New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-04-29

society which is composed Of members and probafon.
converts on trial for six monh is divided into clax
which meet weekly for religious counsel under the cbar
OF leaders Two more societies form circai' which
Is under the Of travelling preacher; number os
circuits constitute district, OF which presiding eide,
has supervision and several districts usually i'm
cluded in an annual conference. The soc,et,
has trustees who hold its church property
stewards who manage it's finances, ami usually exhort
ers and local preachers The latter pursue their regula,
vacations aud preach whenever required. Tie presd
ing elder his district eounsels te preach r
and holds quarterly conference on each circuit Tina
quarte ly conference Is composed OF Sundaysohool an
IeIintendents trustees, classeaders. stewards exhor
ers aud local and travelling preachers. 1t licenses ex
borters and local preachers recommends candidates for
the annual conference. hears oOmDllnts and tries an
peas and attends to the general interests Of cru,
or station Tho General Conference Of 1872 which met
In Brooklyn provided for district conferences wi ara
they arc desired by the majority Of the quarterly confer
ences of the district district conference Is held sem
annually and Is composed OF all the travelling and local
preachers, exhorters, district Stewards and suniay
school supernteniens in the district It's duties are to
license local preachers pass their characters attend
TO the financial and church enterprises OF tie district
The presiding elder ia chairman.
The annual Conference is composed OF all the travelling
preachers within Its bounds Its time OF meeting ap-
pointed by the Board OF Bishops, but the Conference
selects the place. Tho General Conference Is the
highest legislative and judicial authority of the
Church II meets every four years iron
1872 on the first day OF May, and is composed Of
ministerial delegates chosen by the annual conferences
In the proportion Of delegate TO 45 members aud
(snco 1872 of two lay delegates for each annual con-
ference cbose by electoral conferences consisting one
layman from each quarterly conference. The bishols
preside in turn.
ORDERs-DOCTRINE.
The Church has two clerical Orders-persbyters and
deacons. Tie ministry is itneranf three years being
the limit OF pastoral term The ep.scopacy also
itncrant. Though the bishops settled certain dis
trcts they travel tho whole country, holding an
nua conferences and supervising the spiritual and tenn
poral interests Of the Church. bishop NAV be sus
pended expelled by the General Conference, or in the
Interim, by the Judicial Conference
The official doctrina stand Ird OF the Church is
tanned in IS articles OF religion which. except the 23i
article respecting the civil government prepared by
John Wesley from the 80 articles OF the English Church.
The distinctive doctrines OF Methodlsm found In
weslcys sernons "Our main doctrines. which include
all the rest" he said, arc repentance faitn aud hol
The first OF these account as 1t were the porch
religion; tho next the door; the third religion tsen
The general church work OF the denomination. which
conducted an immense scale, Is divided into six do
partments-the Educational the Publication the Sunday
school, tho Missionary, the Church Exte sion, and tie
at Abin gdon, Md in 1897 Efforts made to estIb
sh Summaries and academies In different parts Of the
country, but not much progress was achieved ut after
the General Conference OF 1920 which recommended
each Annual Conference to found and maintain
mary within its bounds Tie Wesleyan Uniyeis ty, Mid
detown, Conn, founded in 1881, and the first the
illogical school Opened in connection with It. In
1347 this school was removed to Concord, N H., and
was known the Biblical INSTITUTED 1t is part OF the
Boston University There are two other theological
schools in this country and two abroad.
The great publishing business OF tho denomination
begun Philadelphia in 1889, on borrowed capital OF
$780, In 1904 the Book Concern. as 1t was called. was
removed NewYOrk and in process OF time occupied It's
own bu dinss Muberry-st These were destroyed by
fire IN 1886, causing loss OF $25OoOO, but were soon
rebuilt. In 1869 the Book Concern and Missionary
Society bought building and its site at the corner
Of Broadway and Elevenths for 100000 the Mission
airy Society taking onefourth interest THIS building
is new the headq OF the publication, missionary
and educational departments. branch Of the Book
Concern was opened In Cincinnati in 1920 This Is now
separate house. and Is managed by two book agents,
elected by the General Conference. like those az New.
York. The last quadrennia report of the New-iork
Agents s72 gave the net capital the Newfork Book
Concern Mt $1.055,179, showing an Increase
of SG9,1G3 in four years. The sales dur
ing this period amounted to $2,426.Si0; and
the net earnings to s275,1f0. Tie Cincinnati
total for the four years. S2Soi677; net earnings
$ll5O65. The total capita! therefore, in 1872 of both
houses 477775 the total sales for the preceding
four years SIT, and tho net earnings $780,
pos There book repositories mt Philadelphia Bat
more Boston, Buffalo, Pittsburgh. Cliclgo st. Louis,
Atlanta and san Francisco all but tie two first named
under the supervision OF the agents 1t S,w-YorS and
Cincinnati There also publishing louse- at Bremen.
Germany; .Gottenburg. Sweden; CITY OF Mexico. and
Foochow China. There are twenty period AIS published
un Ter the authority OF the General Conference including
one Quarterly review, seven m0Dthlies and twelve
week.-Mrs. In the English, German, and Swedish lan'
cusges Their total circulation was. IN 1873 96093s,
exclusive OF ,199,626 Berean monthly lesson hsv'S
American Methodsm was essentially missi,nHy
movement during the first half century vi its existence
Having firmly established itself in all parts OF the eonh
try il organized missionary society in 1919, which de-
voted itself for years to work among the Indians
and the negroes both and slave. In 1882 the nfss
foreign mission begun in Liberia; In 1891 mission
was opened among tho Indians OF Oregon, which was IN
fuential In csilizns that territory and securing
the United States III 1885 mission was establishedm
South America and 1886 was sisnalized by the begin
ming of mission work among the Germans OF this country
by the Rev. Vim. Mast As the result OF this movement
there are exclusively German annual confer
ences six OF which in the Untod Statcs with 5ll
travelling preachers, Clio churches, and 4769S mem
bers. The church has missions in Africa. South
America, China. Germany and Switzerland, Denmark,
Norway, Sweden, India. Bulgaria, Italy, Japan. and
Mexico with 1880 members aud 5O7 missionaries and
assistants. The Womans Foreign Missionary Society,
which organized, in 1869 for work among heatnen
women. has % missionaries In those countries. Tie
domestic missions. including the work among tho
foreign popuatOns-Welsh German, scandinavian, cht
nese and Iudan-empoy 1860 missionaries, and nave
1862 members ami 300 churches The receipts 81 the
Missionary Society the fist year QS2O) were $50 usy
In 1875. 24S5, and the grand total VI tho to
cepts since 1920 is 9l2,7j3,ll7.
A CHURCHS STRUGGLE FOR LIFE.