The Demand and the Supply of Increased Efficiency in the Negro Ministry The American Negro Academy. Occasional Papers No. 13

This work opens with a clear‑spoken appeal for stronger, better‑trained ministers to lead Black communities at a pivotal moment in American history. The author argues that religious leaders shape a nation’s character as surely as any army or navy, and that the quality of their guidance directly affects education, morality, and social progress. By drawing on contemporary examples and a vivid short story by Paul Laurence Dunbar, the essay shows how an upright pastor can lift an entire town, while an unfit one leaves it in despair.

The paper moves from principle to practical urgency, urging churches and laypeople to confront a shortage of capable clergy with sober, collective effort. It stresses that the future of the race—and of the broader nation—depends on cultivating efficient, educated ministers who can translate faith into tangible improvement. The tone is earnest and thoughtful, inviting listeners to hear a historic call for community‑wide renewal.