St. John AME

A recurrent theme in the Plaindealer is that blacks need to focus less on building fancy churches and sending money to mission and focus more on creating businesses, buying and taking care of their homes and taking care of people/problems in their own area.  In a way, continuing another dominant theme boosterism. I find it very interesting that considering what a force the churches were in the black community that the Plaindealer would be so vocal in their criticisms--in part because I would think it might hurt their readership or advertising but it does not appear to.  Evidentally, J.R. Ransom, the pastor at St. John's AME took offense to this and replied and now the Plaindealer response.   (Also another piece that I clipped with it by accident and we will not go into at this time but sad, and disturbing about the treatment of women at this time.)