The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-11-16

METHODIST Protestant ANNIvERsARY.-
Semi Centennial Anniversary Celebration, etc.
The second semi-annual meeting of the Sub
District Conference, No. 3, of the Methodist
Protestant Church, commenced Tuesday at
Washington street station, corner of Lombard
and Washington streets, Baltimore, Rev. Dr.
S. B. Switzerland, of Westminster, Carroll
county, presiding, and Rev. VIM. S. Ham
mond secretary. The conference comprises
Baltimore city, Baltimore county, Hartford
county and Carroll county, in Maryland, and
portion of York county, Pa.
Delegates present we're as follows :-Cleri-
cal-Revs. r. Scott Norris, D. l.. Greenfield,
I. Mccormick, j. W. Charlton, j. NJ.
Holmes, J. w. Gray, S. B. Treadway, J. NJ.
Brown, w. 7. Dunn, J. t. Ward, A. Web
ster and Arthur Murray.
Laymen-Elias Yingling, VIM. Jones, John
7. Holmes, Frederick Etchison, S. II. Green,
Geo. Ward, Washington Horner and Gran
vile Herring.
A sermon was preached by Rev. j. NJ
Brown. Communion services were conduct
ed by Rev. DIR. Webster, assisted by Revs.
DIR. d. W. Bates, DR.. j. t. Ward, t. McCor.
mic and w. T. DUNN.
1t was resolved that the next meeting of
the conference should be at Hampden, Balti-
more county. A letter was read from Rev.
w. G. Lipscomb, of Washington, ID. c., the
only surviving member of the first conference
of the Church, in 1928, in which he congratu-
lates the conference on the occurrence of sem
i-centeunial anniversary of the Church and
its progress. Rev. S. B. Treadway read an
essay on revival work. and the subject was
discussed by Revs. Messrs. Norris, Souther-
land, Bates and others.
AT night celebration in honor of the fifti-
eth year of the Methodist Protestant Church
was held in st. Johns Church, on Liberty
street, IN which the first convention of the
Church was held on November y, 1923.
The services we're presided over by Rev. Dr.
Switzerland, assisted By Rev. DIR. Webster,
pastor Of the church, and consisted of sing
ing, responsive readings by the minister and
congregation, reading of the message to the
church by Rev. X. Scott Norris, and the mes
sage to the ministry, both being Bible selec-
tons, by Prof James T. Webster, of the Bal
timore City College, and reading Of an orig
inal poem, t'Our Semi Centennial, !" written
by Amanda Z. Dennis.
An anniversary address was delivered by
Rev. DR.. Switzerland. He spoke at length
of the causes which led to the separation of
the Methodist Protestant from the Methodist
| Episcopal Church, which were the refusal of
that church to admit the laity to its counsels
and alleged undue assumption of power by
the bishops. The ministers who were dissat-
iSheu Win tue cnurCn government appeared
to the General Conference in 1924 and asked
that the laymen might be granted representa-
ton in the law-making department of the
church, but it was refused. They then pub
lished periodical called ''The Mutual Rights
of the Ministers and Members of the Metho-
dist Episcopal Church, advocating their views
This paper was forbidden BY the church, and
numerous local ministers and lay members
were expelled for taking it, and for being
members of the union societies formed at the
/ same time.
The various unions finally met in convention
in 1928, at St. Johns Church. Rev. w. r.
Sneathen, of Maryland, waschairman. Among
its members were Rev. DR.. Jennings, of Bal
iimore; Rev. Eli Henkle, father of Hon. Eli
j. Henkle, and Wesley Starr, of Baltimore,
who founded the Starr Church, on Poppleton
street. There were 1l2 delegates, one-half
being laymen. The church was organized at
that convention, and was first called the AS
ISOLATED Christian Church, but shortly after
took the name of the Methodist Protestant
Church. The formation of this church he
considered to be the American Methodist de-
claraiion of independence. 1t now has over
1000 ministers and 100000 members. The
church was well filed during the services.