M. E. Church
by Rev. Paul Quinn ; Licensed to Preach; First A.
M. E. Church in St. Louis 21
Chapter IV.—Ordination to Deacon's Orders; Estab¬
lishing an A. M. E. Church at Galena, 111; Work in
New Orleans in 1844 28
Chapter V.—Bishop Payne Arrested ; Before a Court
of Justice; Underground Railroad; Laws of Mis¬
souri ; Organization of A. M. E. Church at Kirk-
wood, Mo., and Jefferson City in 1853 37
Chapter VI.—Efforts of Early Methodism; Churches
at Boonville and St. Joseph, Mo.; Joining the Indi¬
ana Conference 44
Chapter VII.—Civil War; Mobs; Annual Confer¬
ence, 1865 50
Chapter VIII.—Asburv Chapel at Louisville, Ky;
Missouri Conference in 1866 ; Cholera ; Assigned to
Tennessee 57
(3)
4 Contents.
page.
Chapter IX.—Ku Klux ; St. Paul Chapel at Nash¬
ville 65
Chapter. X.—General Conference, 1868; Tennessee
Conference in 1869; Repairing Avery Chapel 71
Chapter XI.—Tennessee Conference, 1870; Noted
Visitors; Influence of African Methodism 78
Chapter XII.—General Conference, 1872; Introduc¬
tion of the " Dollar Money System." 85
Chapter XIII.—Cholera and Yellow Fever in 1873;
Adjournment of Conference Work; at St. John
Chapel 93
Chapter XIV.—Payne Chapel; General Conference,
1876 ; Progress of the Work 102
Chapter XV.—Tennessee Conference in 1878 and
1879 ; Work at Bethel Church 110
Chapter XVI.—General Conference, 1880; Three
Bishops elected; Tennessee Conference in 1881 117
Chapter XVII.—Obstacles in Traveling; Difficul¬
ties at St. John Chapel 125
Chapter XVIII.—Formation of Church Aid Society;
Work at Salem Chapel 131
Chapter XIX.—Great Revival in Columbia; Ten¬
nessee Conference in 1885 137
Chapter XX.—Tennessee Conference in 1886 ; Prog¬
ress of the Work in the State 143
Chapter XXI.—Tragic death of Elder Burch ; Gen¬
eral Conference of 1888 149
Chapter XXII.—Retrospection 155
PREFACE.
To put on record some of the principal events
which transpired during the life and labors of
the early pioneers of African Methodism, seems
to be a duty we owe to those worthy men who
have preceded us in the arduous work of establish¬
ing a Church attended with such wonderful ad¬
vantages to the colored people of this country.
Blind must the man be who cannot see the de¬
sign of Providence in prompting the hearts of
men to resent the religious intolerance which was
hurled against them just at the time when the
increasing weight of the yoke of bondage bore
so heavily on an already oppressed race that they
felt its weight could be carried no further,
and that they should build for themselves an
institution which should be a harbinger of the
great freedom which was so soon to follow. This
institution, whose foundation was laid with such
wonderful care and labor, has done more to con¬
vince the world that colored men possessed in a
(5)
6
Preface.
high degree the power of self-government, and
that their hearts swelled with the same love of
liberty which animated the hearts of the most
noble of earths sons. The phenomenal success
of the Church which had its origin in adversity
and obscurity, the offsprings of the minds of men
whom the wrorld consider uncultured and inex¬
perienced, its rapid development and advance¬
ment, its power to surmount all obstacles and
its final and signal success, awakens the admi¬
ration and wonder of the Christian world.
We do not wonder that those who now live and
enjoy the great advantages afforded by this
strong and prosperous body, should desire to
know something of the character and labors of
those men who were the favored instruments in
the hands of God, by wrhich he established an in¬
stitution that has done more to develop the
moral force and executive power of the descend¬
ants of Africa in America than has been ac¬
complished by any other means. It is certain
that we have on record no class of men since the
days of the Apostles, who having had no intel¬
lectual advantages or moral training, who have
accomplished such notable work in the enlighten¬
ment and elevation and Christianizing a people
Preface.
7
who were doomed to ignorance, servitude and
degradation as have done that class of men. No
one can witness the effect of their ready foresight,
their wise counsel and heroic actions under such
trying circumstances, without being filled with
■wonder at the amazing goodness of God in direct¬
ing their course, and admiration for the power
that led them with unerring precision through
the dark mazes of superstition and oppression,
to such signal victory. They trusted in God
with faith scarcely less fervent than that of the
primitive Christians. They were men of emi¬
nent piety and sound integrity, and there was a
silent energy accompanying their labors, though
done in an unostentatious manner that gave them
success wherever engaged and silenced all oppo¬
sition. Thus the subject of our narrative was
one of the favored ones who were permitted to
take an active part in establishing and building
up the A. M. E. Church in the Western and
Southern states.
It is not possible to find all the data accompany¬
ing the labors of those men who laid the founda¬
tion of the Church. There were but few writers
among them, and those who could were too
modest to record what they thought to be simply
8
Preface.
their duty. Not expecting nor wishing for noto¬
riety in this life, they labored in faith, looking
only for the reward which was promised in the
life to come. Of much of the most important
labors of J. W. Early, the date cannot be accu -
rately ascertained; but the facts are still fresh in
his memory, and authenticated by many
witnesses.
Life and Labors of Ren, Jordan W. Earlu,
CHAPTER I.
It has often been said of men who have made
themselves notable in the world by accomplish¬
ing great and noble deeds, or, by their peculiar
intellectual ability that their notoriety was the
consequence of their superior training in their
youthful days. It is also alleged of those men
who have done the most to elevate mankind re¬
ligiously, and to refine them morally, are those
who received their moral and religious training
from a good and pious mother, or inherited their
virtues from a father of exalted principles; that
their intellects developed and their virtues ma¬
tured in accordance to the prayers of Christian
parents and the environment of comforts and
seclusion from vice. But this was not the case
with the subject of this narrative. Though
humble and destitute in early life, God, who
presides over the destinies of all men, raised him
(9)
10
Life and Labors of
up to be a blessing to the generation in which he
lived.
Jordan Winston Early, was born in Franklin
County, Virginia, on the 17th day of June, in
the year of our Lord 1814, and there spent the
days of his early childhood enjoying life as best
he could, according to surrounding circumstances.
At the age of three years he and two younger
brothers were left orphans by the death of their
mother. " Though so young," he says, in after
years, " no one can realize the desolation and
loneliness which I suffered after I had seen my
mother borne to the grave, for myself and all
my relatives were in a state of bondage and I
had no one on which to depend for care and pro¬
tection. But God who hears the young ravens
when they cry had compassion upon us and
kept us from want and from surrounding
evils." He says, " I had an affectionate aunt
who would gladly have administered to our
wants, and did give to us all the time she could
spare, but that was very little, being herself a
slave and consequently absent most of her time.
There was an old lady called " Aunt Milly," in
whose care the children of the plantation were
placed while their mothers labored in the field or
Ren. Jordan IF. Early.
11
elsewhere, to whose care I and my brothers were
consigned. She was a devout Christian and was
rich in faith toward God and in good works.
With unfaltering confidence in God she prayed
for the children that He would lead them in the
right way. Her belief in God's word was strong,
and she relied daily on His promises that He
would eventually fulfill her most ardent desire.
Often have I seen her rise from her scanty bed
at the hour of midnight and beseech her Heaven¬
ly Father with tears for the salvation and future
well-being of the children placed in her charge.
God's ear was certainly attentive to the cry of
his humble disciple, for all those children be¬
gan early to develop the better qualities of their
nature and, in despite of their unhappy sur¬
roundings, became useful and intelligent men
and women. Blessed foster mother ! Surely, if
her glorified spirit were permitted to see earth's
sorrowing children struggling to overcome the
difficulties that assail them in their upward jour¬
ney, she beckons them onward and points them
to the crown which is laid up for the faithful at
God's right hand It is scarcely necessary to
say that a child living according to the surround¬
ings of slavery, and an orphan also, would have
12
Life and Labora of
many sad and lonely hours and be seriously im¬
pressed with the inequalities of life by being
near those children who were the subjects of pa¬
rental care and enjoying the advantages of edu¬
cation and social refinement. " I could not then
comprehend why my Heavenly Father should
deprive one of all earthly advantages and enjoy¬
ments and lavish them so profusely upon an¬
other."
Young Early gave remarkable attention to
the counsel of older and more experienced per¬
sons than himself and always showed an intense
desire to conform his life to the best rules of in¬
tegrity, and that his conduct should be as near
as possible without reproach. He was lively
and playful at times, but was mostly serious and
meditative. He was brave and industrious and
always strove to acqmire some means which he
could call his own. He entertained a great love
for the sight of natural objects, especially the
scenes of night, and would often stand for hours
and gaze at the sparkling beauty of the starry
heavens, and in awe and wonder listen to the ac¬
counts given of their amazing magnitude and of
their wonderful distances from us and each other.
He says, " I had an uncle who was very intelli-
fuv. Jordan W. Early.
13
gent. He had been a sailor and had visited
many lands and had acquired much useful knowl¬
edge of many things both on land and sea. He
had great regard for the sciences, but he loved as¬
tronomy, of which he had picked up considerable
knowledge, best of all. My uncle loved to
go and hunt at night. I always accompanied
him when possible, and never wearied of hear¬
ing him tell about the motions and other proper¬
ties of the stars, and of the relations they bear to
each other.1' His mind was led by this means to
contemplate the majesty and goodness of God,
as seen through his visible works, and was car¬
ried from the unhappy surroundings with which
it was environed, that of slavery and degradation,
to something higher and holier and more en¬
nobling. " I felt " says he " whenever I looked on
any of the mighty works of God a sensation steal¬
ing over me of a kindred intelligence calling me
to mount upward and enjoy a better existence
which awaited me beyond the present."
Earl}7- was always religiously inclined. He
says, " I loved the sound of sacred song and
what little I could hear of the word of God. I
often pondered over it in silence, and strove to
comprehend its meaning." He early learned the
14 Life and Labors of Rev. J. W. Early.
Lord's Prayer and loved to repeat it with rever¬
ence and gratitude. As there were no schools
for colored children in those da}7s and no books
given them to read, the best that they could do
was to learn snatches of songs and passages of
Scripture which they gathered from quotations
recited in the imperfect sermons which they
heard. But oh! how they thirsted for knowl¬
edge, that inestimable boon which exalts hu¬
manity to a nobler manhood. They could not
comprehend why it was lavished so bountifully
on others, but denied to them. But they deter¬
mined to use all the means that they could com¬
mand for this purpose. Though almost desti¬
tute of clothing and no shoes, he and others
would run many miles to camp meetings and re¬
ligious associations, and when there would climb
convenient trees and thus find seats out of the
way of men and women so that they might see
what transpired and hear what was said, and thus
the performances of the ordinances of the Church
were stamped indelibly on their minds. God
was furnishing the means for their enlighten¬
ment, which afforded them t*he skill to conduct
their own Church affairs when grown to manhood
and maturity.
CHAPTER II.
About the }rear 1826 the Early family removed
from the State of Virginia to that of Missouri.
" I was delighted,'1 he says " with the prospects of
new scenes and new acquaintances. I was strong,
healthy and active, and traveled most of the way,
which was about eleven hundred miles, on foot,
and in this way had an opportunity to see much
of the intervening country, and to occasionally
engage in the chase of which I was very fond.
" Having arrived in my adopted state, I re¬
paired to the city of St. Louis, where I soon
found companions suitable to my age and tastes.
We had our lively sports and happy hours of
greeting, but we did not forget or neglect the
Church." He with his companions, of which he
was a leader, often visited the churches of the
various denominations to listen to and comment
on the sermons and other exercises. These were
among the severest days of oppression, but the
colored people were sometimes allowed to have
sermons preached to them by white ministers.
(15)
16
Life and Laborx of
" One Sabbath evening my companions an dl
went to hear one Mr. Barger who was notable for
his piety and good works. He preached a won¬
derfully impressive sermon to young people, tell¬
ing them of their often repeated promises to
begin a better life and leave off their sins by re¬
pentance toward God; but they had as often vio¬
lated those promises and deferred the acceptance
of a free salvation, thus slighting the offers of a
compassionate Saviour. While listening to his
discourse, I felt that every word was aimed at me,
the truth of which struck my heart as a hammer,
and went through my bones like fire. I sank
down under a sense of the awful weight of guilt
that rested upon me. My companions left me
and fled; but I could only call upon God to
extend his mercy to me, a poor sinner. My con¬
viction was deep and powerful, and I continued
to pray. After remaining in prayer and suppli¬
cation for three or four days I was enabled to ex¬
ercise faith in the merits of my blessed Redeemer.
The burden of my sins rolled away and my
heart was set at liberty. I was exultant in
the love of God, and my mouth was filled with
praises to the Lamb who had redeemed me and
washed me in his own blood, and made me an
Rev. Jordan .TP. Earl;/.
17
heir with himself and a priest to God. As I
stood amazed with this wonderful development
of God's goodness to me, I took a retrospect of
my past life. I could see myself following my
mother to the grave while almost an infant, rid¬
ing on my little stick horse curbed with a bark
bridle, the only cortege I could afford then.
I saw myself looking into the open grave, ready
to receive all that was dear to me and my only
support and protection. Too young to compre¬
hend the awful meaning of the occasion, I
turned away to go to my little pallet in our deso¬
late cabin to call in vain for mother and weep
myself to sleep. From thence God's goodness
had followed me every step of my pathway until
the present, and now had filled me unutterably
full of his love. I exclaimed, It is an answer to
the prayers of my good old foster mother. I im¬
mediately consecrated my life to his service,
which I felt wrould be too short to perfect his
praise. This was in the year 1828. I united
with the church without delay and was baptized
around the holy altar of the same church in
which I was convicted." Early had a good voice
for singing, an exercise in which he was almost
always engaged. His voice could always be
LS
Life and Labors of
heard in the mellow strains of the church music
in which he delighted to join. This was a pow¬
er which he employed for doing much good in
after years.
Immediately after joining the church, Early
says he felt a strong impulse to do something
definite in the Master's cause. He was allowed
to lead prayer meetings and to lead singing,
and to assist in other duties of the church.
He was appointed Superintendent of the Sunday-
school, in which he obtained good success. He
took much delight in performing such duties as
he was able, and in them he felt great liberty.
But this work did not satisfy the longings of
his soul. He had heard a voice within calling
him to a higher and nobler work than man could
prescribe for him. He was not disobedient to
the heavenly injunction, but commenced at once
to exhort his fellowmen to flee from the wrrath
to come, and wherever he could find the oppor¬
tunity he did not fail to proclaim the message
received from God for the redemption of his fel-
lowman.
In the year 1833, Early received an exhort-
er's license from the M. E. Church, and continued
in the good work. " In the meanwhile,1' says he,
Ect\ Jordan IH. E<irh/.
.19
"■ I embraced every opportunity to improve my
mind so that I might be better prepared to per¬
form the duties that were incumbent upon me in
my religious caieer. When about eighteen years
of age I formed a resolution that I would learn to
read and write. Being in bondage, of course, I
had no opportunity to attend school. I made
my desires known to a Presbyterian minister
who seemed to have great sympathy for me.
He proposed to teach me in the evenings if I
would come to him. I gladly accepted the offer
and began at once to receive lessons. My progress
was slow, for I had often to be absent from the
city on my trips up and down the river ; but I
persevered until I could read well enough to
serve all my purposes. While the boat on which
I was employed was plying between New Or¬
leans and St. Louis, the mate was kind enough
to give me writing lessons. In those days we
had no printed copies; so he proposed to write
them for me and I was extremely glad of the of¬
fered favors. Though these opportunities were
meager and cost me money, they were gratefully
acceptedas being of invaluable service to me. Thus
I applied myself to the task and employed all
the spare moments I could command, until I
20 Life and Labors of Ecc. J. IT. Earh/.
could write a creditable hand. In this way the
good Lord provided for the future in putting it
into my heart to learn what I could, so that I
might be one of the pioneers of African Metho¬
dism in the Western States." He further says :
" If I could then have seen the many thou¬
sands before whom I would stand in the future, I
would have exclaimed, Lord I am too small for
the great work required of me. But then I found
this precious promise to be true: ' Sufficient
unto the day shall thy strength be.' Step by step
was I led by his Spirit, and hour by hour was I
protected by his mercy, till my whole being, my
time, my talent, and all I had, was absorbed in
his work."
CHAPTER III.
Up to this time, 1832, Early had been a mem¬
ber of the Methodist Episcopal Church, but now
African Methodism had been introduced and a
small membership had organized themselves into
a church, with the efforts of Rev. William Paul
Quinn. In so doing he saw that his usefulness
would be greatly extended, and that he could
have better access to his people. " I had been
some years preparing myself for the Gospel," he
says, " and I had acquired some experience in
the work. In the year 1836 I applied for a li¬
cense to preach, and received it from the hand
of Rev. George W. Johnson who had come to us
from the Ohio Conference.
" William Paul Quinn, the indomitable leader
of African Methodism in the West, as I have al¬
ready stated, had introduced it in the city of St.
Louis, and Brooklyn, Illinois, but the people of
that persuasion had no houses in which to wor¬
ship. Thus far their meetings were all held in
private houses, and on account of the growing
(21)
22
Life atxJ Lahore of
power of slavery they were necessarily obliged to
proceed very cautiously, but they often con¬
sulted about the utility of making preparations
to permanently establish and build up the
Church. For they were persuaded that it would
be the Church of all others peculiarly adapted to
their present want. The spirit of independence
demonstrated by their retiring to themselves to
avoid the humiliating circumstances in which
proscription placed them, and that they might
independently transact their own business,
thrilled the hearts of many intelligent persons
with joy."
Early and some others obtained a small log
cabin near the end of Main street in which they
began to hold meetings. They earnestly solicited
the attendance of their many friends. Great was
their rejoicing when they could meet " under
their own vine and tig tree,'' and the members
increased rapidly. So much did they grow in
favor with the people that after awhile they
found it necessary to seek for better quarters, for
which purpose they empowered a committee to
negotiate. They obtained an old mission house
from the Presbyterians, on the corner of Seventh
and Washington streets. " This,1' says he, u we
Rev. Jordan IF. Early.
