Connectional Lay Organization

The Organization, like many in our church, at any early age, did not keep official records that would serve as reference material. Research started with a brief history as given by former president, Attorney Herbert L. Dudley of Detroit. He used as his first pamphlet – History and Official Guide of the Lay Movement – by Professor R.J. Gardner of Cleveland, Ohio. In this pamphlet, Professor Gardner states that the “Organized Lay Movement” started at the General Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1912, with Professor Charles H. Johnson of Wilberforce as the first president. It was known as the “Laymen’s Missionary Movement.” Professor Johnson traveled extensively through Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, etc. He wrote pamphlets, Men at Work and Laymen’s Missionary Movement. In 1928, legislation giving laymen equal representation in the General Conference was enacted by the General Conference which met at Chicago, Illinois. Up to that time, lay representation was confined to three (3) laymen from each Annual Conference. In 1932, at the General Conference held in Cleveland, Ohio, laymen were granted the right to serve on the Episcopal Committee. However, Bishop Flipper ruled at the succeeding General Conference in 1936 in New York City that the right to serve on the Episcopal Committee by the laity was an act passed by the General Conference of 1932 and applied only to that General Conference, so that in 1936 we had to renew the fight previously made in Cleveland to establish the right of laymen to serve permanently in equal numbers on the Episcopal Committee. The General Conference of 1936 definitely and permanently established the right of laymen to serve in equal numbers on the Episcopal Committee. In 1940, in Detroit, Michigan, legislation gave the laymen equal representation in the Annual Conference. In 1944, the laymen sought equal representation on all Departmental Boards.