Your Committee on that part of the General Survey referring to Church work, report that they consider it most encouraging and inspiring. Seventy-eight churches formed; 5,472 members admitted; 8,130 scholars in Sabbath-schools! But the great question is, have we a spirit of power and development in all these organizations? for if they are dead they are worthless. Significant facts give us the answer. Five churches were added the past year; five hundred and eleven members were added to the churches; one thousand eight hundred scholars to the Sabbath-school; seven church buildings erected, or in the process of erection—one the gift of Mr. Gregory (upon whom be peace)—two parsonages and two President’s houses. One-third of these churches have had revivals indicating future enlargement. There are seven State Conferences; Woman’s Home Missionary Societies in active work; Sabbath-school Conventions; female missionaries sent forth into the houses of the poor, eleven commissioned the past year, and a revolutionized public sentiment set in so that Southern governors, generals, editors, have generously recognized the value of the work.
Now it has sometimes been questioned whether a Congregational organization, working on thoroughly Congregational principles, could so well plant the Christian church among an ignorant, degraded people, needing guidance, oversight, care, government. But how did the primitive churches in apostolic days succeed? They were all Congregational, and for the most part composed of ignorant people. Did they have apostles to guide them? So have we. Dr. Strieby and his associates and helpers are successors to the apostles in this work. They have the oversight, and the churches have freedom of expansion and growth.
What is the path, let us inquire, through which a feeble church or churches may safely become strong? It is, it must be, through self-government, self-development and self-support. As to the first, churches composed of illiterate Freedmen are, doubtless, unfit to govern themselves. But how shall they ever become fit? How shall they learn, except by trial, failure and correction under kind but faithful leadership? We have given our colored citizens the largest civil and political freedom, with no guidance but that of unscrupulous politicians. Shall we now say that they cannot be trusted in the church?—that they can be free citizens in the republic, with all the duties, trusts and responsibilities of citizenship, but that they cannot be Freedmen in the republic of God? Our church organization is in perfect harmony with the genius of our Government, and is the best possible school of good citizenship. It teaches liberty, regulated by law and love.