23
repaired and made stronger, and decorated so as
to be quite comfortable and attractive." The
public gladly tendered their help and sympath}r,
and they had frequent outpourings of the Holy
Spirit which greatly encouraged them to press
forward in their good work. Though they cou^i
not see to the end, their faith was strong and they
felt that they were moved by a supernatural
power and led by an unseen hand, which was
soon to bring them out of the house of bondage
and wilderness of superstition into the fair land
of freedom and prosperity. To worship Clod
without fear or molestation was a boon for
which they scarcely dared to ask. To have the
privilege of obtaining moral or religious training,
free of those terrible restrictions to which preju¬
dice and power subjected them, was something
for which they had not dared to hope. But still
they struggled on. God was preparing them foi;
a ""bright and noble future.
In the year 1832 was about the time of Nat
Turner's insurrection, on account of which the
colored people suffered untold barbarity and per¬
secution in many of the Southern states. These
were perilous times, and none but men and wom¬
en of the bravest hearts and most daring minds
24
Life and Labors of
were able to brook the terrible pressure of the law
and public sentiment. This faithful band was
forbidden to hold night meetings unless preached
to by a white man, while others were prevented
from attending at all. Early was very closely
allied to a certain friend named Martial. These
two young men had made themselves very use¬
ful among the better class of rich people, and had
in this way obtained much favor and respect
from them. These readily recommended them
to the authorities of the city and solicited their
favor in behalf of their cause in church matters.
The Mayor and others prevented the patrol, who
were ever present, from injuring or arresting
them and otherwise maltreating them, so their
meetings in the mission house were gloriously
successful, and notwithstanding all these obstacles,
grew in interest continually. Early says, " In
the meantime I exhorted and preached, having
charge of the church when there was no regular
preacher present, and assisting as steward and
trustee, when we could obtain the services of
any one for a time, and in conducting the finan¬
cial interests of the church and building up
the Sabbath-school. Scores of souls were con¬
verted to God and added to the church under
Rev. Jordan II'. Earhj.
25
the labors of the faithful servants of God when
they could be obtained, and the never-ceasing
vigilance of these young men who labored in the
cause of Christ because they loved it, and propa¬
gated the cause of African Methodism, because
it partially satiated their thirst for freedom and
progress, which began to stir the hearts of all in¬
telligent colored people. The mission house now
began to be toosmall to accommodate thelarge and
intelligent audiences that attended their meet¬
ings, so they obtained a large hall on Broadway,
over the engine house, near the centre of the
city, and held their meetings there. As our
members still increased and our meetings be¬
came more popular, we began to discuss the
propriety of buying a lot and building a suitable
edifice in which to worship God." Through
years of struggle and toil they had pursued with
undeviating purpose the object of their intense
desire, and now they can see the accomplishment
just ahead of all their ardent wishes.
If we notice these years of progress, we can
perceive how human efforts develop ability, and
what etfect freedom of speech and united action
have in enlightening and elevating true manhood.
Weak and helpless in the humility of their be-
26
Life und Labors of
ginning, they have expanded in magnitude and
grown in power, until their influence is felt in
every department of society. They commenced
as soon as circumstances would permit, to devise
means to get money and lay it by until they
could gather a sufficient quantity to make the
purchase of a lot. At the end of two years they
found a lot on the corner of Eleventh and Green
streets for sale. They bought it and commenced
to build. Says Early, u I ehtered fully into the
work, giving my money, my time, and all the
talent that I had, for what I deemed to be such a
glorious work. All hands assisted with might
and will. The women, as well as the men, did
most valiant work, both in giving and collecting
money, and in due time the Church arose to the
exceeding joy and satisfaction of all concerned.
The church was built of brick. It had an audi¬
ence room and gallery, and was seated with pews.
There was also a basement where the Sabbath-
school and classes were to meet. It cost five
thousand dollars, which was a great sum for
those days." They felt strong in taking posses¬
sion of their new house. They were now a fully
organized and progressive church, with their
trustees, stewards, leaders, and salaried pastor.
Bee. Jordan TfT. Early.
27
Early says, "• None rejoiced with more solid
joy than I did, for I had labored so long and hard
to accomplish this object, and now it was com¬
pleted and stood as a monument of the mercies
of God.1' This was in the year 1840.
CHAPTER IV
Previous to 1840, Early had been ordained to
deacon's orders at the Annual Conference which
met at Indianapolis, Ind., in the year 1838.
This fact gave him a better opportunity to labor
for the Church, and to further expand the
capacity he had already acquired. He had often
felt a desire to extend the work wherever oppor¬
tunities would permit, and he says, " I let none
pass me which I did not improve. I had occa¬
sion to remain some time in the cities of Burling¬
ton and Dubuque, Iowa. While there I engaged
heartily in the Church work, and I trust that I
was the humble instrument in bringing souls to
Christ. From thence I passed on to Galena, 111.,
where my business often called me. While
there the thought occurred to me to establish an
A. M. E. Church in that place. I called the
people together and told them what my desire
was. They were glad to hear the proposal to
organize a Church of that denomination. A
number of persons gave their names as members
(28)
Life and Labor* of Rev. J. W. Earl;/. 29
and wished to establish a permanent church;
but they had no house in which to worship.
They resolved to build one, and for the purpose
of consulting about the matter they assembled
together and agreed on a plan, and concluded to
try it. They bought a lot on a respectable street
and began to make necessary preparations for
building." Though only serving in a local ca¬
pacity, Early assisted in the work of construction.
In those days of hardships and inconveniences,
men were not easily baffled in their pursuits. If
they could not command money, they could
labor with their hands. Early says, u When we
repaired to the quarry for stone to lay the foun¬
dation, I was the first to open the earth and dig
out a stone, they hauled it to the place and built
the foundation with rejoicing, and the corner
stone was laid in its proper place." The Church
arose by means of great effort and much labor,
and in due time African Methodism was estab¬
lished in that town also, and that church in
after years became a flourishing station. It was the
same in which Bishop Shorter was convicted and
converted. Seeing the fruits of his labor so
manifest, he says, " I was filled with such zeal
for the extension of the Church that no difficul-
30
Life and Lahors of
ties or obstacles could turn me from my course.
Though m}T home was in St. Louis, and my
family resided there, my business often called
me to other cities, and frequently to those at a
great distance from the one in which I lived, I
never failed to make an effort to establish our
favorite Church wherever I went.
" About the year 1842 I had business which
caused me to spend much time in the city of
New Orleans. While there I saw the need of an
African Methodist Church being established.
The people were intelligent and desired to im¬
prove their condition, but Avere much hampered
by oppression and prescriptive laws, and needed
the stimulating influence of just such a Church,,
because it carried with it the spirit of progress. It
declared that God is our father and man our
equal and not our oppressor, and it taught the
laws of self-government. They asked no man's
permission where or how they should worship
God, but they worshiped him according to his
own word."
Early says, " I began to ponder in my mind
how my designs might be accomplished. I fre¬
quently asked God to give me light on the sub¬
ject and direct my course so that I could not fail
Rrr. Jordan W. Earhr.
31
to use the right methods to reach the end I so
much desired. Hope sprang up in my heart as
I pursued the matter further, though the pros¬
pect seemed gloomy at its first conception. I
was closel}7 allied to a number of men who were
members of the masonic fraternity. My mind
led me to confer with them on the utility of
making the effort to start a church of that kind.
They agreed to try the project, provided permis¬
sion could be obtained from the state authorities.
Brother James Hunter, a man of worth and in¬
tegrity, had a friend who was a member of the
Legislature of the State of Lousiana. He pre¬
vailed on that friend to bring a bill before that
body, asking permission to establish an African
Methodist Episcopal Church. It passed that
such should be established for free people of color,
provided they should meet at any hour between
sunrise and sunset. No meetings could be held
in any colored church after sunset. They
secured a charter under those restrictions, and
I commenced immediately to draw the people
together. The incorporation was given to the
African Methodist Episcopal Church, and under
that name the people gladly assembled, both
bond and free, to sing and pray and hear exhor-
32
Ltfi <tltd Labor* of
tations. We were obliged to meet in private
houses and that with great caution. We often
had to conceal ourselves from the police, meet¬
ing in an obscure room as far back from the
streets as possible, and keep a watchman on duty
near the opening of the alley, so that he might
send a signal back to us and we might be able to
disperse without being detected. No one who
has only lived in the present generation can
form the least conception of the terrors and dis¬
quietudes which the colored people experienced
who lived in the slave holding states. That ne¬
farious system of human oppression aimed to
crush out all the light of the human soul. It
made no compromise with wisdom or worth. All
it called for was the utter subjection and degra¬
dation of the man— soul, body and spirit, in con¬
sequence of which there was a constant jealousy
and suspicion exercised toward free colored peo¬
ple, for fear that they might diffuse some practi¬
cal knowledge among the slaves or excite them
to desire freedom, which seemed to overshadow
their minds with a constant dread and appre¬
hension of evil. We were always under the ban
of the law. They kept the patrol, who were like
thirsty bloodhounds on the track of human se-
R<'i\ Jordan TJr. Early.
curity, ever present with us, and those who were
most intelligent among us were compelled to re¬
sort to many devices to evade their intended
cruelty. Thus the years passed on and our
numbers increased until they were too numer¬
ous to be accommodated in private quarters, and
we began to think about providing better ac¬
commodations. Our proceedings were watched
with the utmost vigilance on all sides by the
slaveholders and other enemies of the infant
Church, for fear that we might make some innova¬
tions on their old and settled usages. We were
often threatened with terrible penalties if we did
not desist from our course. But we trusted in
God, believing that he was stronger than man, and
pressed forward against all opposing forces.1'
Says Early, " And the liberty and satisfaction
I felt in exhorting and leading that precious
band forward amply repaid me for all my toil.
After a number of years had passed we began to
make preparations to build a house of worship.
We purchased a piece of ground on Romer
street, on which we erected a beautiful house,
which was dedicated ' St. James Chapel.' While
all this was transpiring, so great was the hostil¬
ity of the members of other churches exercised
3
u
Life and Lahore of
against us, who constantly endeavored to stir
up the public by circulating false reports, I was
often compelled to conceal myself through the
week to avoid personal violence or the penalties
of the law, and would repair to the church on
Sabbath and preach to the people, because they
had no authority to arrest us on the Sabbath.
Finally through the course of years of difficulties
and trials, we were enabled to triumph over all
obstacles, and the membership now was sufficient¬
ly large to sustain a pastor, and Brother Charles
Doughty was installed as such in the year 1847.
" At this distant period when I look back over
those years of danger and toil, I wonder at the
amazing goodness of God, who, amidst the pro¬
testations and invectives of such implacable ene¬
mies, did by the strength of his Almighty hand
and the tenderness of his mercies, protect us from
their wrath and lead us safely by the still wraters
of consolation, till we, with the crown of success
encircling our brow, could exclaim, 'Victory,' in
the name of Him who has saved us by grace. I
am filled with wonder at the courage that was
granted to us—that we in the face of the cruel
magistrates of the law and the bloody whipping
post and torture of the lash and the deathlike
Rct\ Jordan If. Ectrli/.
35
grip of the stocks, could with undaunted
courage go forward.
u There is one circumstance that assisted me
much. I was acquainted with many respectable
citizens and became quite intimate with some
who were more compassionate than others.
These often interfered in our behalf and screened
us from the vile intentions of our enemies. This
work being finished, I was called and repaired to
other parts of the Master's vineyard, blessing God
that I had been counted worthy to labor in his
holy cause.''
He says, further, in commenting on these
times of hardships and trials, " I cannot forget
those brethren who labored with me in building
up the cause of African Methodism : Brother
Robert Martial, Brothers James Boyd and James
Harris, of St. Louis, Mo., and Brother Doughty
and others, of New Orleans ; so godly, so vigi¬
lant, so zealous, always abounding in the work of
the Lord. Though they are all long since gone to
their rest, their memory still lingers with me,
and their works of love and words of cheer will
follow me till the end of my mortal existence.
" I could now see the hand of God directing
me in my course as a local preacher, while the
86 Life and Luborx of Ecr. J. TIT. Eurli/.
churches were in an infant state and struggling
for existence. Not able to employ regular
pastors, they could only get preaching as they
could find now and then men who were kind
enough to sympathize with their condition.
Sometimes an Episcopalian would furnish them
a sermon, and sometimes men of other denomi¬
nations wrould preach; but the local preachers
were always ready for every good word and
wrork. I found myself adapted to this work, for*
I could carry on my secular business, and also
attend to the work which devolved upon a local
preacher. It was a wrork that I felt an especial
call to perform. To exhort and pray and preach
and stimulate the flock and keep up the regular
meetings and ward off the assaults of the many
enemies of the Church, was my highest delight
and most sacred duty."
CHAPTER V.
"Oar Church wherever established was called
an abolition church, which made the slaveholders
suspicious of its proceedings, and sometimes the
members and local preachers were brought before
courts of justice to answer for the absence of
some slave who had made his escape. At one
time, in the year 1846, some enemy of the cause
reported that I knew something about some per¬
sons who were missing. I was called before the
grand jury to answer to the charge. The fore¬
man asked me what I knew about the ' under¬
ground railroad.' I asked him to explain what
it was, for I never had seen a railroad under¬
ground. He said that it Avas ' Abolition.' Then
I asked what he thought ' abolition ' meant; and
he said, 'Stealin<j nigger* /' I told him I thought
1 abolition' meant to abolish or to put an end to
anything. I told him that I did not steal. If
I did, I would certainly steal myself first. Then
he asked me what I would do if I sawr one run¬
ning away. I told him I would give him a dol-
(37)
38
Life and Labor* of
lar and tell him to run with all his might! The
last answer seemed to amuse them, and finding
they could elicit nothing from me I was released.
I knew that I was in a critical condition, for if it
could be proven that any man assisted in the
least one who was making his escape, the punish¬
ment would be very severe.
" About these times the laws of Missouri were
such that no man could transact business in any
part of the state or city, unless he were a citizen
or had a permit from proper authorities. Bishop
Payne had occasion to visit the church in St.
Louis, but had failed to obtain the proper au¬
thority from the city officers. The enemies of
African Methodism, who were always on the
alert, had him arrested and brought before a
magistrate. We employed an attorney for him,
a Mr. Shreeves, who was a shrewd lawyer. He
was indicted, but the name was given u Tom
Payne," instead of Daniel A. Payne, from which
fact his lawyer contended that he was not the
man, and he was released. The lawyer told me
to take him immediately, for he was my man.
I hurried him out of court and put him into my
carriage. I had a swift horse, and if ever a horse
was made to travel, my horse did that day. We
Rev. Jordan TP. Earl3(.)
crossed the ice on the Mississippi, for it was win¬
ter, and landed him safely in the State of Illi¬
nois, in the house of Mrs. Priscilla Baltimore,
where he was out of danger.
u After years of constant and hopeful labor
we were made truly glad to see abundant fruit
the proceeds of our labor. African Methodism
being fully established in St. Louis, it extended
its influence through the surrounding communi¬
ties. The church established at New Orleans
had won the attention of many parts of the South,
and the work was fast spreading. About the
year 1851, I began to think of the itinerant
work. I thought seriously and prayerfully
over the matter and asked for God's direction,
that he might assist me in making my decision. I
finally concluded to extend the missionary
work through St. Louis county, and for some
distance around in adjoining counties. I visited
Carondelet, about eight miles from the city. I
gathered the people together and made known
to them my intentions. I set forth the doctrines
of the A. M. E. Church and urged the utility of
forming a society of that persuasion. They ac¬
cepted the offer and we formed a mission with
twenty-five members. We then organized a
40
Life and Labor* of
church and appointed a leader and other officers.
The people were glad, and thanked Clod for the
advent of a Church which guaranteed to them so
much religious liberty. They prayed earnestly
and their number grew, and their meetings were
the source of much good."
Early was diligent in his work, and the or¬
ganization became permanent, and the church
grew into a station in after years, with its trus¬
tees, stewards and leaders, and a permanent
Sabbath-school attached to it. Rev. Moses Dixon
was its first regular pastor. It then met in a rented
house, but die members were not satisfied with
such scanty quarters. They soon rallied their
numbers and purchased a piece of ground, the
very spot which they were then renting, and
built an excellent church.
''The next place that I visited was Kirkwood,
Missouri, a town about twelve miles from the
city of St. Louis. This was in 1858. There I
organized a church with ten or twelve members.
They formed a class and started a regular prayer
meeting. These means of grace had a tendercy
not only to strengthen the membership, but they
placed a strong incentive before others of like
persuasion, until their members increased suf-
Rev. Jortho) IF'. Ear!//.
41
ficiently to warrant a permanent organization.
They elected trustees, appointed stewards and
leaders, and organized a Sabbath-school, in which
to instruct their young people in the truths of
the Gospel. In course of time they built them¬
selves a good, substantial edifice in which to
worship God.
" The first place I visited and established a
church was at St. Charles on the Missouri river.
The next was Roach Port. In both places these
organizations became permanent, and was the
means of accomplishing much good.
" In each of the above named places our la¬
bors were blessed to the conversion of many
souls, some of whom in a short time passed safe¬
ly through the valley and shadow of death, and
found their rest in the bright realms of everlast¬
ing day.
"The next place in which I introduced African
Methodism was Washington, Missouri. I there
called the people together and organized a church
in a private house ; but the people hearing of the
advent of our Church into the city, came together
in such numbers that we were obliged to obtain
the court house in which to hold our meetings.
We worshiped there until the membership
42
Life <in<l Labor* of
was strong enough to build a church, which they
accomplished in a short time, and became a per¬
manent station with a salaried pastor, and it was
the means of salvation to many souls."
There is something remarkable about the inde¬
pendence seen in the pioneer builders of the A.
M. E. Church. The infant churches belonging to
large bodies received financial help from the
Mother Church ; but these seldom asked or re¬
ceived help from any source. They seemed to rely
entirely on their own efforts, sustained by the
power of God.
The next point Early visited, was Jefferson
City, Missouri, in 1853. Here as in all other places
when African Methodism was introduced, they
could find no public place in Avhich to worship.
They were obliged to resort to private houses, as
Paul did in the city of Home. A good brother,
who was deeply interested in the work, opened
his doors and they gladly accepted the opportu¬
nity. He says, " I gathered as many people to¬
gether as I could find aud formed a class consist¬
ing of ten or twelve members, and appointed a
leader to conduct the meetings, and also appointed
regular prayer meetings which were well attended.
The young people were very fond of our ordi-
Rev. Jordan IT. Early, 43
nances and were present at all times. The Sab¬
bath-school was well attended and the church
membership was soon large enough to erect a
church. They employed a regular pastor. In
time it became a station/'
CHAPTER VI.
