LOOKING BACKWARD TO THE YEAR ONE.

               "Man looks before and after."
  It is as interesting to study history as it is natural to in-
voke prophecy.

  THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH REVIEW is
twenty-five years old this issue. What of its birth? Its
babyhood? Its growth to present young manhood? What
was the feeling of the church towards it? What the
character of the first  contribution to  it?  These  are
questions of value as well as of interest. How shall they
be answered? Not by me, only twenty-five years old myself
when the REVIEW was launched; not by me, who then
scarcely knew the men who led and guided the church.
  Let us look back to the files of the REVIEW and ask them
to tell us the story of first things, while we sit about the
Round Table of recital.
  I hold in my left hand, as I write, a certain bound volume
of 410 pages, whose fly leaf bears the legend: The A. M.
E. Church Review: Quarterly. Managing Editor B. T.
Tanner, D. D., Volume I. Philadelphia Publishing House
of African M. E. Church, 631 Pine Street.
  The index tells me that there are four issues in the
volume and that the first one was in July, 1884; followed by
the October, January and April numbers in order.
  As the third and present editor of this epoch-making
publication, with thrilling interest, I run my finger down
the index page and, with a feeling of awe, call the roll to
see how many of them can still answer in the flesh.
  July Number: Bishop Daniel A. Payne (absent); Bishop
Jabez P. Campbell (absent); Bishop Wm.  F. Dickerson
(absent); Hon. B. K. Bruce (absent); Bishop T. M. D.
Ward  (absent); Dr. W. S. Scarborough (present); Mrs.
                                                 (367)




			

African Methodist Episcopal Church Review, Vol. 25, Num. 4

Looking Backward to the Year One

Volume:  25
Issue Number:  04
Page Number:  367
Date:  04/1909