At the opening of the twentieth century one of the most important questions facing the Episcopal Church in the South was the separation of the Negro work in each diocese from that of the white. Bishop Cheshire was strongly opposed to any separation of the church's work founded solely on the racial feeling. He disliked to see the unity of the Diocese disrupted, and believed the ideal situation was "a church and a diocese which in its annual gatherings should represent visibly the oneness of all races and colors in Christ."[50] He realized, however, that he could not be guided entirely by his personal feelings on a question of such importance. A large body of the Negro clergy and many white churchmen throughout the South felt that the welfare of the church demanded some sort of separate organization for the colored work. When he met his diocesan convention in the spring of 1907, Bishop Cheshire announced his position on this question. Since the colored people seemed to desire an organization of their own, he believed the time had come for the church to take some definite action. He asked the convention to make known its views on the question of separation, since it would come up for discussion in the General Convention that fall. The Bishop stated that two plans of organization for the Negroes were being considered. One provided for the consecration of suffragan bishops who should have charge of the colored clergy and laity and should be under the diocesan bishop. The other called for the consecration of missionary bishops who should have charge of the colored work in contiguous dioceses and who should be responsible to the General Convention. The Bishop declared that he was heartily in favor of the latter plan, believing that it met the needs of existing conditions much more justly and adequately than the former. Moreover, the colored people themselves seemed to favor the plan of using missionary bishops. If they were used they would be under the direct control of the General Convention and would be given more independence than suffragan bishops, who would be under the administrative jurisdiction of the white diocesan bishop. Bishop Cheshire felt that if the colored work was to be made independent of the white, the Negro bishops should be given some administrative as well as spiritual responsibilities. When the convention took up the question of the colored work, it referred the whole matter to a special committee. After careful study, the committee recommended that the Negroes be given a separate organization, that the plan of missionary bishops be adopted, and that the deputies from the Diocese should present these recommendations to the General Convention. The committee's report was adopted.