In all the efforts of early Methodism the class
meetings had a peculiar fascination about them
which accompanied no other means of grace.
They were then held with closed doors and per¬
sons would often accompany their friends who
belonged to the church, and stand about the
house in which they were assembled, and listen
with intense eagerness to catch, if possible, a
single word that might be spoken within doors,
and would listen with rapt attention to the songs
that were sung so full of life and power. Many
persons date their conviction and conversion
to these sacred influences. African Methodism
carried with it a remarkably stimulating influ¬
ence to incite people to grasp after a greater
amount of intelligence. Wherever a church was
organized a Sabbath-school was sure to follow.
A well sustained day school would spring up
and industry and thrift Avere discernible on all
sides among the people.
" The next place I visited," Early says, " was
(44)
Life and Labors of Rer. ,T. TP. Early. 45
Louisiana, Pike County, Missouri. There the
people seemed to be waiting for the summons to
enlist in the Army of the Lord, under the ban¬
ner of African Methodism. The people rallied
to the standard and we organized a church which
stands to-day, where the faithful continue to
meet to worship God. Then I crossed the great
Missouri and organized in Boonville, Missouri.
There with the usual readiness and joy the peo¬
ple came together and joined in praise and prayer
to God. I always found an earnest few who
were anxiously looking for the incoming of the
kingdom of Christ. That select number I found
here. They united in a church, and many soon
joined their ranks, and in course of a short time
they had a strong mission, and many rejoiced in
the new found love of Christ their Redeemer.
This mission, too, soon built themselves a place
to worship and had a regular pastor. In St.
Joseph, Missouri, I established a mission attended
with the usual success, which, with the energy
of the people sustained by the mercies of God,
in a short time became a strong and active church.
I visited Weston on the Missouri river and there
established a mission which grew and prospered,
and in the course of time was the means of the
46
Life <ni<l Labors of
salvation of many souls.'" The difficulties which
the pioneer ministers encountered are not known
to or experienced by the ministers of the pres¬
ent day.
Early says, " When I first entered into the
mission field of the A. M. E. Church, we had no
stations or circuits in the West, and not even
houses in which to worship.'1
In all the slave states oppression and preju¬
dice were at their height of power. Strong
and bitter enemies assailed us on every side,
and dangers awaited them continually ; for there
were no means of travel except on horseback or
on foot. There were very few bridges over the
rivers, and often while fording the streams on
horses, the Christian travelers would be nearly
submerged by water ; yet they were undaunted,
and counted it all joy to suffer for their Mas¬
ter's cause. For God sustained and comforted
them. But, Oh ! how times have changed. We
can sing our loud hallelujahs without being
watched by sentinels, or reported to magistrates,
or incarcerated in prisons.
" The years had rolled along from 1833, when
I first was licensed to exhort, till it was ap¬
proaching the year 1851. Through the decade
Bcr. Jordan TF. Early.
47
from 1840 to 1850 I labored incessantly in the
mission work, though most of the time in a local
capacity, supporting and educating my family
without aid from the churches. Now I come
with many trophies to lay at the Master's feet.
I had been ordained deacon for some years. In
the year 1853 I thought of entering fully into
the itinerant work which would be to me better
vantage ground to prosecute the battle so suc¬
cessfully begun. When I looked back over the
labors which I had passed through, I could but
exclaim, 'What hath God wrought through an
instrument of clay1—so many churches standing
as monuments of God's mercies, and a member¬
ship increased from a persecuted few, scattered
here and there, to thronging thousands, mostly
of sober, respectable people. I rejoiced not only
that my work had not been in vain, but that
the cause which I so much loved was widening
and deepening in all directions. The moun¬
tains of the East echoed with the glad song of
the redeemed, while the prairies * of the West
were resonant with God's praise.
" God had, as I always believed, directed my
course through the many years that I had strug¬
gled along in the ministry, striving to mark out
48
Life and Labor* of
a pathway for the advancement of that great
and powerful Church which should so soon ex¬
tend itself over the land, gathering in so many
thousands of the oppressed sons and daughters
of Africa. I now felt safe in believing that he was
now moving on my heart to enter the itinerant
ranks. Accordingly I arranged my business with
an idea of taking the field. The missionaries had
widened the boundaries of the Church in every
direction, and many of the states had received
African Methodism, and large circuits were
formed in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and other
states. A great many missions had been estab¬
lished in Missouri, Louisiana, Kentucky, Arkan¬
sas and Mississippi. Conferences had been held
in the State of Indiana, whose jurisdiction ex¬
tended over Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky.
In these Conferences the missionary question
was freely discussed, and a committee appointed
to look after its condition. The temperance
question also received some attention, for the
Discipline of the Church discarded the use of
strong drink among its members. The Sabbath-
schools were made a necessary appendage of the
Church, and the question received much atten¬
tion in the Conferences. There were many reso-
i?<T. Jordan TT. Ear/t/. 41*
lutions passed on these important topics, after
which many enlightening discussions would
follow. In the year of ISoo or 1X54 I entered
the traveling list under the auspices of the
Indiana Conference. Sometime afterwards I
was sent to Chester Circuit, 111., where I took in
Sparta and all the region round. On this cir¬
cuit I found much work to do, and much good
followed."
Early says in performing these arduous duties
for which he had no precedent: u I had such
firm trust in God that I had no thought of fail¬
ing. ' Onward,1 was my motto, through every
opposition until the appointed work Avas fin¬
ished."
CHAPTER VII.
The perilous times of the civil war were now
approaching, and it was both dangerous and
difficult to travel in the Southern and Western
states, even with a pass from the chief military
officers of the district.
"About the year 1SG1 I was appointed to the
Shawneetown Circuit, 111., which consisted of
six counties. The appointments were numerous,
but each one was filled every two weeks. This
arrangement required me to preach every day,
and often two or three times a day. I was ac¬
customed to ride thirty or forty miles a day to
reach an appointment to be filled at night, stop¬
ping often to preach by the way and then hurry¬
ing on so as to reach my evening meetings to
preach to an overflowing congregation. The
horrors and dangers of the civil war were then
to be encountered, and it required an unusual
amount of courage and boldness for any man to
be able to go through the country on any
errand."
(50|
Life and Labor# of R< r. J. IT. Ear!//. 51
Early says at one time while on his circuit
there was a mob raging through the surround¬
ing district, which assailed many of the colored
people, beating some and wounding others.
This treatment brought on a conflict between
the two parties and two of the mob were killed
and a number more were wrounded. The next
day, not knowing what had happened, he went to
his appointment. The best of the citizens knew
to what danger he would be exposed. A number
of them mounted their horses and surrounded
the church and guarded it until the meeting wTas
over. So he escaped unhurt.
A short time afterward, he says it was re¬
ported that he was a fugitive from slavery, with
live hundred dollars reward offered for his arrest
and delivery to the proper authorities. He says :
" While on the road to my appointment I was
overtaken by a man who insisted that I was a
runaway slave and desired me to surrender im¬
mediately. I told him I wrould not, but I ac¬
companied him back some miles to a magistrate
where I found a number of men assembled who
bore the most formidable aspect. They insisted
on my being detained and held for proof of my
identity. I told them that they did not dare to
52
Lift <ni<l Labor* of
detain me without a warrant from an officer of
the government. The magistrate agreed with
me. I knew that they were well armed and
would give me trouble if they could get me into
their power; but while they went out to regale
themselves with a fresh drink, I gave the squire
the sign of the Masonic fraternity, which he ac¬
knowledged, and I showed him my papers both
from the government and my native state. He
immediately refused to have anything more to do
with me, so after I had been delayed several
hours I went on my way and reached my ap¬
pointment in time to preach to a large assembly
at night." He further says, " There were great
revivals in those years of trials and danger. Such
outpourings of the spirit of God as I have never
seen before or since. Hundreds of souls were
converted to Clod and brought into the church:
and often for days together in many places their
shouts and songs of praise could be heard far
and near while they continued together singing
and praying and listening to the dispensation of
the words of life. Surely God was with us. We
have been made to feel that the good influences
of this work will never cease wThile memory lasts
or time endures. My year's labor came to a close,
Rri\ Jordan ir. Ear/it.
and I repaired to the Annual Conference which
met in St. Paul, St. Louis. We had an interest¬
ing time, at the close of which I received my ap¬
pointment from Bishop Quinn to St. Louis cir¬
cuit. The work was accompanied with the usual
circumstances of building up missions, but I
kept constantly at work. A number of
members were added to the church and the so¬
cieties though small, were lively and active. I
paid much attention to Sabbath-schools, bring¬
ing in not only the children of the members,
but as many of the young men and women for
helpers as I could persuade to come from the
surrounding community. In so doing we se¬
cured many members for the church that we
could not have obtained otherwise. The year
passed on and the influence of our Church ex¬
tended further each month. The Conference for
1864 was drawing nigh. It was to meet in St.
Louis, and I prepared my report of the work
done. We met and with joy rehearsed the many
fought battles and the many victories won. The
session was an interesting one. The various
committees reported and discussions followed.
The committee on Temperance, State of the
Country, Education, and Missions were all
54
Life and Labor# of
handled with much interest. The ^business of
the Conference being finished we all prepared
for our departure. The Conference was presided
over by Bishop W. P. Quinn, and I was sent to
Carondelet Circuit. I entered on my work
with renewed vigor. The people gave me their
confidence, for I had labored with them previous
to this time. I found the membership to be over
one hundred. They were lively and active and
faithful in the performance of their duty. I
labored incessantly to build up the work in the
church and to spread its influence as far as possi¬
ble. My desire was gratified to some extent. I
lived to see churches spring up in every direction
through the State and circuits formed in many
places."
"In September, 18(55, we repaired to St. James
Chapel, New Orleans, to attend the Annual Con¬
ference presided over by Bishop J. P. Campbell.
The brethren came together bearing with them
good tidings of their past year's labor. They had
won many trophies for their Master. This Con¬
ference was conducted in an earnest and lively
manner, many things being considered which
were intended to advance our future interest. In
those days when the advantages for education
Rev. Jordan ]JT. Ear};/.
were few the ministers were required to engage
in as much private study as was compatible with
their other duties, and to bring in a written arti¬
cle on some specified topic, to be read and
criticised by the Bishop and Conference. This
they found to be a great means of improving
their minds. There were many such read before
this Conference on a certain day appointed for the
purpose. The discussions following were instruct¬
ive and interesting in the highest degree. I served
as one of the committee on the subject of Mis¬
sions, and our chairman made a lively and inter¬
esting report. The Temperance question was
discussed and the ministers were required to
preach a sermon during the course of the year
on that especial topic. Education was a theme
of much interest and the ministers were required
to do all in their power to enlighten their own
minds and to encourage the building up of schools.
This very interesting session of Conference final¬
ly came to a close, and the ministers, with
many thanks to the good people of New Orleans,
prepared to take their departure to their several
appointments. My own assignment was to As-
bury Chapel, Louisville, Kentucky. I was now
called upon to bid farewell to the scenes I loved
50 Life (iinl Labor* of Rec. J. TT. Early.
so dearly, and take my departure to a new and
untried field of labor. The churches in Missouri
and Illinois and Louisiana were dear to me, not
only because I had spent so many years of faith¬
ful labor among them, but it was while with them
I received the unction that had sustained me and
urged me forward so long. In St. Louis I was
converted, and there I received license to exhort
in the year 1833.
u In the Missouri Conference I was licensed to
preach the everlasting gospel of Christ. I had
while a member of the Indiana Conference re¬
ceived the holy orders of deacon in the year 1840,
and afterward while in the Missouri Conference I
was ordained elder, in the year 184(> by Bishop
Payne. I had built up many missions which
Avere noAv organized into stations and circuits,
and Avere represented in the Annual Conferences.
In St. Louis I had entered into the family rela¬
tion and there after years of happy consort I had
laid my dear wife in the grave. All these hal¬
lowed associations I Avas now called upon to
leave.'1
CHAPTER VIII.
''In the year 18<>51 took charge of Asbury Chap¬
el in Louisville, Kentucky, which was then under
the supervision of the Missouri Conference. It
was a well appointed station and had an active
membership numbering two hundred. The peo¬
ple were pleased with my administration and
filled the church to overflowing, the most respect¬
able people of color in the city attending at each
service. The church enjoyed a continual revival,
and its numbers increased rapidly, and in the
course of the year the membership almost dou¬
bled itself, and African Methodism enjoyed much
favor from all classes of the citizens. The Sab¬
bath-school, under the leadership of an efficient
superintendent, grew in numbers weekly and re¬
ceived much favor from the people who sent in
their children from every quarter. The young
people built up a fine choir. The classes were
diligent and fervent, and every department of
the work proceeded in the utmost harmony.
These were in the midst of the most troublesome
(57)
58
Life and Labor* of
times, just after the close of the civil war, and
the hostilities between the different sections had
scarcely ceased ; but the hand of the good Lord
was leading us, and his power protecting us, and
those who had seemed to be our most uncompro¬
mising enemies became our friends, and the }rear
passed off without incidents from that quarter.
"But in the midst of all this prosperity and the
endearments with which I was surrounded, T was
called upon in the month of October, 18<>(>, to re¬
pair to the Annual Conference which would con¬
vene in St. Paul Chapel, St. Louis, Missouri,
presided over by Bishop J. F. Campbell.
The cholera was raging in that city at the time;
but as faithful servants of God, no one seemed to
fear the danger that attended their going.
Each member came up with boldness and pre¬
sented himself at the proper time and at the
place appointed. The Conference opened its
session at the appointed hour and all the mem¬
bers answered to the roll call. But the dreaded
intruder had hurled his shaft at one of their
number, and the angel of death spread his dark
wings over that consecrated bod)' and bore from
their number their much loved friend and broth¬
er, Austin Woodfork. After a very solemn but
AVr. Jordan TP. Etirf//.
51)
pleasant and interesting session, the appoint¬
ments were announced for the following year. I
was much surprised to know that I was assigned
to South Nashville, Tennessee. It was a hard
trial for me to leave my beloved station with
such bright prospects before me for future suc¬
cess. But the Master had called and I conferred
not with my own inclinations, but proceeded im¬
mediately to obey the summons. I bade farewell
to my beloved congregation, settled up my busi¬
ness, and took my departure. Arriving at the
mission I immediately called the people together
and preached my first sermon from Acts x. 29:
11 ask therefore for what intent ye have sent
for me?' It is impossible at this date to con¬
ceive what effect it had on the people. Every
heart seemed to respond to the question of the
great Apostle, and the whole Church of Nash¬
ville seemed to arouse to immediate action. To
South Nashville Mission were attached eleven
counties viz: Davidson, Rutherford, Bedford,
Cotf'ee, Sumner, Trousdale, Warren, Wilson,
Maury and Giles, to visit all of which it was
necessary to travel several hundred miles. In
some of those counties there had been no A. M.
E. Church established. In South Nashville there
(>0
Life and Lal>orx of
had been a number of members drawn off from
the whites, and Elder Woodfork had charge of
them a part of the previous year. They were then
meeting with much opposition so that they could
make but slow advancement; yet they were not
discouraged, for their faces were toward the future,
and their hands and hearts were lifted toward
heaven and their confidence was placed in God.
" After various efforts to obtain a permanent
place in which to worship and being sadly dis¬
appointed, for in some instances they had been
badly treated, the little band concluded to at¬
tempt to obtain a place that they might call
their own in which to worship. They bargained
for a lot near the corner of South Cherry and
Franklin Streets, at the enormous price of
$7,500, and had not a cent in the treasury with
which to make a payment. Their situation
seemed to be discouraging indeed. But they
had strong energy and high hopes. They were
possessed of willing minds and ready hands,
and they had faith to believe that some day
they would obtain the required money. They
then bought an old frame which had been used
in time of war for a soldiers' mess house. It
stood near by the lot and they proposed to move
Rev. Jordan W. Earh/.
<>1
it on it and fit it up for a church. And thus I
found the situation when I came. I saw im¬
mediately that there was a fine prospect for
building up a good and permanent church. I
called the members together and proceeded to
organize according to Discipline. I had trustees
elected, appointed stewards, arranged the classes,
and established regular prayer meetings, with
the most suitable men we could obtain for
leaders of the same. As soon as this was done
we began to make arrangements to repair the
house. We turned it around laid a floor and
had the walls plastered and had lamps hung
and seats put in sufficient to accommodate
several hundred people, and had it dedi¬
cated by the name of St. Paul Chapel. Then
we commenced to hold our regular meetings by
preaching three times on Sabbath. The con¬
gregation grew so rapidly that it was necessary
to put an addition to the house so as to seat the
constantly growing audience. When the prop¬
osition was made, the church unanimously
went to work. Both men and women seemed
to vie with each other as to which should do
the most in collecting funds. The addition was
soon completed and the church would then ac-
(52
Life and Lahons of
commodate one thousand persons. There was
then great rejoicing and the spiritual work went
011 and grew and prospered daily. There w7as a
continual revival. So much so that no Sabbath
passed without receiving a number of persons
into the church, and there were persons baptized
almost every Sabbath. This condition of spirit¬
ual enjoyment continued for about three years,
in which time I received into the church 99(>
members, all of whom were baptized and regu-
larl}'- enrolled on the class books.r
Early introduced the weekly prayer meetings,
general class meetings, the first Sabbath in each
month, and monthly communions, which drew
the people from every quarter and filled the
house with eager worshipers. The Sabbath-
school was attended by more than four hundred
scholars each Sabbath. Many persons from the
suburban villages joined this church, but the
distance was too far for them to attend their
weekly classes regularly. "After consulting with
the brethren and praying over the matter, Ave
concluded to establish a branch church in Edge¬
field, now East Nashville. In the latter part of
the year 1NG7, we found a lot on Bass street, with
a house that suited us, which we purchased for
Rei\ Jordan If*. Earlj/.
63
$1,500. We organized a church, took possession
of the house, repaired it and placed over it Rev.
Timothy Burton as it pastor. The house was
afterward dedicated under the name of Payne's
Chapel. From about twenty members it has
now become one of our first stations. In the
year 18(>S we organized a church in West Nash¬
ville with about ninety members which we
named Bethel, dedicated it, and placed as pastor
over it, the Rev. Henry Glassgo. This church
has since then built a substantial brick edifice,
and is now a thriving station. In South Nash¬
ville, in the year 1808, we organized a church
with forty members. One of our friends donated
a piece of ground on which we erected a brick
house which was dedicated, Ebenezer Church.
