sentences:  Many of his former students became Methodist ministers who returned to their congregations and annual conferences to work for better treatment of African-Americans, helping the Southern Methodist church to evolve from a mainstay of theological and racial intransigence to an agent for social change and doctrinal reform.Sledd's interest in education was not limited to the higher education of colleges and universities.While holding his Candler professorship, he served as a member of the Board of Public Instruction of DeKalb County, Georgia, and volunteered to serve as the board's treasurer.