Elders Branson and Rebok -- 3
March 11, 1954
our majority brethren felt one of their darker brethren was capable enough to
handle the funds as business manager of Qakwood. At least ten years of sugges-
tion elapsed before an editor for the Message was chosen from the minority
group; and then he had tc locate his office in his home rather than at the Pub-
lishing House. It has taken almost another decade for the editor to reach a
comparable status with corresponding workers at the SPA. It took about two
decades to get an assistant circulation manager for the Message magazine. Near-
ly fifty futile years of importuning for an "official" officer on the General
Conference strata have passed, despite the fact that the financial potential of
this group is considerably greater than any oversea's division; also its mem-
bership is larger than several of these divisions. Brethren, it is undeniably
evident that we have been moving. But certainly no one dare accuse us of mov-
ing too fast! And just think, those individuals who originally made those
suggestions which we now take in stride were stigmatized as heretical by many
in the majority group and, ashamedly, by a myopic few among the minority group.)
Committee Proposal Not New
1) My first proposal relative to the appointment of committees of representa=-
tive majority and minority group members, particularly on the union conference
level, was to provide functional assistance to conferences, institutions and
churches in becoming oriented in this broader conception and adoption of the
principles of practical Christianity and democracy.
This idea is not new, for as far back as 194? ministers and laymen presented
the urgent need for a committee or commission to study methods for bettering in-
tergroup relationships similar to that utilized by the Congregationalists and
other denominations. Also more recently Dr. R. Rodriguez asked representatives
from the Pacific Union and Southern California conferences to meet with a group
of lay leaders. The meeting was held at the Wadsworth church on May 2L, 1953.
Twenty-five laymen, including school teachers, social workers, college students,
business men and five medical doctors, met with Brethren Bauer, Schnepper and
Troy of the Union, and with Brethren Bietz, lunson and four other committee mem-—
bers of the Southern California conference. Also present were all the local
ministers serving the minority group constituency.
The opening statement by the presiding layman set forth the need for this type
of meeting where leaders of both groups could intelligently, objectively and
calmly consider the problems and issues before them. The specific need presented
by the laymen to the officials was stated thus: "At this particular time we
need an advisory council which can take the various problems which arise from
time to time and work them out in a manner that will be fair to all. This should
be an interracial council. It would be well to have it on a union conference
level so that other areas beside Los Angeles may benefit from all decisions."
Scriptural support for this plan was presented from Acts 6 where the early
church appointed the deaconry when the Grecians (a minority group) murmured
over the neglect of their widows at the daily ministration. The leaders ap
pointed both Jews and Grecians on this committee. A rich blessing has come to
the church throughout the ages because of this appointment.