It has since become a station. Its first pastor
was Rev. Charles Russel." In the meanwhile
there were churches organized in all the counties,
over which Earl}' had charge. Houses of wor¬
ship were erected suitable for the times, and the
people gathered into them. The majority of those
churches are now flourishing stations.
Early says, " Besides my arduous work in the
churches in the city, I generally made it conven¬
ient to spend every third Sabbath in some one
64 Life and Labor* of Rcc. J. IT. Ear!;/.
of those eleven counties. It was quite a difficult
matter to reach many parts of the state, there
being few railroads, and only a small number of
places could be reached by them. The common
roads everywhere being in a bad condition, the
traveling was necessarily done on horseback or
in rough wagons, through mountainous parts
where there were no turnpikes or leveled roads,
besides many dangerous rivers to cross."
CHAPTER IX.
u The hostilities occasioned by the civil war
had not ceased, and persons were questioned and
often threatened with violence when they were
passing quietly along. The ' Ku Kluxs' were
numerous in the country, and the people were
frequently interrupted when attempting to
gather together. A collision would often occur
between the two parties, in which persons would
sometimes be wounded or killed, and that wTould
create much sensation, and sometimes trouble
would follow. At one time when in Bedford Coun¬
ty holding meetings, the ' Ivu Kluxs' assailed
a colored family in their own house. The father
of the family shot one of the men, at which they
were greatly enraged and vowed vengeance on
any one they should meet. It was on Saturday
when this occurred, and I was lodging within a
mile or two of the place. Sabbath morning
came and all my friends were afraid for me to
preach. But I started boldly for the church.
When I had almost reached it a number of men
5 (65)
Life Lobars of
came riding up. I dismounted went in and
commenced the service, praying all the while
that God would protect me. Before I concluded
my sermon they retired.
" In Shelby ville, Tenn., the Southern Metho¬
dists gave us a church which would hold about
three hundred persons. We accepted the
gift, and placed in charge Rev. Jeremiah Bow¬
man, who was very successful in his labors. The
church increased in interest until it became a
station. We established a church at Wartrace
and at Macedonia. A pastor named Jefferson
Mackelroy, came over to us with all his mem¬
bers, numbering four hundred persons. When
we convened our first quarterly conference at
Shelby ville, Tenn., fifty local preachers presented
themselves for work. These were of the number
recently taken in. Many of those brethren were
warm and zealous speakers, and had rendered
much help in the Church. A number of them
were presented to the Annual Conference for or¬
dination. Bishop Campbell protested that he
would ordain no man who could neither read
nor write. But after we had explained to him how
much their help was needed, he consented to lay
his hands upon them and to send them into the
Rev. Jordan If'. Early.
67
field. All of them proved themselves to be
worthy followers of their Master, until called
from labor to reward.
u The end of the Conference year began to ap¬
proach, and all prepared themselves to attend the
Annual Conference which was to convene in
August, 1867, in St. Paul Chapel, Nashville,
Tenn. Bishop J. P. Campbell presided. Great
preparations were made to entertain Tennes¬
see's first Annual Conference of the A. M. E.
Church. The people flocked in from every
quarter, and we had an interesting and profit¬
able time. There was much rejoicing at the un¬
paralleled prosperity of the A. M. E. Church.
There were a number of ministers presented for
admission who were accepted and admitted for
orders. They were ordained on the third Sab¬
bath in August, 1867, with impressive ceremonies.
The reports from the different parts of the State
were encouraging in the highest degree. Cir¬
cuits had been formed and traveled and presided
over by efficient and energetic men. There were
a number of churches which had grown large
enough to be denominated stations. These were
given regular salaried pastors. The missionary
work was extending the church in different parts
68
Life ((lid Labor* of
of the State, and from that work was reported
many conversions, and a large number of mem¬
bers brought into the fold. Great interest had
been taken in establishing Sabbath-schools,
the members of which numbered 1,870. The
total membership for St. Paul was 519 ; of the
church, 1,671. The temperance question received
some attention, and much was said on the pro¬
priety of the ministers being sober. At the close
of the Conference, I was appointed to St. Paul
for the second time to serve them as their pastor,
while the work was being pushed forward in
South and East Nashville. Rev. Basil Brooks,
who was stationed at St. John, which he had es¬
tablished, was doing valiant work for the
Master's cause. St. John Chapel, under his wise
administration, had become a flourishing station,
and St. James, and Salem Chapel, which he or¬
ganized in North Nashville, were doing well.
Our work for the second year was very peaceful
and prosperous, all our opponents being silenced
by our quiet vigilance in all our religious mat¬
ters. African Methodism being firmly estab¬
lished in the State, we entertained no further
fears for its future safety.
" I had time to devote to our further improve-
Rev. Jordan TP. Earl)/.
69
ment. I went to the gas company and
bargained with them to put gas pipes from the
main one into the church, which greatly im¬
proved our condition by having the church prop¬
erly Lighted. Then I began to think of intro¬
ducing a choir into the church. I often called
the young people together for the purpose of
practicing what music they then understood. In
the course of the year they formed a choir which
sang in the church. Through the course of the
next year they purchased an organ, and Mrs.
Molly Tuggle was the first organist. She held
the place for a time and was then succeeded by
Miss Mary A. Watson, who has held it ever since.
" The Conference year came to a close, and on
the 10th of September, 1868, the Annual Con¬
ference met in St. John Chapel, Nashville, Ten¬
nessee. When the members assembled and gave
in their reports, we found that it had been a
year of great success in all parts of the district.
Bishop J. A. Shorter presided with his usual
ability. The committees on missions, temper¬
ance, and state of the country, gave good reports.
The membership was not so large this year, be¬
cause so many persons had removed out of the
stations to other cities and also to the country.
70 Life and Lahore of Rev. J. IT. Earl>/.
St. Paul gave in one thousand one hundred and
eight members, six preachers, nine exhorters and
four churches. I was Conference treasurer that
year, bebides serving on several committees. The
Conference came to a close, and I was reap¬
pointed to St. Paul Chapel."
CHAPTER X.
" I took hold of the work in my charge with re¬
newed vigor, for it was my third and last year.
I had attended the General Conference, which
met in Washington, D. C., in May of that >ear,
and was much encouraged by its proceedings,
and refreshed by conversation with many of my
former comrades in the Gospel. When I looked
at the work before me, I was astonished at its ad¬
vancement. There had been many elders and
deacons ordained and sent out on the circuits so
that I was relieved of much of my former work.
I had only three missions to preside over, Frank¬
lin, Goodlettsville and Hartsville, besides my
own charge. We had up to this time been able
to pay the interest on the church debt, but there
had been so many repairs and other expenses to
meet that we had not as yet been able to replen¬
ish the treasury. All this time I had been
schooling the people up to a higher plain of ac¬
tion. We had then a model Sabbath-school,
which numbered six hundred and seventy-three
pupils—these were in regular attendance.
(71)
72
Life and Labors of
" September 1, 1869, we met in Avery Chapel,
Memphis, Tenn. The Confereece was presided
over by Bishop J. A. Shorter, and was large and
well attended. The people of the different
churches and denominations showed a deeper
interest than usual in its proceedings, there be¬
ing large crowds present at every session. All
the business of the Conference was transacted
with the utmost harmony, and peace and good
will seemed to prevail among the brethren. How
strong the A. M. E. Church had become in so
short a time! We were convinced, as good Dr.
Revels often said, that it was ' A child of heaven
rocked in the bosom of God,' and that it was
leading our people, both spiritually and morally,
to a higher plain of action and giving them a
spirit of independence not otherwise known to
them.
" I took charge of Avery Chapel under the most
favorable circumstances. The membership num¬
bered eight hundred and seventy; preachers, seven;
exhorters, five. The Sabbath-school reported two
hundred and sixty scholars. The church was
engaged in a series of prayer meetings, which
were lively and earnest. The people came to¬
gether in great numbers and a revival of religion
Rev. Jordan W. Early. 73
commenced, in which there were more than one
hundred conversions. The congregation was
generally larger than the house could accommo¬
date. There were seldom less than a thousand
present on Sabbath evenings, and very often more.
The membership increased daily, and the classes
were overflowing. There were about eighteen,
and they always rendered a good report. The
young people of all classes came in freely and as¬
sisted in all the services. I soon saw the necessi¬
ty of a good choir. I obtained a good musical
director and had a class well trained for the pur¬
pose. We constructed seats for them, bought an
organ, obtained an organist, and introduced the
choir to the church. All were pleased and the
community was very grateful for their services.
" The church building I found greatly in need
of repair. I called the officers together and con¬
sulted them about the best means to raise the
money for the needed work. We agreed upon a
plan and laid it before the members. They agreed
to do their best in raising the means. They
contributed freely, and all the friends of the
church assisted with a will. The money was
soon obtained, and the repairing was done."
Early says, " I was always a lover of light, so I
74
Life and Labor* of
could not rest until I had the church lighted
with gas. I brought the matter before the
church and they agreed to it and we had the
fixtures put in the house and the gas turned on.
In the year 1870, there was a stirring revival in
the church. Day and night the meetings went on
and many were converted and added to the
church. They were baptized and enrolled on
the class books. The Sabbath-school continued
to increase and the various benevolent societies
of the church flourished and were strong. Several
of the young men who had recently professed
religion felt that they were called of God to
preach the Gospel, and soon applied to their
classes for recommendations to the quarterly con¬
ference for license. They, of course, being found
blameless in life and conversation obtained
their desire. These, added to some other local
preachers already in the church, made a very
strong force to do good. Besides assisting in the or¬
dinances of the church, they did good missionary
work in the surrounding country. Prayer meet¬
ings were frequent and conducted with great
zeal, the women bearing their part with no less
ardor than the men. Surely the presence of the
Lord was with us continually, and warmed every
Lift (lild Lnhorx of
75
earnest heart with heavenly fire. Whenever
those sainted women poured out their souls to
Grod in their accustomed eloquent and fervent
strains, the Holy Ghost seemed to be almost vis¬
ible. The membership was so large that there
was a great amount of pastoral work to be done.
Visiting the sick, burying the dead, performing
the marriage ceremony, and the daily calls of
those persons who wished to obtain advice and
for conversation and prayer, made the work ardu¬
ous in the extreme; but God was with us and
gave us strength in every emergency and com¬
fort in every hour of trial.
uAbout the close of the year 1870, the laboring
force of the church became so strong that I be¬
gan to cast about for some needy section where
we might establish a permanent church, and thus
glorify God by the extension of his kingdom.
"Our co-workers were doing valiant work in dif¬
ferent parts of the city : Rev. B. Williamson
at St. Andrew, and Brother R. Tally, at Central
Point; but these churches though large and in¬
fluential did not cover all the ground. There was
much effort needed in other directions. After
asking help of God to show us the proper place,
we found that the Second Adventists in Chelsea,
7(> Lijc and Labors of
a suburban village, were about to offer their
church for sale. We concluded at once that this
was intended to be an answer to our prayers.
We notified the trustees of Avery Chapel of the
offer, and asked them to ascertain the price at
which the church and grounds were offered for
sale. They conferred with the owners, who agreed
to take four thousand dollars ($4,000) for the
whole premises. The trustees agreed to give
them their price, provided they would give them
the privilege of paying for it in different install¬
ments, to which they agreed and they made a
payment, took possession of the church,
organized an A. M. E. church, and placed over
it as pastor, Rev. Breckenridge. The church was
dedicated 1 St. James Chapel,1 by Bishop
Shorter. The membership increased slowly,
but permanently, so that in the course of time it
became a flourishing station. Thus there were
four A. M. E. stations in the city of Memphis.
The pastors encouraged each other, being stimu¬
lated by mutual efforts to build up the kingdom
of Christ and sustained by the grace of God. The
cheerful acquiescence of the membership in
everything we undertook to do, cannot be forgot¬
ten. Their fervent love and undying friendship
Kcv. Jordan IK. Early.
77
sustained us under many tiding circumstances,
and raised our drooping spirits when cast down.
" I have often thought that there was something
remarkable about the success of the pioneer
ministers. Although there were none of them
who claimed to be educated, their achievements
in building up churches and the spread of the Gos¬
pel are unequaled by any of the ministers of the
present day. They seemed to be men who were
imbued with the Holy Spirit, and their words
appeared to be accompanied by a divine unction
from above. They seldom preached a sermon
without a peculiar demonstration of the power
of God to save souls. Their zeal and earnest¬
ness, accompanied with a remarkable comprehen¬
sion of the meaning of the word of
God, gave such force to their ..utterances
that they went straight to the heart
of the hearer and produced immediate convic¬
tion. Again, for the most part, they were men of
unquestioned piety. Their deportment and con¬
versation were chaste and godly. People be¬
lieved and trusted them as fathers, and their
words had great power to convince men of their
errors and sins and in turning them to righteous¬
ness."
CHAPTER XI.
And now, time with all its changes and varia¬
tions is rapidly speeding on, unfolding all the
mysteries of human events ; and the customs and
usages of society are changing as other genera¬
tions succeed us in their onward march.
Many of our comrades in the Christian warfare
had lain down their armor and had entered into
eternal rest, wearing the crown of the
victor; others had taken their places,
of less experience and physical endurance
and less spirituality in their sermons and con¬
versation. About this time there was a percep¬
tible change in the character of the worship.
There had been for some time most excellent
schools established among the people. The fine
arts were taught to some extent, and the people
had availed themselves of these advantages.
Many of the young people were good performers
on instruments, and had acquired a considerable
knowledge of the art of music. These formed
the choirs in the different churches, and when
(78)
Life and Labor* of R<c. ,T. W. Earl;/. 79
their voices were accompanied by the music of
instruments, the character of the worship was
greatly changed. A higher form of church or¬
dinances was developed, and refinement and ele¬
gance was attendant in the house of God. The
boisterous, demonstrative mode gradually disap¬
peared in most instances, and the worship be¬
came of a more rational and elevated character.
The A. M. E. Church, as usual, seemed to be the
first to lay hold of necessary reforms, such as
monthly communions, general speaking meet¬
ings, the introduction of choirs and organs into
the churches, lighting their churches with gas,
holding religious concerts and Sabbath-school
exhibitions, and other social gatherings which
always accompany an exalted Christianity. The
great mass of respectable young people always
. followed them and greatly swelled their numbers
and increased their favor among the people.
" Murfreesborough, Tenn., was the place ap¬
pointed to hold the Annual Conference in the
year 1870, to be presided over by Bishop J. A.
Shorter. I wound up my church reports for the
year and repaired to the place appointed for the
Conference. The Conference was visited by a
number of the most notable men of the Church,
80
Life and Labor* of
such as Rev. B. T. Tanner, Dr. J. T. Jenifer,
Henry J. Young and others. These brethren
by their witty sallies and apt discussions in
the Conference added greatly to the life and ac¬
tivity of the body. I reported that year:
members, 1,011; preachers, 8; Sabbath-school,
total, 650. There was also a strong petition sent
up for my return, accompanied by the favor of
the best people. The Conference passed off
peaceably and profitably, and I was reappointed
to Avery Chapel, Memphis.
"With exalted hopes and high prospects, I for
the second year took charge of Avery Chapel,
Memphis, Tenn., and commenced my labors with
renewed vigor. Rev. Page Tyler was assigned to
Phoenix Chapel; Brother Gilbert Algee to Provi¬
dence Chapel*; and Brother Robert Talley to St.
James Chapel. The churches were all enjoying
peace and prosperity, and seemed to enjoy to a
great extent both the favor of God and man.
The membership of Avery Chapel had greatly
increased and the congregation was generally
larger than the house could accommodate, the
membership itself numbering near twelve hun¬
dred.
" There were great revivals that year in all the
Rev. Jordan II'. Ear!;/.
81
churches, and hundreds were added to the fold of
Christ. We conducted that of Avery Chapel for
more than three months with great success, and
many prominent young men and women joined
the church, and became useful members therein.
" There was something wonderful about the
amity that existed between the pastors of the
various branches of the Methodist and Baptist
churches. They conversed freely together on all
vital topics concerning the advancement of the
churches and the building up of the Redeemer's
kingdom on earth, and the general interest of
our oppressed people. The membership attended
each other's prayer meetings, revival seasons,
class meetings, love-feasts and baptizings, and
kept up a continual interchange of religious
courtesies which always developed a feeling of
relationship among God's people not otherwise
to be experienced. Thus the year 1871 passed
off busily and profitably, and- the people began
to show signs of worldly prosperity, and thrift
and industry were visible on all sides. Besides
the vast labor attendant on the pastorate of our
own church, we assisted in raising the payment
on St. James Chapel, which they were then pur¬
chasing, and we also established a mission near
6
82
Life anil Labor-s of
Wolf River, into which many precious souls
were gathered. This mission was presided
over by Rev. William Armor, a man of great re¬
ligious zeal and perseverance, who also had charge
of another mission on one of the islands of the
Mississippi River, which was near by."
The influence of African Methodism was now
being felt all through the state of Tennessee.
Churches were being established and missions
formed all through the Southern and Western
parts of the state. Young men were daily enter¬
ing into the ministry, and helpers wrere spring¬
ing up in all departments of the Church, which
greatly increased her working force and her
power to enlarge her borders. Ever}7 year the
Conference increased in numbers and constantly
grew in dignity and intelligence.
In Tennessee Conference were then a num¬
ber of the most powerful orators in the A. M. E.
Connection, such as W. B. Revels, H. A. Jack¬
son, B. L. Brooks, Page Tyler, all of whom
might be termed " Sons of Thunder" in the
pulpit, and of wide influence when out of it,
and Pastors J. W. Early, Page Tyler, B. L.
Brooks, and others, who have not been excelled
in the field. But the year of 1871 was winding
Rev. Jordan W. Earl;/. 83.
to a close, and we were admonished that it was
time to make preparations for the Annual Con¬
ference, which was to meet in the city of Colum¬
bia, Tenn., on the 13th day of September, and
would be presided over by Bishop James A.
Shorter. We met at the appointed place and
time. At the roll call there were seventy-one min¬
isters who answered to their names, besides
many visiting brethren from other Con¬
ferences, who took an active part. The brethren
stood fair as to character and the committees
were duly appointed. The missionary committee
made a good report. Rev. J. "W. Early was
treasurer.
