The Negro's church,.

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The Negro's Church

Negroes will probably find employment in Negro churches
as paid secretaries, musical directors, directors of religious
education, and other activities that the Negro church must
carry on if it is to be an effective institution.
The Negro Church Is Self-supporting
In the main, the Negro church is a self-supporting institution. It is true that much money is collected for local church
support from a few white people who are friendly to a particular Negro pastor, or by Negro members who work in the
homes or businesses of white people. Since this is more or
less sporadic giving to solicitors, it is not possible to determine
the amount given through this channel. Observation and
statements from church officials tend to prove that, though
these amounts are helpful and appreciated, they are, nevertheless, negligible when compared with the money paid by
the members and the amount raised among Negroes
themselves.
ORGANIZED SOURCES OF SUPPORT
There is an organized source of support, however, which
cannot be neglected. Church officials were asked to name the
organized sources from which the churches have received
financial aid during the past four years. Seventy-one, or 11.7
per cent., of the 609 churches received aid through definitely
organized channels. Included in this 11.7 per cent. are such
churches as the Protestant Episcopal, Presbyterian, Congregational, and Methodist Episcopal, whose organic relationship
to the parent body makes them more likely to get aid from it
than are churches of some other denominations. Aside from
aid received in this way, Negro denominations, such as the
Colored Methodist Episcopal, the African Methodist Episcopal and the African Methodist Episcopal Zion, help local
churches in some areas. Included in this 11.7 per cent. are