492                 A. M. E. REVIEW.

  But these gifts from the outside public cannot relieve the
Church of her obligation to support the colleges which she
controls. The obligation is upon us as never before, not
indeed to enter into a reckless, unworthy competition and
rivalry with the State institutions, but to provide our col-
leges with everything that is a necessity for the doing of
first-class work. The Church is fully able to do all that is
needed. She must be shown the imperative character of
the obligation which is upon her. The campaigns which
we are carrying on for the cause of missions are teaching
us what the Church can and will do when she is made to
realize her duty.
  We do not need to plead for buildings equal to those of
the State universities. The greatest work the Church can
do to-day is to strengthen and solidify her work in the sec-
ondary and collegiate field. The "small college" and the
training school are her strongholds of power.
  The educational world is coming back steadily but surely
to a realization of the fact that the multiplication of imma-
ture youths under a single management is a mistake, and
there must be a return to the school and college of from one
one hundred and fifty to three hundred students, with every
one of whom the president and teaching faculty can main-
tain personal relations. In these days of materialism there
has been a tendency to magnify the value of great buildings,
magnificent equipment, large endowments, and large num-
bors of students. All these may be present, but the most
important educational influence is the personal contact of
the boys and girls with men and women of strong personal-
ity and inspiring lives. The Church must equip her col-
leges, first of all, with great teachers and give to them the
facilities necessary to carry on thorough work. The amount
of money required to give first-class instruction in training
schools and colleges can easily be supplied by the Church,
and the Church must realize that if she does not supply the
money she will fail in her mission just as truly as if she




			

OHS/National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center Serial Collection

African Methodist Episcopal Church Review, Vol. 28, Num. 1

Volume:  28
Issue Number:  01
Date:  07/1911