The reports from different parts of the state
were highly satisfactory, and the older members
of the Conference rejoiced greatly to see with their
own eyes such abundant fruit produced in so
short a time from the seed which they had scat¬
tered a few years previous. The precious seed
which they had gone forth bearing with tears,
had been gathered and returned with an increase
of an hundred fold.
"I was returned from this Conference to Avery
Chapel for my third and last year. All was in
peace and prosperity, and the church was enjoy-
84 Life and Labors of Rev. J. IF. Early.
ing a reasonable portion of spiritual blessing.
After making suitable arrangements for the
winter, and adjusting the business of the church,
with the consent of the brethren we deferred the
revival meetings to the latter part of the winter.
These meetings were largely attended and there
were many conversions, and numbers were added
to the church."
CHAPTER XII.
"We now began to make arrangements.to at¬
tend the General Conference which was to be
held the following May, 1S72, in St. Paul Chapel,
Nashville. Tennessee. I had been elected a dele¬
gate by the Annual Conference the previous fall.
On the first Monday in May, 1872, we found
ourselves assembled in the General Conference of
the A. M. E. Church. There were great numbers
present and the discussions were many and
spirited. This Conference is memorable on ac¬
count of the famous " Dollar Money System,"
which was introduced by Rev. H. J. Young. The
bill was accepted by the Conference and went
into effect as a law for all time thereafter. This
was the last General Conference attended by the
venerable and senior Bishop, Rt. Rev. William
Paul Quinn, who after a life of the most arduous
toil and wonderful endurance expressed himself
as ready to lay down his armor and receive the
crown. In his wonderful experience he had
(85)
86
Life and Lahorx of
seen the advancement of the work beyond his
utmost expectation.
With pathos, Bishop Quinn recalled the days
of the poverty and weakness of the infant Church,
and of their strong faith and ardent zeal in
building up an institution which promised them
the religious freedom they so much desired. The
venerable Bishop expressed himself as satisfied
with the advancement made by the Church in
gaining favor with the world, and was astonished
at its rapid growth. Being comparatively a
handful at the beginning of his labors, and in
the course of a lifetime it numbered its hundreds
of thousands. He recalled the days when he
had forded rivers, climbed mountains, crossed
forests, encountered wild beasts, and faced and
fought vindictive mobs, and was called before
courts of justice to establish the Church he so
much loved. He had in hunger and thirst and
peril traveled thousands of miles to plant the
Church in the West, and now his labors on earth
were nearly ended. He bade his worthy col¬
leagues who had labored and suffered with him,
and whose heads were whitening with age, to be
of good cheer and finish the fight of faith with
unshaken confidence in God, and soon they
Kcv. Jordan W. Early.
87
would meet and lay their trophies at the
Saviour's feet.
" After the adjournment of General Conference
we all returned to our labors with buoyant ex¬
pectations of a bright and successful future. The
congregation of Avery Chapel was now very
large. The church had a seating capacity of
about twelve hundred persons. It was alwayfe
crowded on Sabbath evenings, and frequently
great numbers were unable to gain admittance.
That same year Elder Page Tyler, our worthy col¬
league and friend, began to build a new church
for the congregation of Phoenix Chapel, now St.
Andrew's Chapel. We rendered him all the as¬
sistance in our power; for it was always an es¬
pecial trait of our church to extend a helping
hand to each other whenever they were in need.
" My time at Avery Chapel was now drawing
to a close, and I began to prepare for another
field of action. I settled up all the affairs of the
church, laid in all the fuel for fires for the ensuing
year, paid the gas bill for one year in advance,
paid the insurance on the church property for
the same length of time, and laid by in the treas¬
ury $1,300 to assist in purchasing a lot for the
erection of a new church. September was ap-
88
Life and Labor* of
proaching, on the 25th of which the Conference
was to convene in Clarksville, Tenn., to be pre¬
sided over by Bishop J. M. Brown. I bade adieu
to the church I loved so much, and for whom I
had labored and shared with them their joys
and sorrows so long, and with many regrets and
tears they gave me the parting hand and I re¬
paired to the. Annual Conference."
Says an eye witness of the last meeting that
Early held in Memphis : " It was the largest
congregation that I ever saw gathered at one
church and such effusions of tears I had not
seen shed at any one time. Their demonstra¬
tions of love were ratified by the number of pres¬
ents and other manifestations tendered."
With happy greetings the brethren met in
Conference, and joined in chorus and thanksgiv¬
ing to God for his bountiful mercies through the
past year. The number of traveling ministers
was rapidly increasing, so that the membership
of the Conference was very large. The discus¬
sions were lively and spirited, and sometimes
the brethren were a little boisterous, but were soon
brought to order by their dignified presiding of¬
ficer, Bishop J. M. Brown. The reports for the
year were good. The various resolutions gave
Rcc. Jordan TF. Earl>/.
89
signs of progress. Early says " I reported for the
year 1872 of members, 1,500; Sabbath-school
scholars 840; exhorters and preachers, 10;
church extension, $1,800 ; dollar money, which
was our first, $131."
" When the business of Conference was fin¬
ished and we received our appointments, I was
assigned to St. John's Chapel, Nashville Tenn.,
being elder in charge of the circuits of Brother
Abram Moore, Brother Allen Williams and
Brother Alexander Winston. Rev. W. R. Revels,
my colleague, was appointed to St. .Paul Chapel.
"• I took charge of this station under many de¬
pressing circumstances. The membership was
divided, and many of them were not on good
terms with each other. They had had many dis¬
sensions in the previous administration which
had caused wounds that were hard to heal.
The pastor had espoused the part of some, while
he discarded that of others. These things stirred
up much strife and bickerings, and seemed to
check every effort to advance the cause of God.
Besides all these things to contend with, there
was a debt of long standing hanging over the
church, for money which had been borrowed to
pay for the ground on which the church was
90
Life and Labors of
built. Many of the officers and members refused
to make any efforts to raise the money to pay
the debt, because they said that they had bar¬
gained to pay too much for the ground and their
creditor was threatening to sue them unless they
would make immediate effort to pay him. I saw
that it was impossible to accomplish any good
with so many incumbrances to hinder our efforts.
So I called the officers together and consulted
with them about some plan by which to raise
the money to liquidate the debt. I told them
that it was impossible to move forward with so
much strife among us and so many accusa¬
tions against us. I thought that the best
way to bring the members on good terms with
each other was to get them to work for their
mutual benefit. When the}7 were busy they would
not think of strife, neither would their enemies
carp if they were assured that they were making
efforts to be honest. I urged them to try to get
the business of the church into a more settled
state, ere we could even ask Clod to bless our la¬
bors. We prayed and talked together, and finally
decided on some plans that we thought wrould
meet the approbation of the people, and pro¬
ceeded to lay them before the church and congre-
Rev. Jordan TF. Early.
91
gation. When we did so every one seemed to be
pleased with the prospect and declared themselves
ready for action. Meanwhile the Sabbath-
school began to increase and all things began to
be enlivened.
" The majority of the membership went to
work—some subscribing, others holding enter¬
tainments, and still others soliciting the public.
So we gathered the money together with a
readiness which astonished even ourselves, and
in less than five months the debt of $1,300
was paid, and all the current expenses of the
church beside. By this time general friend¬
ship prevailed in the church and there seemed
to be a oneness of purpose in everything that we
undertook to do. Our next object was to repair
the church and light it with gas. This they
readily consented to do. Each member who
felt able and willing, subscribed a certain
amount, and the windows and doors and walls
were put in good order, the seats repaired and
fastened down, the stoves righted up, and gas
pipes run in and fixtures put in the church.
All being finished, we commenced our protracted
meetings, which were conducted with great har¬
mony for some weeks. There was a glorious
92 Life and Labors of Rev. J. W. Earl)/.
outpouring of the Spirit of God. There were
more than one hundred conversions, ninety-
seven of whom joined the church—fifty-two
were immersed in the Cumberland river, the
other forty-five were baptized around the altar.
It was indeed a great time of rejoicing. Dur¬
ing the year nearly one hundred others were
received by letter and otherwise, which increased
the members received to nearly two hundred."
CHAPTER XIII.
" In the spring of 1873 our city was visited by-
Asiatic cholera, that terrible scourge of man¬
kind. The Angel of Death again spread his
dark wings over our devoted city and touched
with his sword-like hand the hearts of thousands
of the citizens. A great number of our mem¬
bers were stricken down and borne to their
graves. What was so remarkable of me was
that I visited my members in every case, and I
never felt the least symptons of the epidemic.
God showed his love in protecting me from all
harm in the midst of such danger.
" Many of our devoted members had gone to
rest. They all died in the full triumphs of
faith. The year 1873 was now coming to a close,
and peace and prosperity had crowned our ef¬
forts. The classes were large and well attended,
and the Sabbath-school had grown until there
were more than five hundred names of scholars
enrolled on the book.
"The Annual Conference was appointed to con-
(93)
94
Life and Labors of
vene in St. Andrew's Chapel, Memphis, Tenn.,
September 24th, 1873. When the time came
the yellow fever was raging so terribly that it
was entremely dangerous to go near the city.
But many of the brethren went boldly to the
appointed place and reported at the opening
hour. Bishop J. M. Brown, who was our pre¬
siding officer, did not make his appearance for
some days. The brethren dispatched to him
that they were waiting, and he answered them
to go on with the Conference. They voted that
Elder Page Tyler should take the chair, and the
Conference was opened and they proceeded to
business. The character of the ministers was
examined, and all stood fair. None had been
expelled and no one had withdrawn from
the Connection. Three of their members had
died that year, whom they trusted were at rest.
The usual committees were appointed and all
went into executive session.
u Bishop J. JM. Brown arrived on the fourth
day of the Conference and took possession of
the chair. He explained why he delayed his
coming so long. He had doubted whether it
was expedient to expose the brethren to such
imminent danger as they were in at that very
Rev. Jordan TP". Early.
95
hour by holding Conference at that place. A
resolution was then offered that they would
adjourn to meet at some future time to which
they all agreed ; but they still lingered.
"A resolution was then offered by Rev. R. F.
Hurly, that the presiding elder system be
adopted by the Tennessee Conference, and for
which purpose a committee should be appointed
to district the bounds of the Conference. The
resolution provoked much discussion, but finally
passed and became a law.
" On the sixth day of the Conference the epi¬
demic had increased so alarmingly, that it was
thought unwise to remain longer, so they ad¬
journed to finish their business at St. John
Chapel, Nashville, on October 24, 1873. The
people were then dying so rapidly that coffins
could not be procured fast enough to bury them.
" The Conference assembled at the appointed
time in Nashville to complete its business. The
reports of committees were received, the disburse¬
ments were made, and pastors and ministers
made the returns of their year's work.
"St. John Chapel reported: Members, 536;
preachers, 4; exhorters, 1; Sabbath-school schol¬
ars, 579; superintendents, 2. Salem Chapel,
96
Life and Labors of
over which I had charge, was in a prosperous
condition, under the care of Brother Aaron
Young, as was also Mount Joliet Circuit, in
charge of J. Griggs.
" The Annual Conference had steadily in¬
creased in numbers until there were more than
fifty members present, and the field of labor had
extended, until it now reached the greater part
of the State. There was also a marked improve¬
ment in the efforts to enlighten and elevate the
minds of both the minister and laity of the
Church.
" There had been for many years a course of
study laid out for those who wished to join the
itineracy, on which they must pass examination
before they entered. This had a wonderful ef¬
fect to improve the minds of the ministers and
to change their mode of preaching. There had
been excellent literary societies formed in the
Conferences, whose influences extended into the
churches. These aroused, enlightened and re¬
fined the young people. Missionary societies
had met with considerable success. They had a
tendency to enlarge the hearts of Christians to
assist their fellow-beings in the right way. The
Sabbath-school work had taken a high stand.
Reo. Jordan jr. Early.
97
Sabbath-school Institutes were being held an¬
nually, which brought delegates from all parts
of the State. These all gave most excellent re¬
ports of their proceedings.
u I was returned to St. John Chapel. All
seemed satisfied with the appointment. After
making arrangements for the winter, we entered
into a protracted meeting. The week of prayer
and preparation was largely attended, and the
people seemed devoutly in earnest in seeking
more of the presence of God. There followed a
great outpouring of the Holy Spirit. There
were many who professed religion and united
with the church.
" After the revival meetings were over, we had
time to look after other matters pertaining to
the work of the church. I had been for some
years district book steward and treasurer of the
missionary fund, and also on the committee ap¬
pointed to publish the minutes of the Confer¬
ence. These things required considerable atten¬
tion at times and added to my already heavy
labors.
" The church membership was now so large
that it was as much as one man could do to per¬
form the duties incumbent upon him. The. con-
98
Life and Laborx of
gregation and membership began to desire a
new house to worship in. The old one had be¬
come too small to accommodate the large and in¬
telligent audiences that were accustomed to meet
there. The ground on which the old house
stood was too narrow for the site of a larger
church, so they began to look around for a more
commodious location on which to buiJd. We
laid the matter before the church and the mem¬
bers freely acquiesced in the undertaking.
" The members and officers promised to do
their best to raise money to begin with. The
women entered freely into the spirit of the times.
They held entertainments, and thus obtained
considerable money, while they subscribed con¬
siderable amounts, which they paid in due time.
They solicited the public and obtained their
help. The men likewise did nobly to gather the
necessary means.
" In the meanwhile we found a lot on the
corner of Spruce and Cedar streets, in a very
prominent part of the city, for which the owner
proffered to take $5,000. But he finally agreed
to let us have it for $3,200, which sum we agreed
to give.
" The year of 1874 was drawing to a close, and
Rev. Jordan W. Early.
99
we began to make preparations for the Annual
Conference which was to meet in Chattanooga,
Tennessee, September 23, 1874. There was a
large attendance at this Conference. The various
stations and circuits brought in good reports.
There had been refreshing revivals in most of
them, and the outlook for the future of the Church
was still hopeful. Many of the most faithful
members had gone to join the innumerable
host and Church of the first born, who stand in
the presence of their glorified Redeemer forever.
" My report for 1874, was as follows: Mem¬
bers, 621; preachers, 6; Sabbath-school scholars,
600 ; teachers, 32 ; superintendents, 2.
u Though for a few years the epidemics had dec-
cimated its members by many hundreds, yet the
Church was still widening its influence and ex¬
tending its borders, carrying progress and re¬
form wherever it went. This was the first year
we had served under presiding elders. Confer¬
ence being ended, the ministers returned to their
respective duties.
" I was appointed to St. John for the third
time. As soon as I took charge I commenced to
collect the money to pay for the lot on which to
build. All the wTorking members responded
100
Life and Labors of
cheerfully. There was some delay necessary to
ascertain all the facts, but a conclusion was final¬
ly reached, and we succeeded in paying the
eum of sixteen hundred dollars ($1,(100) through
the course of the latter part of the year.
" The missionary question had received much
attention that year. The ladies of the church had
formed a mite missionary society, which collected
and sent into the parent society the sum of one
hundred dollars. The church held a large Sab¬
bath-school convention in June of 1874, at
which the majority of the ministers of the Con¬
ference were present.
aThe old church needed some repairing which
wras done and all the expenses of the church were
promptly met, and peace and harmony prevailed.
" The third year at St. John Chapel came to
a close with many demonstrations of the affec¬
tionate regard that the people entertained for
me. I prepared to remove to another field of
labor. There had in my [pastorate been more
than five hundred members added to the church.
Many infants had J;been baptized and many
couples married. The sick and dying had al¬
ways been attended to, and I had preached many
funeral sermons. The Sabbath-school had more
Rev. Jordan IF. Enrly.
101
than doubled itself. Thus ended my third year
at St. John Chapel.
" The Annual Conference was held in Avery
Chapel, Memphis, Tenn., October 14, 1875,
Bishop John M. Brown, presiding. The Confer¬
ence was largely attended. How had the church
increased in eight short years and extended its
borders! When I commenced my labors in Ten¬
nessee, we had only one or two stations, a few
small missions, and twenty ministers in all, who
were members of Conference. Now in 1875,
there were 98 preachers present. There were re¬
ported 10,189 members, 568 Sabbath-school
teachers, 150 superintendents, and 8,234 Sab¬
bath-school scholars. The retrospect to the
work of those pioneer ministers was cheering in¬
deed. They had borne the burden and heat
of the day so long, and now as they descended
the hill of life, the prospect was glorious indeed.
In my report I gave in 872 members enrolled-;
6(35 Sabbath-school scholars, and 89 proba¬
tioners."
CHAPTER XIV
" At the close of the Conference I'was assigned
to Payne Chapel, Edgefield, Tenn. ' I took im¬
mediate charge, called the members together, and
preached my introductory sermon. The church
was small and out of repair, the congregation
was scattered. The few members that could be
found seemed to be discouraged and inactive.
' " I called the officers around me and laid the
matters of the church before them. After mak¬
ing arrangements for my support, I began to vis¬
it the members and invited them to the church.
They began to gather in from all sides and soon
filled it. The classes were arranged and given
proper leaders. Regular prayer-meetings were
commenced and the members attended with
great earnestness. We then began to make
preparations for the winter by purchasing new
stoves, and laying in fuel, and putting in gas
fixtures. We then commenced our protracted
meetings. The people assembled first for prayer
and conference, [and became so earnest that they
(102)
Life and Labors of Rcc. J. W. Early. 103
invited their neighbors to join with them. Many-
soon began to show much concern for their sal¬
vation. Old men and young men, women and
children, flocked to the anxious seat, and there
began to be a wonderful outpouring of the Holy
Spirit. Many hardened sinners were seized with
conviction, and in a short time they were sound¬
ly converted to God.
There were received into the church more
than eighty men, some of whom related the
most remarkable experiences, and commenced
at once to live new lives. Great was the
rejoicing when in the presence of one thousand
persons they were immersed beneath the waves
of the Cumberland river. The membership and
congregation had grown too large to be accom¬
modated in the church. It was generally filled
by the Sabbath-school. So we proposed the ex¬
pediency of putting an addition to the house
and thus having it enlarged.
