▁Mah one ▁did ▁not ▁care ▁about ▁the ▁civil ▁rights ▁of ▁black ▁vot ers , ▁only ▁their ▁votes . ▁Thus ▁on ▁September ▁ 1 2 , ▁ 1 8 8 5 , ▁he ▁announced ▁that ▁the ▁Lanc et ▁would ▁es ch ew ▁politics , ▁but ▁concent rate ▁on ▁moral , ▁educational ▁and ▁commercial ▁matters . ▁The ▁following ▁February , ▁he ▁changed ▁the ▁paper ' s ▁name ▁to ▁the ▁Af ro - American ▁Church man ▁and ▁later ▁it ▁became ▁The ▁Church ▁Adv oc ate . ▁A ▁change ▁in ▁the ▁re ctor ▁at ▁St . ▁Steph ens ▁also ▁allowed ▁B rag g ▁to ▁res ume ▁his ▁the ological ▁studies ▁at ▁the ▁Bishop ▁Pay ne ▁Div inity ▁School , ▁from ▁which ▁he ▁graduated ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 6 . ▁ ▁Ministry ▁B rag g ▁was ▁ord ained ▁a ▁de acon ▁on ▁January ▁ 1 2 , ▁ 1 8 8 7 , ▁and ▁assigned ▁as ▁vic ar ▁to ▁Holy ▁In noc ents ▁Epis cop al ▁Church , ▁a ▁mission ▁in ▁Nor folk . ▁He ▁successfully ▁challeng ed ▁a ▁rule ▁that ▁black ▁de a cons ▁wait ▁at ▁least ▁five ▁years ▁before ▁ord ination ▁as ▁pri ests . ▁Thus , ▁on ▁December ▁ 1 9 , ▁ 1 8 8 8 , ▁Bishop ▁Francis ▁Mc N ee ce ▁Wh ittle ▁ord ained ▁B rag g ▁as ▁a ▁priest ▁at ▁Saint ▁Luke ' s ▁Epis cop al ▁Church ▁in ▁Nor folk ; ▁thus ▁B rag g ▁became ▁the ▁tw elf th ▁black ▁Epis cop al ▁priest . ▁During ▁next