Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-08-21
THE CmURCHEs N THE sOUrm.

From the Phlladelphia Ledger.
In 1860, the Methodist Episcopal Church
South had about 700, 900 members, of whom
188,000 were colored. Besides, there were
about $4,000 SouthernI Methodist Protest
ants. n The Methodist Episcopal Church,
the parent body, had only retained its con-
gregations in Maryland and Deleware, with
few in Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri and
Arkansas. In all the other States It had
become extinct. But since the close of the
war, the Methodist Church has become one
ofthe leading and most numerous denomi-
nations in the Southern States, AT the
close of the year of 1861, this Church had
the, following annual conferences wholly
within the bounds of the late slave States;
Alabama, 1909 members Georgia, l0,6l3;
Holston, 24,720; Mississippi 1890; South
Carolina, 9,66S Tennessee, 6,016; Texas
1884; Virginia and North Carolina, GIL
Arkansas and Missouri, 0,4l6; Baltimore,
15,768; Kentucky, 1S,997; Western Nir-
ginia, 6,783; Washington, 7.473. To-
gether these conferences had membership
of about 10000 persons. Adding to this
the congregations Of snch annual confer
ences as lie on the border, it has member
ship of not less thaa 180,000--a gain of
about 100 900 since 1860. The increase of
the two African organizations is still
greater. In 1850 the African Methodist
Episcopal Church and the African Metho-
dist Episcopal Zion Church together re-
ported membership of about 5000 !; in
1868 they numbered upwards of $4,000.
The gain of the two, last-named bodies is
exclusively among the colored population,
while the Methodist Episcopal Church has
gained both among the whites and eolored
people. The increase of the two African
churches exceeds by far the entire colored
membership of the Southern Methodist
Church. The two African churches greatly
desire Il union with the Methodist EpiscO-
pal Church, and negotiati0us for that pnr-
pose have been officially opened. When
ever they prove successful, the Methodist
Episcopal Church win haVe in the late
slave States membership of not less than
500, 600, with fair prospect Of becoming
in point of numbers, the leading denomina-
tions in these States. .ii57 80 L3ssf
The Baptists, also, since the end of the
war, have been engaged in the work of do.
mestic missions. The Free Mission Bap-
tist Society, the American Home Mission-
ary Society and the Publication Society
have sent numerous missionaries among
the freedmen to establish schools and,
churches. A large number of eolored Bap-
fists have connected themselves with the
Consolidated Missionary Association. Thh
is an organization of colored men, which
has placed itself in connection with the
Northern societies, and in particular with
the Free Mission Society The latter has
likewise organized several associations of
Baptist churches in the South. In Louisi-
ana the association numbers sixty churches
and counts up an aggregate membership of.
6,779. .f'''-e.il4' , ia'Sza
The Presbyterians have likewise made
progress in reorganizing their missionary
work in the South. The New School As
sennbly has three presbyteries in Tennessee :
the Old School Assembly has presbyteries
in North Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana,
Tennessee, land in one or two other States of
the far South. The United Presbyterians
have a presbytery in Tennessee. These
three bodies, it is stated, are conducting
missionary work among the freedmen with
great zeal. ah ~
The Congregationalists before the war
only had single church in the late Rebel
States, the one at Charleston. The 'fNa-
iional Councils of Congregational churches,
held two years ago, however recommended
the American Missionary Association as an
organ through which the denominations
might reach the freedmen. This associa-
ton has since labOred with great zeal for
the education of the colored people. Ac-
eording TO recent report in the monthly
magazine Of thc association, ten Oongrega-
tional churches have been established, and
the FIRST SOdthern association Of Gosgrega-
tional ministers has been formed.