" The time was approaching that we should at¬
tend the General Conference, which was to meet
in Atlanta, Ga., May, 1876, to which I had been
elected a delegate the previous fall by the Ten¬
nessee Annual Conference. At the time appointed
the ministers all convened and answered to the
104
Lifr and L<d>or.s of
roll call. It was a pleasant and profitable session,
but there were no Bishops elected that year. The
matters of the Book Concern and the missionary
question absorbed much of their time.
u After having adjusted all the other affairs of
the church they adjourned, and the delegates all
returned to their respective fields of labor. As
soon as I returned I commenced to make prepara¬
tions for repairing our church. The members
rallied very willingly and gave money and other
assistance, and there was soon an addition put
to the house, which made it sufficiently large to
hold the congregation. We painted the house
outside and inside, and ornamented the pulpit
and altar. This being done, we began to think
of forming a choir. We obtained a teacher and
formed a singing class, and purchased an organ,
and when they were sufficiently drilled we built
a choir gallery, and the choir took their seats.
Our worship was both interesting and entertain¬
ing. The young people from all parts of the
town came readily to assist in the worship. The
Sabbath-school grew in size and interest daily,
and many were the children who were gathered
from the lanes and streets to learn the word of
God. The influence of such an awakening could
Rev. Jordan ir. Early.
105
not help being felt in the surrounding commu¬
nity. The neighboring churches seemed to catch
the spirit, and were revived in an unusual man¬
ner, and vied with each other who should do the
most to advance the Redeemer's kingdom. Thus
ended my first year in peace and prosperity.
" September 21, 1876, Tennessee Annual Con¬
ference was held in Pulaski, and thither at the
appointed time the ministers assembled. Bishop
A. W. Wayman, was the presiding officer. The
business of the Conference was transacted with
the usual alacrity, almost all departments of
church work being in a prosperous condition.
" My report for that year was : Members, 159;
Sabbath-school scholars, 170; teachers, 15;
superintendents, 2. There had been some mis¬
sionary work done, and our financial condi¬
tion was good according to our number.
"At this period in the history of the Church the
membership in the individual churches had been
seriously affected by the restlessness of the peo¬
ple. They were compelled to make frequent
removals in order to improve their condition.
They often drifted from one part of the coun¬
try to another to find employment; others pur¬
chased property and removed their membership
106
Life and Labors of
when taking possession of their own homes in
other districts. Again, many removed West, and
their membership was taken away. Thus with
all the usual number of members taken in the
churches for a while, in some parts they could
not much more than hold their own. But this
difficulty was overcome in course of time by the
people acquiring settled homes in great numbers,
and confining their membership to those lo¬
calities. But the reports of this Conference were
good, considering the many difficulties through
which they bad to pass, for it was manifest that
God was with them and had been their strength
and support.
" At the close of the Conference I was returned
to Edgefield Station, to the complete satisfaction
of the people. I took immediate charge and be¬
gan to make arrangements for another year's
work. Hitherto they had not been able to give
sufficient salary to support a minister and his
family, but the membership still increased as I
continued my pastoral visits and my exhorta¬
tions to the people. The congregation still en¬
larged in size, and altogether they gave freel}T of
their means, and thus afforded ample support so
that the pastor was freed from secular care, and
Rev. Jordan W. Early,
107
could devote all of his time to the work of the
church.
" In the beginning of the winter of 1877, we
commenced to hold protracted meetings. The
church came together with one accord for suppli¬
cation and prayer, and there was a glorious out¬
pouring of -the Holy Spirit. Many hardened
sinners were drawn from the haunts of vice and
iniquity, made a good profession before many
witnesses, and were baptized into the church.
There were many other precious souls added to
the number, both youths and adults, all rejoic¬
ing in the consciousness of knowing that their
sins were forgiven. Some of these converts,
who were saved as brands from the burning,
served as officers in the church and continue
until to-day as pillars in the house of God. The
Sabbath-school still grew in interest, and its in¬
fluence among the young people was discernible
on all sides. Some of our devoted members had
gone up to join the Church of the first born, leav¬
ing a lasting testimony behind them, that the
grace of God can save to the uttermost all who
put their trust in him. Our people seemed to
be advancing for the most part in all depart¬
ments of society. Many were engaged in lucra-
108
Life and Labor* of
tive business, and their condition was becoming
better daily. Many of the young men and
women were attending the different colleges, and
thus preparing themselves for future usefulness
and light, and knowledge seemed to be diffused
everywhere.
u The }rear of 1877 was now drawing to a close
and we began to wind up our financial reports
and other business of the year for the Annual
Conference which was to meet in St. Paul
Chapel, Nashville, Tenn., September 26, 1877.
Although the Tennessee Conference had been di¬
vided previous to this time into Tennessee and
West Tennessee Conferences, the attendance was
large, there being sixty-six ministers present,
beside many visitors. The Conference from the
beginning was impressive and interesting. The
missionary question received much attention and
the collection was creditable. The Sabbath-school
received more than usual attention by giving
good reports, and many suggestions concerning
its future advancement, winding up by celebrat¬
ing a grand anniversary, which was participated
in by all the Sabbath-schools of the A. M. E.
churches of the city, and addressed by J. W.
Early, B. Green, C. L. Bradwell, and others.
Rev. Jordan W. Early. 109
"I reported as follows: Members, 170 ; Sab¬
bath-school scholars, 283; teachers, 18; superin¬
tendents, 1. Whole number of members be¬
longing to the Conference, 6,611; traveling
preachers, 52. The Conference showed a rapid
increase since its division. I had for many-
years been Conference book steward, and had ful¬
filled all the duties of the office to the best of my
ability. The auditing committee says this year,
that they have found no discrepancy whatever
in my accounts. The Conference closed in peace
and harmony, and all the ministers returned to
their labors much refreshed by their having as¬
sembled together,"
CHAPTER XV
" I was sent to Payne Chapel for the third time
and began my labors with renewed vigor. This
was a very pleasant and busy year. We held
our protracted meetings in the beginning of the
year 1878, and many were added to the church.
Our classes were increased in number and had
good leaders. The regular monthly communion
was always well attended, and there seemed to
be no falling off of membership ; but a constant
increase. Our force of local preachers was strong
and active, and did some missionary work in the
adjoining settlements and villages. Some of our
number left us and went up to' enjoy the rest
prepared for the people of God. There was some
repairing to be done and, the members cheerfully
acquiescing, the work was soon accomplished.
" The year 1878 was now drawing to a close
and we prepared to attend the eleventh Annual
Conference of Tennessee, which was to meet in
St. Paul Chapel, Fayetteville, September 2(>,
1878. We all assembled at the appointed time
(110)
Life and Labors of Rev. J. W. Early. Ill
in the above place, Bishop Wayman, presiding.
G. H. Shaffer was elected secretary. The num¬
ber of members of the Conference was sixty-two.
This was a more than usually interesting Con¬
ference, on account of the interest taken in the
educational question. The efforts that had been
made by the colored people to obtain an educa¬
tion, especially by African Methodists, were
highly spoken of, and the institutions of learn¬
ing which had been sustained by them received
the highest commendation. A deep interest was
shown in the missionary work. Both home and
foreign missions were commended, and the col¬
lection for that purpose was good. The Bishop
impressed upon the members of Conference
the necessity of taking the Christian Recorder, the
adopted paper of the Church, and expressed his
hearty sympathy for the traveling ministers in
their toils and hardships.
" The temperance subject receiyed due atten¬
tion, and the ministers were exhorted to preach
on that particular subject once a year at least.
The condition of the book concern was taken
up and discussed and the ministers promised to
do all in their power to assist it in its hour of
deepest necessity. The reports all came in in
112
Life and Labors of
due time and showed a great degree of prosperity
on the part of the Church and ministry. I gave
in my report as follows : Members, 242 ; local
preachers, 6; Sabbath-school scholars, 332;
teachers, 18; superintendents, 2.
" Having wound up the business of the church,
I repaired to the Annual Conference, which met
in Woodfork Chapel, Shelby ville, Tenn., October
15, 1879. Bishop A. W. Wayman was the pre¬
siding officer. The attendance was large and
the proceedings heavy and interesting. The
time had come to elect delegates to the General
Conference which was appointed to meet in St.
Louis, May 25, 1880. The election took place
in due form and I received the highest number
of votes, so that my name was first on the list
of delegates. I was still treasurer of the mission¬
ary society; so it became my duty to receive
the money that should be collected to defray the
expenses of the delegates to the General Confer¬
ence. The usual committees reported in good
order: State of the Church, Temperance, Mis¬
sionary, State of the Country. All departments
were declared to be in a hopeful condition.
" This was my fourth and last year that I had
served at Payne Chapel, Edgefield. I had the
Rev. Jordan W. Earli/. 113
church repaired and painted and dedicated ; had
hung a small bell, and adorned anew the pulpit
and altar. The members expressed their exceed¬
ing satisfaction with my efforts among them by
numerous tokens of good will. While there I
received into the church about four hundred and
thirty members. Eighty men were added in one
revival. They had sent in strong petitions each
year for my return; but my time was out and I
was necessitated to repair to another field. I
gave in my report, which was as follows: Members,
247; local preachers and exhorters, 8; Sab¬
bath-school scholars, 325; teachers, 18; super¬
intendents, 2. Thus wound up a pleasant and
profitable time at Edgefield, Tenn.
" When the appointments were read, I was as¬
signed to Bethel A. M. E. Church, Nashville,
Tenn. I took immediate charge after my return
from Conference, but found the church over¬
whelmed with debt, and the house, which had
been recently built, in the court for sale. They
had erected a brick house and had paid nothing
scarcely for the work and material. There was
not a cent in the treasury. I went to the credi¬
tor and talked with him. He promised if we
would pay him a certain amount he would de-
8
114
Life and Labors of
sist from prosecuting the suit. I went to the
judge of the court and talked with him, and by
paying one hundred dollars cash, of my own
money, we received the church free from the law.
The house was without doors or lights or sashes
in the windows, no plastering on the wall, and no
seats. There were no stoves in which to make
fires, and no means to get fuel. The winter was
coming on with unusually stormy weather, and
things looked gloomy indeed. We moved imme¬
diately into a little old dilapidated house which
they had first used for a church, obtained some
pieces of stove pipe and fixed up some old stoves,
and commenced to hold meetings. The people
who had been much scattered gathered in slowly.
" After committing our cause to God, we pro¬
posed to commence work. I laid my plans before
them and some few agreed to help. The majori¬
ty were discouraged, for they could see no way by
which they could obtain sufficient money to pay
for the bare necessities of the winter. We went to
work and repaired the old house so as to make
it endurable for the winter, and then I went
around and invited my friends to come and as¬
sist us in our worship and entertainments. The
members of the sister churches also lent us their
Rev. Jordan W. Early.
115
aid, and encouraged us in our arduous undertak¬
ings. The young men and women from the Bap¬
tist College came over each Sabbath and helped
with the Sabbath-school, which increased and be¬
came more interesting every week. We held
several entertainments, from which we realized
considerable sums with which to commence our
work. Our first object was to plaster the house.
We engaged workmen to do the job. The mem¬
bers began to come together and contribute as
much as they could spare for the object. The
public gave some and patronized our entertain¬
ments, so that the work went speedily on and
bid fair to become a success. The plastering be¬
ing done, we purchased doors and had tliem
hung, paying for all as we went along. The
windows we soon supplied with sashes and lights.
We then purchased new stoves and had them
put in. I went to the city authorities and asked
them to have gas pipes run from the main on
Division street, which was more than one square
distant. They granted my request. We put in
gas fixtures and had the house lighted with gas.
I then went to the officers of a white Baptist
Church, wThom I knew to have surplus seats, and
they readily let me have them, with which we
116 Life and Labors of Rev. J. TF. Early.
seated the house. By this time the congregation
had become of considerable size, the most of
whom entering willingly into the work. We
then bought an organ and loaned it to the church)
and formed a choir.
" We had a pulpit erected, built an altar, and
then invited the people to enter the church.
Great was the joy when the people took posses¬
sion of their almost finished house. The organ
sounded, the choir sang, and the people shouted
the praise of God, who had so signally assisted
them in their work."
CHAPTER XVI.
" The month of May, 1SS0, having arrived we
repaired to St. Louis, Missouri, to attend the Gen¬
eral Conference, which was to meet there that
year. This General Conference was full of inter¬
est from the beginning to the end. There were
more than two hundred delegates present, and
many fraternal delegates from various religious
bodies. The delegates from the British Metho¬
dist Church from England visited the Conference
and spoke encouragingly. There were three Bish¬
ops elected at that Conference, Rev. H. M. Turn-
ner, Rev. W. F. Dickerson and Rev. R. H. Cain,
who were ordained and initiated into office. There
were many heated discussions on various topics
by a number of young men who seemed to be
present at such debates for the first time. There
was also much enjoyment among the older and
more experienced members when they took a
retrospect of the progress of the church during
the previous thirty years. How it had grown in
numbers, in intelligence, in wealth and respecta-
(117)
118 Life and Lahore of
bility and power! They also looked back at the
great struggles it had passed through, and the
poverty and persecution it had suffered—and
now the Lord had brought them into a large
place. They could but with exclamations and
tears of joy give thanks to God for his unspeak¬
able mercies to us as a people. The seasons of
public worship were very interesting. The preach¬
ing was sublime, and showed a degree of thought
and preparation not discernible heretofore.
" After the adjournment of General Conference
I returned to my work much refreehed by my
rest from such arduous toil. We commenced
afresh to prosecute the work of building up the
membership of the church. The students of the
different colleges came to us and freely assisted
us in our Sabbath-school, and the young people
of the different churches helped us in our choir.
They often came in numbers to aid us financially,
and expressed their hearty sympathy for us in
our great struggle, and thus God raised us up
friends from every quarter. We called what few
members there were together and consulted them
on the propriety of holding a protracted meeting.
They willingly assented to the proposition and
commenced immediately to hold prayer meetings
Rev. Jordan W. Early.
119
and preaching services. The praying members
of the churches I had served heretofore came
kindly to onr assistance, and the ministers lent
us their aid. There followed a deep concern
among the people and there were a few conver¬
sions, which were added to the church.
" About this time many, of the people removed
to Kansas, and a number of my flock were among
them, and this circumstance greatly diminished
our numbers; but friends came again to our
rescue, as they always had done when we were
battling against great difficulties, and we were
able by God's grace to triumph over every op¬
posing force, and shout, " Victory !"
" We paid on the standing debt a considerable
sum, and thus wound up our business for the first
year at Bethel, in peace and comparative pros¬
perity, to meet the Annual Conference in St.
Paul Chapel, Columbia, Tenn., September 22,
1SS0, which was to be presided over by Bishop
J. P. Campbell.
" The usual business of the Conference was en¬
acted in due form. The members were all pres¬
ent, except one who had crossed over and gone
to his reward. The various institutions of the
church were reported in a prosperous condition.
120
Life <tn<l Labors of
My report was as follows: Members, 110;
exhorters, 2; Sabbath-school scholars, 131;
teachers, 8; superintendents, 2.
" At the close of the Conference I was reap¬
pointed to Bethel Chapel, to the apparent satis¬
faction of all concerned, and immediately resumed
my arduous toil. The year's labor was attended
with the usual trials and triumphs which always
attend the ministry in such charges. The ensu¬
ing winter was an extremely cold one, and the
poor of the city suffered extremely for want of
the necessities of life, which trials some of our
little flock were bound to experience. But God
who is always merciful, led us safely through the
winter, and fair spring dawned upon us with its
glorious sunlight and refreshing showers. We had
quite a revival season and a number were con¬
verted and joined the church, and the member¬
ship more than doubled itself. The Sabbath-
school increased and became more interesting.
We had fine class meetings on one evening each
week. Our preaching services were well attended
on Sabbath, and we began to hope for a brighter
future. We paid besides the current expenses of
that year, the sum of $20'.).3G. We were enabled
to do much necessary work around the church :
Rev. Jordan W. Early.
121
leveling the ground, clearing away rubbish, re¬
moving the old church, and fencing the new one
to protect it from injury by rude persons who
were always lurking around. Thus the second
year of my pastorate drew to a close, and we be¬
gan to prepare for the Annual Conference, to be
presided over by Bishop J. P. Campbell, which
was to meet in Payne Chapel, East Nashville.
The attendance of Conference was very large,
sixty-six members being present, besides many
visiting brethren, who took an active part in the
deliberations of the Conference. The ladies of
the Conference formed a Mite Missionary Society,
wrhich realized a considerable sum of money
which was sent to the treasurer of the Parent
Missionary Society.
"The Conference also organized a literary so¬
ciety, designed to advance the intelligence of the
ministry who had not enjoyed the advantages of
theological training and other literary institu¬
tions. Many were the topics discussed relative
to the extension of the Church, and the future
success of its various institutions.
" The Committee on Temperance brought in
some strong resolutions on the question, deplor¬
ing the fact that some even of the ministry should
122
Life and Labor* of
indulge in that most degrading habit of social
drinking."
This Conference, as did all others, paid due
attention to the subject of Education, and always
showed their zeal by the amount they contributed
for that purpose. They appropriated every year
some portion of their educational moneys for the
benefit of Wilberforce University, as being the
connectional school, and therefore all were under
obligations for its support.
" The A. M. E. Church, notwithstanding the
membership, was very much affected by constant
removals. The number of members of the
Tennessee Conference now stood at 7,603; to¬
tal members of Sabbath-schools, 6,193. My re¬
port for the year was: Members, 134; Sabbath-
school scholars, 197; teachers, 8; superintend¬
ents, 2.
" The Conference was continued from the 19th,
to the 26th of October, 1881. Much against my
will I was appointed by the Bishop to the pre¬
siding eldership of the first episcopal district,
which included five counties, having 19 circuits
and stations, with 37 appointments.
" After the adjournment of Conference, before
taking charge of my appointment, I made a visit
Rev. Jordan W. Early.
123
to St. Louis, my old and beloved home, and spent
some days in company with those who remained
of my former friends. There I reviewed with
tearful interest the ground of my former strug¬
gles and labors. I then reviewed all my life,
from my conviction and conversion and my long
preparation to enter the active ministry; my
abundant labors in introducing the work in
many places, then seemingly barren, but
now so fruitful of good results. I looked at our
magnificent church, the result of pioneer labor,
all along from the little cabin, up to a magnifi¬
cent edifice which would do credit to any congre¬
gation. Then I asked for my colaborers: those
who with me had encountered dangers untold,
and had endured the storms of persecution so
long. The manacles of slavery had long been
unclasped from our limbs, and some of the most
zealous in the work had gone on to join the
number of the blessed before their eyes could see
it; but now I had no doubt but that they were
sensible of our improved condition and, rejoicing,
gave honor and thanksgiving and blessing and
glory to him who sitteth upon the throne, and to
the Lamb who hath washed us in his own blood
and made us kings and priests unto God.
