The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1810-12-05
rxo.M THE vExsfoxa JOURNAL.
Rise and progress Of me Methodist
Efsiseofai (hurch in me United
Sfafes Of -dn,erica.

In late publication nserfed sn me Fermonf
| Refn6feon, S.5tt. "a, ihe increase cf mtn'6rrs
| ia she AifIhedist kEscefai thnrch ia the u.
St0fes during fhe tssf ! > years stas stated 10
| be /" ~, ,522," Fer the better i.form0fion' u
| fhe fIodek, lam induced 10 gire lhe JcHcsaing g
| uhich is a rue ssof,menf IF me increost' ef
| iheir members. n fhink mysey suatyEsd 10
| y,ve jnsf statement, as hare ia my fcssts-
SION ihe Eriniea nsirufes, gflfheir annual re-
inrns, Jrem The Erss .4nnuai' Cot ference kolds n
f! on this Continent down' TO fhc frestns year !:
| FIVE intern Mediate years excepred's 'slHtA
In the year 1906 PAihha aIaosryl and IN !:
He66, local Preachers, emigratef from hr-
rote 10 Nts- York, and thtre fcfn,ed lew
! small societies. About the same time, ko6-
! err S.rou bridge, a local Preschet, settled in
frederiek's County, State OF sN1aryl0nd, who
formed iew Societies in this place. LII 1869
kschu,w Lou,'dman uI,d JcscfA 'Pifmon, caite
TO Ntw- York and in l77l f,ontis ..s6uyy
and Richard Uu,ghf, came from Eurcpc To
the Continent, 20 assist in spreading the Cos
pei in this infant Country. In June iT73,
the first annual conference ever hoidtn on
this continent, OF this order, Was consertd Aar
Philadelphia. 1t consisted oil but ten pteach-
ers, who We're in come zion with those OF
England At this time the number OF mei,'-
bers in the U,j,ed States, was l.l6o. Soon
after this, the revolutionary war commenced,
which brought them into numerous difficult
ties, il being dangerous TO travel extensively
at such "a period. However,, many cnccun.
tered the danger, enoured the barsfsl.ips, sur-
mounted the difficulties arising from the silu-
alton OF the country, and had the satisfaction
OF seeing the work Of the Lord prosper IN
their hands, so that in l785 the number Of
itinerant preachers amounted rs i0a, and The
number OF members TO 10000. After The
conclusion Of the war, it was supposed that
US God in his special providence, had serera-
ted the United States from tie British En-
pire, there ought to Lc nothing binding Of an
ecclesiastical naturc more than oil a civil lvw.
Accordingly Thomas Coke, l.. l.. D. snd
presbyter Of the Church in England, wss
solen,ny Sc, apart by the imposition of hs,,ds
for the Episcopal office. lie was eonsnis~
stoned to America, and a general conference
was holden at Baltimore, January, i775 kt
this conference of the MethodiAt Epi-copal
order, they formed themselves into al inlJ.
pendent church, separating from tbem iol.-
nier connexion with those in fnnere-
The difficulties arisnl; from tie war, hay-
ng now subsidized, and the order o. tho church
being well established, the lo4 puC.hk laho-
rers with zeal and iortiiude, entered tie " in-
yard, they endured the fatigue oi long rides,
aud frequent speaking They su!lered tle
many haroships subject TO an infant county Y,
together with muoi opposiiioD. l.twilh II
increased number they kept the field, and II
1899 the number OF itinerant preachers l,
mounted 10 27O, and the nupler OF meniLcv
10 81 ,35i. AT this time, their tide ex,ende,.
from Georgia to the District oil Maine. Nor
did they stop here they we're zeaously en-
gagged in bearing the news o! Salvation 10
more Northern Clin.es nor did they cease
til the wilderness oil the West was favoured
with the Gospels joyful sound. Soon alter
this, God, regarding their payers, and n,ird-
ful of their laLours, began TO pour out his
spirit in very wonderful manner, so that
thousands were added TO their numbers year
ly. In short, the wilderness q the West
blossomed as the rose, t" the North gave y,
and the South kept not bsck,,he Eas, brought
her sons and daughters from afar," and tie
land seemed to echo with the praises oi The
Lord. At present Gle Inherent preachers,
together with about four times that punlcr
of local preachers arc employed in sounding
the Gospel trump. These travelling preach
ers have committed to their charge l74,56o
members.
The time Of this Gospel progress may be
properly divided in the following order, viz.
From the first conference iu 1873, wien tic
rumber Of members was 1850 TO he ss,ab-
lisnment of ihc independent Church in l785,
when the number OF members was 1900
Thence to the beginning Of the great revival
about the year 1899, when tho number of
members was 1881. Thence to the present
year, 1910, on the printed minutes as follows |:
Year Number Of .bembcrs Increase.
1900 64,8S4 3.543
1901 1884 1850
1902 86,734 1880
1893 1v4,O70 1856 rN
1904 lI3.134 1850