Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1844-08-27
THE METHODiSTS.

From the minutes of the Annual Con
ierences of the Methodist Episcopal Church
for the year 1854, just published, ii
appears that the nett increase Of members
during the year, was l02,S3I. This added
to the increase Of the previous year, name
ly, 55,624, makes the unprecedented in
crease Of 257, 455 in the short period Of 2
years, and the whole number of members
of the Methodist Episcopal Church I'LL
356. The number Of travelling preach
ers, or regular, is 4,2S2, Of the supcran-
nuated, or worn out travelling preachers.
500, and that Of the local or lay preachers.
l2,70S. In other words, the number OF
Methodist Preachers in the United States
and Texas, exceeds that OF the standing
army of the United States. 1t is fact
worthy Of notice, that out Of the whole
number Of travelling preachers, it was
found necessary during The last year 10
expel only two from the connection. One
was a man in the western p ri Of this state,
who was found guilty of iorger. the 9TH
or was member Of the Holston Confer
ence, whose offence is not mentioned
The number of Withdrawals was, however,
very considerable, being no less than 81.
The ministers who Withdrew were all mem
bers Of northern conferences, and the prn-
cipal, if not the exclusive cause Of their
withdrawal, was probably the church.
connection with slavery in the south.
If the Me.hodsts should continue to in
crease at the rate they have done during
the last two years, they would overshadow
all the other religious denominations in the
land. But contraction and expansion be-
long to churches as we'll as banks and we
perceive from the minutes of the confer
ences last held. before making up the &C.
counts for the year, that a reaction has al
ready commenced. Within the bounds OF
these ,our conferences, namely. the Balti-
more. the Philadelphia, the New Jersey,
aud the New York, the aggregate decrease
was 1914. la the city Of Baltimore the
white membership was reduced from 9239
to 1872, and the colored member ship from
1880 TO 1888, showing an aggregate de.
crease Of 1881. The twentv-tnur churches
Of the city and liberties of Philadelphia,
have had their white mernbe rship reduced
from 1000 10 10,343, and The coloreC
from 23l to III; aggregate decrease 100
The white membership of the twenty-five
churches of New York city and county ha,
dec: eased from 9756 to 942l but the CO
lorcd has increased from "a TO 81 i; mel,
decrease, 800. In the five churches Of
BROOKLYN, the white membership has beer
reduced from 1920 to 1922, and the CO
lored from ii to 8 total decrease, 203.
In some Of the villages and other small
towns in this neighborhood, the decrease il
still more remarkable. THUS, at Flushing
the number of members Of the Methods
Epi scopalChurch has been reduced froI
l45 TO 100; al Bushwick, from l29 to SO
or more than one half.
| Ii is to be observed that there are othe
Methodist organizations besides that Of TIT
Methodist Episcoeal Church, and TO some
of them the seceders may have attached
themselves. Removals beyond the boun
daries of the conference. may account FOL
other portions of the decrease. Blu: thu
decrease in the societies throughout the
bounds Of the four conferences last held
is SO general, that we cannot but attribute
a great part of it to that eb5 which is sure
to follow grea, flood, as well in religious
as in commercial and financial aff.irs.
". Y. Errniny Post.