124 Life aixl Labors of Hcv. J. ir. Ettrlt/.
u I visited the graves of my comrades, and tfyere
made a vow to take up the Cross anew, and
buckle on the armor of the Gospel afresh, and
march in the foremost ranks against the power
of sin.
" Being much refreshed, I returned and took
charge of my district and began to pursue my
labors. I commenced at Edgefield Junction and
went around the work, including Nashville,
Knoxville, Chattanooga, Carthage, and all inter¬
vening places, encouraging the ministers, holding
quarterly conferences, administering the Lord's
Supper, visiting Sabbath-schools, helping to form
new missions, making arrangements for suitable
men to take charge of them, holding district con¬
ferences, at which we had very fine literary en¬
tertainments that seemed to attract the attention
of many people, and large numbers gathered in
to hear the efforts of the young ministers, and
seemed well pleased at the results. We planned
and built several new churches in the district
that year, and the work went on both harmoni¬
ously and prosperously."
CHAPTER XVII.
u In traveling through the country where
there were no railroads, we often encountered
great dangers. At one time in order to reach
Rome, Tenn., I was obliged to cross the Ten¬
nessee river in a canoe. The river, which is
very broad, was overflowing its banks, and the
boat was in a bad condition, being old and un¬
safe. When the word, u Ready'' was given, I
stepped in, but to my dismay six other men as
heavy as myself came in also. When in mid-
river the boat commenced to dip water and
threatened to sink if we made the least motion.
All were badly frightened. I knew that I could
not swim a particle, and so I fled to God for re¬
fuge. I prayed earnestly that he would bring us
safely to land and not permit us to go down in
the deep and murky waters. The boat barely
reached land, and I stepped out praising God for
this signal deliverance.
" At another time I was compelled to go to
an appointment on horseback. The animal af-
(125)
12G
Life and Labors of
forded for that purpose was very old and clumsy.
I mounted it and started, but in a short time
after commencing my journey, the beast
stumbled so violently that it threw me off over
its head. I was stunned for awhile and badly
hurt, but I soon was able to mount again and
continue my journey, and reached my destina¬
tion rejoicing in God and giving him thanks for
his protecting power.
" Thus I labored through the district with
all the energy of my being, until the close of the
year, October 18, 1882, when the Annual Confer¬
ence met in Chattanooga, Tenn. We came to¬
gether full of hope and courage. The Conference
opened, and was presided over by Bishop
J. P. Campbell, assisted by Bishop R. H. Cain
and Bishop J. A. Shorter, The visiting brethren
were Rev. J. M. Townsend, Corresponding Sec¬
retary of Parent Home and Foreign Missionary
Society ; Rev. B. W. Arnett, Financial Secretary ;
and D. S. Bently, of the Kentucky Conference.
The attendance of ministers was large, being 47
traveling and 12 local preachers, who were mem¬
bers of the Conference. The committees were
active and intelligent, and gave good reports.
" On Sabbath-schools, the committee says in
Rev. Jordan W. Early.
its report: ' We are glad to represent that the
Sunday-school within the bounds of the Tennes¬
see Conference is prospering as never before. The
work is growing in numbers, in interest and
efficiency; and yet there is room for more growth
and larger additions to our numbers.'
" Of Education, the committee says : ' Educa¬
tion is the most popular demand of the day. We
are living in a progressive age, and therefore the
demand of the Church and school is becoming
greater and greater from year to year. We, there¬
fore, heartily endorse the course of studies pre¬
scribed in our Discipline by the last General Con¬
ference, and recommend the committees to be
more careful in their examinations of candidates
for the ministry.'
"The Temperance question, and also the Mis¬
sionary cause, received much attention.
" The report of my district stands as follows :
Membership, 2,567 (increase 472) ; probationers,
192; local preachers, 31; exhorters, 13 ; churches,
33; Sunday-schools, 38; officers, 72; teachers,
115; pupils, 1,776.
" The Ladies' Mite Missionary Society of Con¬
ference reported $50, which was promptly sent
to the Parent Society, at Philadelphia.
128
Life and Labors of
" The business of the Conference having
come to a close, our appointments were given us.
I was stationed at St. John Chapel, Nashville,
Tenn., in answer to a request from the officers.
" I received my appointment with reluctance,
because for some time the church had not ad¬
vanced, either financially or spiritually. The
congregation was too small to afford means to de¬
fray the current expenses of the church, and the
minister and people were not on the best of
terms, and so the work of the church had entirely
ceased. The foundation of the new church had
been laid for more than three years, and no further
work had been done on it. The old church was
exceedingly out of repair. There was a large
debt hanging over the membership, which they
were making no effort to pay, and they were
scattered and seemed to be discouraged. From
the former experience I had I knew that it would
be no easy matter to make a successful begin¬
ning under the existing circumstances.
" After bringing the matter before Clod, and
asking his guidance and assistance, I made it my
first object to hunt up the people and, if possible,
bring them together. For this purpose I made
many visits and talked with the members and
R> c. Jordan W. Earl;/.
129
endeavored to arouse them to see the necessity
of repairing the old church ; for it was not even
in a condition to meet together in, let alone to
worship God. It was hard to get the consent of
the officers to attempt to do anything. The la¬
dies were the first to come together, and to pre¬
pare for holding an entertainment to realize
means wTith which to fix up the church. The
brethren came in slowly, and the work com¬
menced to move forward. The weather was
cold and wet, and the windows were out, so that
the wind blew in and the rain beat on the
people when they met to worship. There were
no fastenings to the doors. They stood open
daily and any intruder could enter that chose.
The seats were not fastened down to the floor,
and some of them were broken, and the stoves
were so worn out that there could be no fire. We
made money enough to put in the windows and
put locks on the doors and fasten down and re¬
pair the seats. I had credit with the merchants
of the city, and they would afford me any nec¬
essary article on time payments. Therefore,
I had coal laid in for the winter and gas fur¬
nished. We also bought new stoves and had
them put up and the house thoroughly cleaned.
9
toO Life anil Lahnr* of Il< r. J. TF. Earl;/.
The people then began to come in goodly num¬
bers and to engage heartily in the worship. We
rearranged the classes and set the leaders to work.
This being done, by God's help, wre commenced
to hold a protracted meeting, which lasted some
time. Many friends from the neighboring
churches came in and assisted us in our exer¬
cises. There was much fervent prayer offered
to God, asking him to meet with us. A season
of refreshing from the presence of the Lord fol¬
lowed, and many professed conversion, who were
taken into church and baptized, and assigned to
their proper classes. We were enabled to meet
the current expenses of the church so as to keep
out of debt, and to hold our regular meetings.
But the cloud still hung over us to some extent.
It had gathered so densely and had been gather¬
ing so long, that it was no easy matter to dispel
it. There were various causes at work, which we
had no power to counteract, and we had no other
resource but to trust God and do our duty."
CHAPTER XVIII.
" The ladies had formed a Church Aid Society,
and had collected about six hundred dollars that
year, hoping that in the course of two or three
years to realize enough to commence building
their new church. The Sabbath-school began to
prosper, and many young people gathered to¬
gether on Sabbath to worship God. The classes
were well attended, and regular prayer meetings
were kept up. We had the church painted in¬
side and out, new carpets put on the floor, the
pulpit decorated, and all things put in readiness
for the close of the year. We paid all current ex¬
penses, the presiding elder's salary, and attended
to other matters that were necessary for the bene¬
fit of the church, and then repaired to Confer¬
ence, which was held at Franklin, Tenn., October
17 to 23, 1883, and presided over by Bishop J.
P. Campbell, LL. D.
" There were at Conference about 74 preachers,
members of the Conference, besides many visit¬
ors. There was considerable business to trans-
(131)
132
]Jfc and Labor* of
act, among which was the election of delegates to
the General Conference, which took place Octo¬
ber 20, 1883. The contest was long and tedious,
but finally ended with the election of the proper
number, with their respective alternates. It was
the first time since I had been an itinerate min¬
ister that I had not beenjelected a delegate to
General Conference, but I felt quite resigned, for
God in his inscrutable goodness had directed all
my ways.
The ladies of the Mite^Missionary Society
held a very fine meeting, which resulted in a good
collection for the foreign missionary work, and
was duly forwarded to the treasurer of the Parent
Home and Foreign Missionary Society. The same
officers were elected for the ensuingjyear.
" My report in the fall of 1883 stood : Mem¬
bers, 584 ; local preachers, 2 ; adults baptized,
35 ; infants baptized, 10; Sunday-school teach¬
ers, 17 ; pupils, 425. The total number of mem¬
bers reported to Tennessee Conference was 6,305.
Our various interests belonging], to the Church
seemed generally in a prosperous condition.
" The Conference finished its business and we
received our appointments. [I was stationed at
Salem Chapel, North Nashville, Tenn. This was
Rcr. Jordan W. Earl//.
133
the severest trial that I had ever experienced
since I had entered the ministry. Surely my
labors had been satisfactory the previous year
and with the help of God I had brought the
church into a prosperous condition, financiall}''
and spiritualty, and the members all seemed to
be in peace and harmony. These were the con¬
ditions I didn't tind when I took charge in 1882.
It was then that I became fully awake to com¬
prehend the change that had taken place within
a few years in the administration of the churches.
u The pioneer ministers had almost all passed
away, with their zeal and uprightness, their godli¬
ness and capability. They had thrown aside all
selfishness and had labored solely for the build¬
ing up of the kingdom of Christ. The churches
had advanced rapidly under their administra¬
tion, and the membership lived in peace and tran¬
quility, and the churches were kept in good re¬
pair, and the prospect always seemed bright for
success in the future. But now another class of
men had taken their places, in many instances,
who showed but little earnestness or capability,
although they had been blessed with better edu¬
cational advantages. Yet the work did not pros¬
per in their hands, and some of them always left
134
Life L<thorx of
the stations or circuits in a worse condition than
they found them. I had found this to he the
condition of the last four or live station k that I
had taken charge of. It was no wonder, then,
that I found myself reluctant to take up a work
wThich I knew to be so completely run down.
With much prayer and great earnestness I went
and took charge. Ay usual from some misman¬
agement there were bickerings and divisions
among the members, and they seemed to have
lost confidence in themselves and every one else.
And the wTork of the Lord seemed almost to
have ceased. The church was sadly out of repair.
Cold weather was rapidl}T coming on and there
wras no way to warm the house, for the stoves
were worn out, and no money in the church
treasury to buy new ones.
" I hunted up the officers of the church and
tried to encourage them in their efforts to bring
the members together. I visited all that I could
find and invited them to come to the church. I
went and bought stoves at my own charges and
trusted to the members to pay me at their lei¬
sure. I then laid in fuel for the winter, prepared
means for lighting the house better, and had the
Heo. Jordan II". Kuril/. l',)o
congregation. In the meantime our regular serv¬
ices went on and the members began to be in
better fellowship. During the latter part of the
winter we commenced a protracted meeting at
Avhich there was a gracious outpouring of the
Holy Spirit. Many were converted and added
to the church and were zealous members ever
afterward. I cannot forget many of those dear
women who led off in bearing the expenses of
the church, and in raising my support. Many
times did they comfort me in their faithfulness
to dut}r during my arduous labors among them,
and I had reason to bless God often for such
faithful companionship in the work of his holy
cause.
" The month of May arrived, but I did not at¬
tend the General Conference which met in Bal¬
timore, Md.; but staid at my work, trying to
build up the spiritual interest of the church. The
Sabbath-school claimed much of my attention.
By exercising much labor and patience, I ob¬
tained many members to the Sabbath-school and
it was in a prosperous condition. We had a
regular prayer meeting established, and the
classes flourished.
u The Conference year was thus drawing to a
13(> Life aii'.l Labor* of Bcr. J. W. Earl//.
close, and ill peace and prosperity the cliurch pre¬
pared its financial matters for the Annual Con¬
ference, which was to meet in St. John Chapel,
Nashville, Tenn., October, 1S84.
"Nearly one hundred ministers were present
at Conference, which was presided over by
Bishop H. M. Turner, who was assisted by Bishop
Wayman. It was a pleasant session. The ser¬
vices were sublime in the extreme. Bishop
Turner in his own inimitable way conducted the
ordination services, and the season was solemn
and impressive to every one who was present.
" The Ladies Mite Missionary Society held a
fine meeting, and there was contributed quite a
sum to that cause. Meanwhile the committees
were hard at work on the various topics before
them, and finally gave in good reports. The re¬
solutions were fine and well discussed. The vis¬
iting brethren seemed quite intelligent and took
an active part, and all passed off smoothly and
satisfactorily.n
CHAPTER XIX.
u At the close of the Conference the Bishop,
according to his best judgment, thought that I
Avas needed at Columbia more than I was at
Salem station, for Salem now was in a prosper¬
ous condition, and St. Paul, in Columbia, was
out of order and run down. I accepted the
charge and repaired to the field assigned to me.
When I arrived I found that there was much dis¬
sension and bickering among the members as to
who should serve them. Some professed to favor
one preacher, and some another. I paid no at¬
tention to the false representations which had pre¬
ceded me, but took immediate charge and com¬
menced the work.
" I called the officers together and laid my
plans before them for the improvement of the
condition of the church. It required some time
to reassure the members and gather the classes
together. I searched for the members in every
part of the town and succeeded by the help of
God in bringing them together. I turned my
(137)
138
Lift and Labor.s of
attention to the Sabbath-school. I hunted out
the children and preached to them and tried to
persuade the parents to send them in. In a short
time many earnest youths were assembled to
study the word of God.
" Peace and harmony now began to prevail
among the members, and they became more
regular in their attendance, and engaged heartily
in the ordinances of the church. I found much to
do before we could successful!}' move forward.
The winter set in unusually severe. Money was
hard to obtain, consequently there was some de¬
lay in fixing up the church and obtaining neces¬
sary fuel to keep good tires. The church had a
number of stewardesses who were most excellent
women and who did much to lighten the work
of the pastor, and in keeping up the meetings.
We established a regular prayer meeting, at
which those who Avaited for the coming of the
kingdom of Christ poured out their souls, invok¬
ing his presence and for a revival of his work.
" About the first of April, 1885, we held a
week of prayer and preparation for a protracted
effort. While doing so the people became
throughly aroused and came together in large
numbers. A revival and ingathering of souls fol-
Err. Jordan TP. Earli/.
130
lowed, the like of which I had not witnessed for
many years. The intensity and effectiveness of
that religious awakening will never be forgotten
by those who partook of its benefits until their
latest hour. All the community, both old and
young, seemed affected by it, and for some weeks
nothing seemed to be thought of or talked
about, but the great religious awakening and its
results. Many of the most hardened sinners,
who had defied the overtures of the Gospel for
many years, yielded to its overwhelming power,
and with tears of repentance acknowledged
Christ as their Saviour. Drunkards and gam¬
blers and Sabbath breakers alike bowed before the
all-conquering power of God and owned Christ
as a present Saviour. They were thoroughly con¬
verted and reformed from their old ways and be¬
came sober, industrious members of the church
until the present day, standing still as the monu¬
ments of God's mercy in his own house.
"There was one incident which occurred in
this revival worthy of particular notice. There
was a certain young man who was a great scoffer,
and who made it his business to ridicule those
who made a profession of religion. One Sabbath
morning during the revival he made some very
140
Life atxl Labor* of
unbecoming remarks to some persons who were
about to start to church, and finished his tirade
by saying, 11 believe that I will take my dogs up
to the anxious seat the next time they call for
mourners.' But just as he finished the sentence
he dropped dead on the pavement. This, of
course, created a great sensation.
'' The ministers and members of the neighbor¬
ing churches came in to assist in the work and
beheld with wonder the manifestations of God's
power. There were one hundred and fourteen
souls converted and united with the church. The
scene of so many being baptized in the river at
one time was wonderfully interesting to all class¬
es of persons, of whom a very great crowd was
present. Great was the rejoicing among the old
saints that their eyes should behold those for
whom they had prayed so long become subject
to the holy ordinances of the church.
<k The names of all the candidates were enrolled
on the class books and they were properly cared
for each week. I found here how very useful
were the faithful stewardesses in leading the
young people's classes and their prayer meetings.
Some of them made the most acceptable leaders
that the church was served by, and now with joy
l\fc. Jordan IF. Early.
141
unspeakable, and full of glory, we could exclaim,
'What hath the Lord wrought for us.' Peace and
harmony and joy and good will prevailed every¬
where, and everything moved on smoothly and
prosperously in the house of the Lord.
u After the revival I was glad to take some rest,
for my labors had been very severe. We adjusted
our classes, renewed our officers, and attended to
the other duties of the church. During the sum¬
mer and early fall there had been some repairing
done to the church and parsonage : but the year
was drawing to a close and we began to prepare
our financial report for the Annual Conference
which was to meet in the month of October, 1885,
in Pulaski, Tenn.
u Bishop H. M. Turner presided over the Con¬
ference. He was assisted by Bishop Disney of
the British M. E. Church. The visiting breth¬
ren were: Rev. J. >1. Townsend, Missionary
Secretary, and Rev. B. W. Arnett, Financial Sec¬
retary of the A. M, E. Church. The business
was conducted in a very lively and interesting
manner. There was a very large attendance of
ministers, and their reports were for the most
part very encouraging. The committees trans¬
acted their business with faithfulness, and
142 Life (mil Luhor* of B< r. J. Tf. Fjuijj.
brought in many warm resolutions. The sub¬
jects of Missions and Education received more
than usual attention. The Temperance reform
was spoken favorably of, and the State of the
Church highly commended, and while we looked
with satisfaction over the past, we joyfully an¬
ticipated the future.
" The membership of the Church still increased
as she widened her borders, and there wras a con¬
stant accession of intelligent and active young
people, who bid fair to be a blessing and help to
our future progress as a people. When the re¬
ports of the members of the Conference were pre¬
sented, mine was highly commended by both
Bishop and Conference. The number of members
was 380; Sabbath-school scholars, and teachers,
300. There was a petition read from St. Paul
of Columbia for my return, which was granted
by our Bishop. I was returned to the joy and
satisfaction of all concerned. It was indeed very
pleasant and satisfactory to myself to be reas¬
signed to a place where my labors had been so
successful, where I enjoyed the love and confi¬
dence of all classes of persons, both white and
colored, and where I had received so many mani¬
festations of their devotion.1'
CHAPTER XX.
k' I took immediate charge on my return from
Conference, and ordered my plans of work. We
first gave the church a thorough repairing. We
had it underpinned, the roof repaired, a fence
built around it for its protection, and had it
painted inside and out, and good flues built for
the stoves. We went on prosperously until the
latter part of the winter, when we concluded to
hold a protracted meeting to see what the good
Lord would do for us that year also. Our meet¬
ings had been well attended, peace and prosperi¬
ty had reigned everywhere, and all enjoyed
Christian fellowship and spiritual prosperity.
