Robert Elijah Jones
Encyclopedia
Robert Elijah Jones was an American Bishop
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
and The Methodist Church in the U.S.
, elected in 1920. Along with Matthew Wesley Clair
, Jones was one of the first African-American Bishops of the M.E. Church
.
. His parents were Sidney Dallas and Jane (Holley) Jones.
In 1920, Jones along with Matthew W. Clair
became the first black bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church
. However, they were elected on separate ballots and presided over all-black churches.
He helped found a Methodist retreat, Gulfside Assembly
, in Waveland, Mississippi
for African-Americans. Gulfside Assembly was the only place in the United States where African-Americans had access to the Gulf of Mexico for vacationing and recreational purposes.
In the late 1930s, Bishop Jones participated in a unification movement that attempted to integrate the black and white members of the Methodist Episcopal Church
. Unfortunately, because of strong opposition in the South, the Church decided instead to create a separate jurisdiction for blacks, called the Central Jurisdiction. The first General Conference of the new Central Jurisdiction met in St. Louis, Missouri
from June 18 to 23, 1940.
Bishop Jones died in 1960 and was buried at Gulfside Assembly.
The Methodists would not begin formal integration of the black and white churches until the mid-1960s. By 1972, all of the Conferences of the Central Jurisdiction had been merged into white Conferences.
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
and The Methodist Church in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, elected in 1920. Along with Matthew Wesley Clair
Matthew Wesley Clair
Matthew Wesley Clair was one of the first African-American bishops in the Methodist Episcopal Church.-Biography:Matthew W. Clair was born in 1865 in Union, West Virginia. He was a son of Anthony and Ollie Clair, former slaves....
, Jones was one of the first African-American Bishops of the M.E. Church
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
.
Biography
Robert E. Jones was born on February 19, 1872 in Greensboro, North CarolinaGreensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
. His parents were Sidney Dallas and Jane (Holley) Jones.
In 1920, Jones along with Matthew W. Clair
Matthew Wesley Clair
Matthew Wesley Clair was one of the first African-American bishops in the Methodist Episcopal Church.-Biography:Matthew W. Clair was born in 1865 in Union, West Virginia. He was a son of Anthony and Ollie Clair, former slaves....
became the first black bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
. However, they were elected on separate ballots and presided over all-black churches.
He helped found a Methodist retreat, Gulfside Assembly
Gulfside United Methodist Assembly
Gulfside Assembly is a Methodist retreat located in Waveland, Mississippi. It was founded to provide spiritual, educational and recreational facilities to African Americans who were denied access elsewhere because of segregation...
, in Waveland, Mississippi
Waveland, Mississippi
Waveland is a city located in Hancock County, Mississippi, on the Gulf of Mexico. It is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. The City of Waveland was incorporated in 1972. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 6,674...
for African-Americans. Gulfside Assembly was the only place in the United States where African-Americans had access to the Gulf of Mexico for vacationing and recreational purposes.
In the late 1930s, Bishop Jones participated in a unification movement that attempted to integrate the black and white members of the Methodist Episcopal Church
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
. Unfortunately, because of strong opposition in the South, the Church decided instead to create a separate jurisdiction for blacks, called the Central Jurisdiction. The first General Conference of the new Central Jurisdiction met in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
from June 18 to 23, 1940.
Bishop Jones died in 1960 and was buried at Gulfside Assembly.
The Methodists would not begin formal integration of the black and white churches until the mid-1960s. By 1972, all of the Conferences of the Central Jurisdiction had been merged into white Conferences.
Further reading
- Yenser, Thomas (editor), Who's Who in Colored America: A Biographical Dictionary of Notable Living Persons of African Descent in America, Who's Who in Colored America, Brooklyn, New York, 1930-1931-1932 (Third Edition)