Background
Wesley John Gaines was born a slave on the plantation of Gabriel Toombs on October 4, 184, and was a brother of Gen. Robert Toombs, Wilkes County, Georgia. He was the youngest of the fourteen children of William and Louisa Gaines.
(Excerpt from African Methodism in the South, or Twenty-Fi...)
Excerpt from African Methodism in the South, or Twenty-Five Years of Freedom In undertaking this work I have had in mind to present to my readers and to the A. M. E. Church a brief but comprehensive survey of the work of our church in the South, especially in the State of Geor gia; so that in passing over the pages if there be found anything omitted which would seem necessary to make the history of our church work in the South ern States complete, it must be remembered that such a comprehensive history has not been my de sign. Such would call for more space than this small volume can comprise, and there are historians who will undertake the task of setting forth the work in other individual States. It has been my aim to touch upon the adjoining States to Georgia only so far as seemed necessary to a proper understanding of the spread of the work. And when the relationship is so close as to make one a necessary complement of the other, and so far as my own personal experience in those States would war rant my adding them to my list. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
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(Excerpt from The Gospel Ministry: A Series of Lectures I...)
Excerpt from The Gospel Ministry: A Series of Lectures I am persuaded that these lectures have been useful to this end where they - have been delivered, and with the hope that they may have the widest possible scope in accomplishing still greater good I have decided upon their publication. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
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Excerpt from Annexation of the Hawaiian Islands: Speech of Hon. John; W. Gaines, of Tennessee, in the House of Representatives, Wednesday, June 15, 1898 Mr. Speaker: It is admitted by the champions of annexation that if we acquire the Hawaiian Islands we must not only increase our Navy to protect us as we now are, but that we must further increase it to defend these islands. Of course, if our Navy is not already equal to the increasing needs of the Government, it must be made and kept so. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
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Wesley John Gaines was born a slave on the plantation of Gabriel Toombs on October 4, 184, and was a brother of Gen. Robert Toombs, Wilkes County, Georgia. He was the youngest of the fourteen children of William and Louisa Gaines.
From childhood, Gaines showed an eagerness for knowledge, and as a youth, being too delicate physically for hard work, he had time to pursue it. Taught by a white boy, he learned the alphabet in a week and, by imitating copies in books he secured, he was soon able to write. The desire to be a preacher early took possession of him.
He studied theology at Athens in 1870 under Matthew H. Henderson, rector of the Episcopal church there, and during the years 1875 to 1878, under Rev. Joseph S. Key, later a bishop of the Methodist Church, South.
In 1855, Gaines went to a plantation in Stewart County and the following year, to one in Muscogee County.
At the close of the war, he announced his intention of going into the ministry and was encouraged by his former owner, Toombs, who himself was an official in a Methodist church. He was licensed to preach, June 1865, by Rev. J. L. Davies, a presiding elder of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, but under the influence of an older brother, Rev. William Gaines, he soon joined the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and was commissioned to organize churches in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties.
In 1866, he was admitted to what was then the South Carolina Conference and ordained deacon at Savannah, Georgia; the following year, he was ordained elder.
All his pastorates were in Georgia, where he served churches at Atlanta, Athens, Macon, and Columbus, displaying notable ability as an organizer and financial agent.
He died at Atlanta in his seventy-second year, having won the high regard of all classes.
Gaines did much to promote the education of his own people, being a founder, treasurer, and president of the board of trustees of Morris Brown College, Atlanta, a coeducational institution for colored students opened in 1885, and serving as trustee of Wilber- force University, Wilberforce, Ohio; vice-president of Payne Theological Seminary, Selma, Alabama; and president of the board of trustees of Edward Waters College, Jacksonville, Florida. He was long prominent in the administrative work of his church, and in 1888, the General Conference elected him bishop. As such for many years, he supervised with marked success the work of the Second Episcopal District. In 1893, the Providence AME Church at Elkridge Landing was rebuilt and named Gaines Chapel AME Church in recognition of the bishop's contribution to the movement. Nine other churches were named for him.
(Excerpt from The Gospel Ministry: A Series of Lectures I...)
(Excerpt from African Methodism in the South, or Twenty-Fi...)
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In 1890, Gaines published African Methodism in the South; and in 1897, The Negro and the White Man, in which he set forth in admirable spirit what he considered to be the possibilities and needs of the colored race in the United States.
In August 1863, Gaines married Julia A. Camper.