We commenced our meeting by holding a week
of prayer and preparation by fasting and meeting
for mutual intercourse on the subject of religion
and the preaching of the Word. The people came
together m goodly numbers and joyfully entered
into the work. Many persons showed a deep
concern for the salvation of their souls. The
meetings went on both night and day, and at all
(143)
144
Life <(tul Luhors of
hours might be heard praise and prayer and
thanksgiving to God for his unspeakable goodness
to his believing children, and all seemed over¬
whelmed with the power of God. There were in
the course of five weeks seventy-five hopeful con¬
versions, all of whom joined the church, were
baptized, and entered on the class roll.
" The same year the ladies of the church
formed a society for the purpose of raising money
to assist the officers in their efforts to make prep¬
arations to build a new church. Such was their
energy and industry, that during the year they
raised the sum of three hundred and thirty-nine
dollars ($339) and laid it in the treasury, hoping
soon to realize enough to commence building.
During which time all the current expenses of
the church were paid, the presiding elder's salary
included.
" Thus the Lord blessed our labors the second
year. We added during my pastorate more than
two hundred members to the church, some unit¬
ing by letter, but the majority were new converts.
My report was as follows: Members, 2G5 ; proba¬
tioners, 12 ; local preachers, 14 ; Sabbath-school
teachers, 19 ; superintendents, 2 ; scholars, 279.
With this we repaired to the Annual Confer-
Retk Jordan W. Early.
145
ence which was to meet in Chattanooga, Tenn.,
October, 1886, presided over by Bishop H. M.
Turner, D. D., LL. D.
u The ministers came up to this Conference in
goodly numbers, and with fair reports. Almost
all the old fathers had passed away, leaving a
memory sacred to all who knew them. Tbey had
encountered so many trials and surmounted so
many difficulties while introducing the A. M. E.
Church in the Southern States, and had led such
upright and holy lives, that it was only with the
deepest emotions that we recalled the memory of
their presence among us. But now they rest from
their labors and u their works do follow them."
The ministers were few in number then, but
now they had increased fourfold. Many new
circuits had been laid out and many stations had
been formed. Many houses of worship had been
erected and thousands of members had been
added to the Church. There had been also a
great change wrought with regard to the salaries
of the ministers within twenty years. When I
first entered on the work in Tennessee, not one
of the ministers received a liberal support. The
best got but a small salary, many times not suf¬
ficient to defray their own expenses, let alone
10
Life (nxl L<thorx of
their families. But now all the stations gave a com¬
petency sufficient to meet all necessary expenses
and to supply all their needs.
" Instead of persecution and abuse, we now re¬
ceive general favor. No church is now held in
greater esteem by the public than the A. M. E.
Church. So much had been wrought through
the mercies of God by their perseverance in good
work and faithfulness to their duty and their
godly examples in life and conversation. For
intelligence and talent in the pulpit the minis¬
ters stand in the front ranks of God's ambassa¬
dors who proclaim the Gospel to men.
" The spiritual interest of the Church in gen¬
eral seemed good. The financial department
made a fair report and the subject of education
and missions had elicited considerable attention.
It was an excellent proof of the advancement of
our people, both religiously and socially, that
they were willing to give so liberally of their
hard-earned pittances for the establishment of
the Gospel and the enlightenment of the race.
" The women everywhere stood in the foremost
ranks in defraying the expenses of the Church.
Although poor and overworked and weary, they
always seemed to take delight in administering
Kci\ Jordan TP. Earl//. 14
to the wants of the poor itinerant preacher, an
of contributing to support his helpless family
" At the close of the session when I receive
my appointment, it was to preside over the thir
district of the presiding elders,' which comprise
five counties, with nineteen appointments wit
their circuits, including six stations. I bade far<
well to the friends in Columbia whom I loved s
dearly—those wTith whom I had often enjoye
the most precious seasons of the outpouring (
God\s blessings, and who had shown to me sue
fervent love and unbounded confidence, an
whom I shall always remember with the highes
gratitude and the warmest affection, and bega
to make preparations to enter upon my new fiel
of labor. I made out my appointments an
sent them to the different ministers in the dii
trict, settled up my affairs and started. When
arrived I found that there was much to do an
that the position was laborious and responsibL
" There were houses of worship needed i
many places wrhere there were considerable coi
gregations who had no suitable place i
which to worship. I commenced to try to stimi
late the brethren to build in the various plact
where they wTere most needed.
148 Life raid Labors of Rev. J. IF. Earhj.
u At Mooretown they went to work and erected
a nice little edifice which they finished and dedi¬
cated ' St. James Chapel.' There perhaps is no
class of people who do themselves more credit
in building churches than the colored people of
the South. According to their circumstances
they give of their substance more cheerfully
than those who own m\ich more of this world's
goods. There was a church erected at Calioca of
sufficient size for the congregation, which they
dedicated with much rejoicing. At Aspen Hill,
there was a lively and wide awake congregation,
who erected a church that would seat at least
six hundred persons, which they finished and
dedicated. There was a church built at Hound-
hill ; also on Lynnville circuit, which was much
to the edification of the membership who had la¬
bored faithfully to accomplish the work. At
Hopewell, on Yale Mills circuit, there was built a
good comfortable house of worship which added
much to the interest of the A. M. E. Church in
that place. At St. Matthews they built a nice lit¬
tle church, under the pastorate of Brother Lott
Pegram. This was Ins last work on earth of church
building. Not long after he was called to lay down
his armor and take up the crown."
CHAPTER XXI.
u After passing around my district and hold¬
ing the quarterly conferences in each circuit and
station, we held our District Conference in Pu¬
laski, where Elder \V. J. Burch met us for the
last time on earth. He seemed unusually sol¬
emn and thoughtfyil during the Conference, and
expressed himself more than once that he felt
there was some dreadful event before him
which he would not be able to overcome. In a
few days after he returned to his work. He left
his two small children alone in the parsonage
and, accompanied by his wife, went to the church
to* attend the funeral of one of his members. Just
as they finished the interment there came a
dreadful thunder storm. They took shelter to¬
gether with seven others under a large tree. The
lightniDg struck the tree and killed instantane¬
ously all nine of the persons, besides their horses.
Thus the children were deprived of both par¬
ents at once, and the church of a beloved pastor,
and the Conference of a faithful member. He
went up, as we believe, from labor to reward,
(149)
50
Lif< a ml LnJ/ors of
The work of the year 1887 was now drawing to a
lose. We had held the electoral college and elected
he lay delegates to attend the General Confer-
;nce of 1888. They were elected and we began to
nake preparations to meet the Annual Confer¬
ence, to be presided over by Bishop H. M. Tur-
aer, which was to meet at St. Paul Chapel, Nash¬
ville, Tenn., October, 1887.
" We gathered up our sheaves and repaired to
the appointed place and were ready to answer to
the roll call at the opening hour. There were
more than one hundred ministers present, be¬
sides many visiting brethren. The Conference
was full of interest from the beginning unto the
end. The election of delegates was taken up at
the proper time and the contest was unusually
warm between the candidates. I was elected
with a fair majority as a delegate to the General
Conference to meet in the city of Indianapolis in
May, 1888. The reports were good, and the Con¬
ference was an interesting and profitable one.
The usual business was transacted with the ac¬
customed interest, and all things passed off with
the utmost good will and harmony. I was reap¬
pointed as presiding elder of the Third District.
Rei\ Jordan IT. Earh/.
151
I took charge and spent the fall anil winter in
the arduous work attending my.calling.
" The month of May arrived, and the delegates
assembled in the city of Indianapolis, Ind., for
the purpose of meeting in General Conference.
When the roll was called, and I missed hearing
the names of so many of those who formerly met
in General Conference, a feeling of solemnity
passed over me that I had never felt before.
When so many who were younger than myself
had ceased to labor, and had gone to inherit their
reward, I felt sensible that this was the last Gen¬
eral Conference I wrould ever attend as a delegate.
I almost imagined that I could hear the voices of
Revels, and Tyler, and Carter, and all those holy
men wTho had done and suffered so much for the
Church, calling me to finish the w7ork assigned
me, and prepare soon to enter my rest.
"After the opening of Conference, I was al¬
lowed some time to express my thoughts and de¬
sires, for there wrere many things which I wished
to say to those who were now coming into the
arena of action in the Church. The older mem¬
bers, with myself, felt that they wTere delivering to
them a precious charge, wThose cause would ad¬
vance or retrograde according to the amount of
152
Lifr and Ltthorn of
zeal and energy they would afford to the work.
There was much business transacted with refer¬
ence to the future well-being of the Church, and I
enjoyed much the interchange of affectionate con¬
versation of my former friends. Many times did
we thank God from the depths of our inmost
hearts for his unspeakable goodness in permit¬
ting us to see the advancement of the Church we
so faithfully labored to plant permanently in the
world.
" There were four Bishops elected in the year
1888: Revs. B. W. Arnett, B. T. Tanner, W. J.
Gaines and A. Grant. Toward the latter part of
May, General Conference adjourned, and I re¬
turned to my labors with renewed vigor, passing
from one point to another, endeavoring to en¬
courage the brethren, holding quarterly confer¬
ences, administering the Lord's Supper, and
striving to extend the work in all directions.
In this year St. Paul, in Columbia, Tenn., was
built, Willises Chapel erected, also the Bear Creek
Mission established, Water Valley and Lilborn
Missions extended, and many other things ac¬
complished that had a tendency to forward the
Gospel of the Lord .Tesus Christ.
" The Sabbath-schools were looked after with
Rev. Jordan TF. Early.
153
intense interest. Teacher's institutes were held
in different parts of the country, and representa¬
tives of Sabbath-schools often met to talk over
plans for the future advancement of the Church
in obtaining a proper knowledge of Bible truths.
The cause of education was propagated, ac¬
cording to our best ability, and so the year passed
full of good works crowned with many blessings,
until its labors came to a close in October, 1888,
when we were summoned to the Annual Confer¬
ence which was to meet in Columbia, Tenn. It
was presided over by Bishop A, W. Wayman,
who was appointed by the committee of Bishops
at our last General Conference to preside over
our district.
u The number of ministers in attendance was
very large, and the business of the Conference full
and perplexing. There were many changes made
that year—some to the detriment, and others to
the well-being of the Church. I accepted no ap¬
pointment from that year forward."
And thus ends the active labors of one who
had been on the battle field for fifty-two years,
exerting all his powers to do the will of Him
that sent him. Great and marvelous were the
changes that had taken place in those years. At
154 Life and Labor* of Ro\ J. TF. Earl;/.
the beginning of his work the spirit of slavery
was exerting its strongest influence, and oppres¬
sion and persecution were rife everywhere, and
dangers and trials opposed them on every hand.
Their numbers were small, and the name, "Afri¬
can Methodism," with many was only a hiss and
a byword, " But, now," says he, u as my physic¬
al constitution gives way under the weight of
many years of toil, and my mental powers be¬
gin to abate their ardor through long sieges of
conflict with the tierce enemies of the Cross, and
I begin to unharness my armor to lay it at the
Master's feet, with the highest gratitude I can
stand with congregated thousands of the blood-
bought throng, and give honor and praise and
thanksgiving and power to Him who giveth us
the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. And,
though a veteran soldier, I must take my discharge
and watch the conflict while others fight in the
sacred ranks, my heart still glows with zeal for
the success of the beloved Church, whose cause I
so early espoused, while I begin to make prepa¬
rations to meet my beloved companions and co-
laborers who have preceded me to join the ever¬
lasting song of the Church of the first born."
CHAPTER XXII.
Earty was always imbued with a spirit of re¬
form, and engaged with heart and soul in pro¬
moting the great reforms of the day. He early
in life enlisted in the antislavery cause, and
though subject to the utmost vigilance of the
slaveholding communities in which he lived, he
always extended a helping hand to that unfortu¬
nate class of persons who were oppressed beyond
the power of endurance by the existing system
of slavery. Many times he with others, who were
equally interested in the well-being of oppressed
humanity, would make great and successful
efforts in buying and emancipating men and
women from slavery, who afterward made good
and useful citizens.
He was a strong advocate of the temperance
reform, often engaging in their meetings and
speaking to the people on the important topics
connected with the temperance question. He
was always ready to visit the sick and destitute.
Often when he was made acquainted with their
(155)
15ti Life anil Labor* of
wants and sufferings he would give to them
his necessary spending money, and deny him¬
self of many comforts on that account. So
tenderly did he care for the sick and dying
that perhaps he was called upon to preach a
greater number of funeral sermons than anjr other
minister in the Connection. Pie was called by
special request to perform the burial rites for
hundreds of his own members, besides many
friends who wrere members of other churches.
He was a favorite with the young people in
every community in which he labored. The
students of the different colleges seemed to
consider it their especial duty to assist him in
his Sabbath-schools and all social gatherings
of the church. They never seemed to forget
to invite him to their entertainments.
His love for the A. M. E. Church was
unbounded. He was always ready to defend
the rights of his denomination and to cherish
its smallest interests. He joyfully spent the
best years of his life in trying to establish
and build up the Church he so much loved,
enduring every species of hardships and toil, and
often suffering great deprivations that he might
win many souls to Christ and enlarge the bor-
R(V. Jordan IF. E<irhj.
157
ders of the Church. He always entertained the
highest appreciation for the obligations and
duties incumbent upon his position as an am¬
bassador for Christ, and strove to maintain an
upright and godly character.
He served the Church in the capacity of Con¬
ference Book Steward for the space of twelve
years, while a member of the Tennessee Confer¬
ence. For quite a number of years he was treas¬
urer of the Conference Missionary Societ}^ and a
part of the time Conference treasurer. He al¬
ways served on one or more of the most impor¬
tant committees appointed by the Bishop at each
Annual Conference. And while a member of
the General Conference for more than thirty
years, served on some of the most important com¬
mittees attendant on that august body. Always
faithful and vigilant, never for a single moment
remiss in his duty. He was a great lover of the
Sabbath-school cause and was president of the
Sabbath School Union of the city of Nashville
for some time, until he took a charge out of the
city. He was from early life a member of the
Masonic Fraternity, and in later life a member of
the Knights of Wise Men, which membership he
held with honor and fidelity.
158
Life (Did Labor* of
He performed the marriage ceremonies for not
only his own members, but for many others out¬
side of the pales of the Church. He sometimes
would unite more than a hundred couples during
one pastorate. He was a strong advocate of edu¬
cation, exerting himself with all his power to
give his children the best educational advantages
to be had in their day. He was an earnest sup¬
porter of Wilberforce University, as being the
adopted school of African Methodism. Besides
sending his children and keeping them there for
a number of years, he contributed largely of his
money for its support, and was the means of in¬
ducing many students to attend the school.
He was particularly earnest in his solicitude
for the prosperity of young ministers, always
striving to encourage them to prepare for greater
usefulness, and urging them to fulfill with ac¬
ceptance the great duties of life which pressed
upon them. When any oneexpressed a desire
to come before the public or that he felt a call to
preach the Gospel, Early had a peculiar art in
the power to induce him to enter some field of
usefulness, so as to acquire the necessary experi¬
ence to encounter the difficulties of appearing
before the world as an expounder of the Gospel.
Rev. Jordan ir. Early.
159
Thus many very useful men attribute their start
in life to his influence. He always seemed hap¬
py when he could present a young man before
his class for license to preach, or recommend him
to his Conference for deacon's or elder's orders.
J. W. Early always seemed to enjoy the inter¬
course of friends with a hearty relish. He would
spend much time in giving such advice as he was
able, and imparting to others what he had learned
from his experience in his ministerial and other
labors. He was charitable to all benevolent pur¬
poses with which he wTas acquainted, and gave
freely of his means to assist the poor. He was
hospitable to strangers, and especially to the
ministers of the Gospel. The wayfaring servant
of God always found a welcome place by his fire¬
side. In the early days of the Church, when its
friends were few and its means small, he says,
" A great part of my income was spent in enter¬
taining the ministers and Bishops of the A. M.
E. Church, even before I joined the itineracy."
He loved to detain them as long as possible near
their work on account of the prosperity of the
Church.
J. W. Early was married twice. In the year
1843, on the 6th day of June, he was married to
160 Eifc and Labor* of
Miss Louisa Carter, in the city of St. Louis, Mo.
The ceremony was performed by Rev. Byrd
Parker. The marriage was a happy one, and they
were the parents of eight children, four of whom
reached the years of maturity. Mrs. Early was
an amiable Christian woman, and one who was
highly esteemed by all who knew her. In the
year 1862 she was called from earth to join those
of her happy family who were gone before, leav¬
ing with her friends a sweet remembrance of her
many virtues and good deeds done to the poor
and needy.
J. W. Early remained unmarried nearly seven
years, when on the 24th day of September, 1SG.S, he
again entered into the marriage relation with
Miss Sarah J. Woodson, of Berlin, Ohio.
This lady entered fully into the work of the
Gospel with him, assisting in all of his most ar¬
duous duties, and sharing most cheerfully with
him all his hardships, deprivations, and toils.
She always assisted in superintending the Sab¬
bath-schools when near enough to reach them ;
always attending and often leading the prayer
meetings ; and she took an active part in visit¬
ing the sick and administering to the wants of
the poor and needy, and in raising money to
Rev. Jordan W. Early. 161
defray the expenses of the Church, and served
most heartily in its most laborious duties, and
engaged extensively in its educational work.
Mrs. Early is best known to the public by being
so widely employed in the temperance reform.
J. W. Early was always a bountiful provider
for his family, always solicitious for their well-
being, and careful to supply all of their wants.
He was an affectionate father, indulgent to his
children, even in their mature years. His name
will always be held in grateful remembrance by
those who have shared his bounty and received
his benefits.
And thus ends the life work of one of God's
most faithful servants, who is now only awaiting
the call of his Master to ascend and unite with
his comrades who have gone on before, and join
with the thousands whom he received into the
Church to praise the Eternal who sits on the
throne, and to adore the Lamb.
" There all the ship's company meet,
Who sailed with their Saviour beneath ;
With shouting, each other they greet,
And triumph over trouble and death."
11