Advancing the Kingdom

11 / 150

Advancing T he Kingdom: Kingdom House
the institutional work. Dr. H.S. Bradley
interposing an objection to the name on the
ground that there was already an African
American church in the City by the same
name, and the name itself was too common-
place, on account of the confusion which
might arise from the name, the majority
of the committee present withdrew their
report. Whereupon Dr. Bradley moved that
the name selected by the Society be that of
“Kingdom House Methodist Epis. Church,
South” which was hotly contested[.] Dr.
Sam R. Hay offered as a substitute that
“Sloan Methodist Episcopal Church,
South,” be adopted, retaining the old name
with the word “Mission” dropped. After
a prolonged discussion and by common
consent the motion and the substitute
were both withdrawn. Whereupon Dr. W.F.
McMurray moved that a vote be taken and
the members be permitted to each signify
their preference for the various names
proposed, and the majority of votes cast be
accepted as final.
Rev. R.P. Basler moved that the name
“Institutional M.E. Church, South,” be
put in nomination, and it was carried. The
vote was taken, and on the second ballot
“Kingdom House” M.E. Church, South, won
by a majority of our vote. Dr. Sharp moved
that the vote be made unanimous, and it was
done.15
According to his wife, Sloan had
several reasons for not wanting the
building named after him. In a later
interview, Mrs. Sloan said that although
her husband did feel it unwise to affix
the name of any living man to church
buildings or enterprises, he also thought
that any trouble or strikes that might
occur in his shoe factory could affect
other interests bearing his name. In
addition, as the son of a Presbyterian
minister and having invoked the
displeasure of many by joining the
Methodist church, he did not want
the mission to bear his name “in case
he should want to change his religion
again.”16
The name “Kingdom House” comes
from the many sermons preached by
the Reverend Henry Styles Bradley of
St. John’s. Dr. Bradley often stated the
work of the Kingdom was philanthropic,
social, evangelical and educational.
Value of supplies and money
for distribution $79.05
Number of persons aided 307
Garments given 598
Groceries given $62.20
Amount of money $15.55
Number of sick visited 67
Children placed in homes
or institutions 10
Literature distributed 1145
Bibles given 2
Books loaned 26
Opportunities for prayer and
Bible readings 222
Meetings conducted or addressed 41
Many visits made and received;
also visits to hospitals and institutions.
Towards this end, the early activities
of Kingdom House after 1902 included
a day nursery, free kindergarten,
sewing school and the Mother’s Club.
As the Women’s Board First Annual
Report shows, these women took
their commitment seriously, and were
convinced that “this is the beginning of
a great work for the women of Southern
Methodism in the City of St. Louis.”
Later in the Report Mrs. F.E. Norwood,
the City Missionary indicated the
following results of her labor:
On September 13, 1902, the free
kindergarten was opened in connection
with Sloan Mission, “the object of
which is to elevate in every possible
way the little children who attend.”
In that first week, nine children came.
The kindergarten movement in the
Unites States was still experimental
and only private institutions offered
them. Children were admitted at two
and a half years of age, and remained in
the program for three years. Frederick
Froebel, founder of the kindergarten
movement in Germany, quickly brought
his ideas to the United States. The
first kindergartens in America were
founded in St. Louis, whose progressive
members of society quickly accepted
the philosophy. The work of the
kindergarten dominated that first year of
Sloan Mission.
These little people are assembled
together every morning from nine until
twelve o’clock, under the most favorable
conditions – conditions such that will
bring out and emphasize the good in the
child, forming habits of industry, neatness,
preciseness and unselfishness. Every one
[sic] knows how susceptible to impressions
young children are, hence, the necessity
and advantage of surrounding them at this
age with helpful environment. These first
and most important years of their lives
demand the most careful consideration, for
as the years multiply the power to change
the habits formed at this period grow more
difficult. We have grown accustomed to
the words of the monk who said, ‘Give me
8
The name “Kingdom
House” comes from the
many sermons preached
by the Reverend Henry
Styles Bradley of
St. J ohn’s. Dr. Bradley
often stated the work
of the Kingdom was
philanthropic, social,
evangelical, and
educational.