The New York herald., 1878-10-27
LOCAL PREACHERS.


ANNUAL MEETING OF THE NATIONAL coNvEN-
TIoN IN IRENToN-ToPIcs 10 BE DIS
CUssED-oLD JOHN STREET CHURCH ANNI-
vERsARY.
The Methodist Church has an order OF preachers
known "Local in contradistnction TO sInsrant.''
The lecals may or may not be ordained; thero arc
10th kinds in tho ranks. They do not make tho
istry means OF living, but preach wherever they find
n open door, with or without pay. Generally tEey
engaged in secular pursuits during the week. but
give their Sabbaths 10 he Church, either 10 supply
pupi,s Tor pastors who may be absent, unwe tired
out, or 10 supply churches too poor employ pas
tor. BY their aid the Methodist Episcopal urch
organization, Is able 10 plant It's standards
anywhere and to organize societies whore
other lamentations, trusting solely to their
ordained ministry, would fail OF success.
BY their aid John Wesley began his great reform
movement IN England more than q hundred and thirty
years ago, and Msthodlsm In America received Its
first impulse In this city from local preacher Philip
Embury. There are according to tho latest returns.
1858 such preachers in the Methodist Episcopal
Church of America. They exceed the itineran,s by
1927, and though some hundreds lcss than they
numbered few years ago they yet show an increase
OF 2,6S4 in ten years. While the Church provides no
organized system OF work for local preachers II yet
prescribes u course Of study Tor the unordaincd
preachers which they are examined annually
when they apply ior renewal OF license 10 preach.
Ordination carries with 1t exemption from this
OF study, though what principle not made clear.
This stuay. however valuable in ITSELF and ior ITSELF
when muue u test OF license Tor than six III ~
sand men every year, has tended to REFUGE the
Der OF locals throughout the Church, bee auso men
VINO have Tor generation preached the Gospel
with measure oil success Will not begin
tho study OF theology They do as thor itnerant
brethren do-prcach over old sermons 70 new con-
N oh prny n fAd nlnVn
her local preachers she would nave rignt to demand
standard OF culture Tor them; but when she ioaves
Gus distinctions she has CLAIM iher time the
required Tor such study Hence the locals
ference adopted the course OF s,uoy few years ago
This may have been tho original desgn ol the meas
ure, and, If It is succeeding very satisfactorily
The decrease last year seventy ana during
the years 1876 ana 1877 the decline was 3Ol The
Methodist Episcopal Cnurch South has 5,i62 local
preachers and eny 3,27l ninerants.
THE NATIONAL CONVENTION.
Twenty years ago The local preachers OF tho Motho-
dist Episcopal Church organized themselves INTO
national association year ago they ncld their an
nual Convention IN Camden, N. j., and appointed
Louisville KY as Inc place Of mesling for 1878 the
prsvaence OF yellow lever in The SOUTH however has
compelled a change 10 the programme ana yesterday
the Convention opened IL trenton, ~ J. The pnipts
attending the Convention. Dr. Wheeler OF thts city,
president OF the oTganiz uon, ana sve presi
dents nah from Philadcphia, Detroit, Wilmington,
Baltimore, Kent lucky ana East Ouio Its secretaries
are taken from PitsOurg, YOnkers and New York and
close It's sessions on ruesday evening. Delegates
from all conferences district city local prcacner
associations VIII be received aud where no regular
ORGANIZATION exists local preachers In good standing
wl be received as accredited delegates Properly
crsdiied local preachers Of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, south; Methodist Protestant anu otner
branches Of Metnodsm Will be received iraternal
delegates and invited 70 participate in It's deibcra-
tons.
Essays will be read before the Convention by Judge
White, Of Pittsburg, Pa, on the "Work oi Local
rreachers;a by DR. Munroe Of baltimore, on "Rep-
resa va IuCa "a q m and
Their Labors In the Old Baltimore Conferences" by
Z. q. Leigh, Of Brooklyn, and W. n. kincaid. oi
Pittsburg, on "DistrIct Conferences" ana by James
McGee. OF Painfeid, n. j., on a subject not
nounced beforehand General discussion will follow
essays will also be read TO the Couvoution. Local
preachers become less and less important
1873, when The financial panic burst over tho iand
ana induced many Christian young men to seek the
ministry, who In other conditions would have
tered upon commercial life. There are more
Knocking At the OF the annual conferences lor
admission, but the Church has NO work Tor
them. And until she can find nelds Tor those, she
wants local preachers Of the secular sort.
At the last session OF the Vermont Conference IN the
spring, that body resolved that II woud hereafter
any local preacher 10 orders except he Is 10 bo
admitted into the travelling connection This Is what
an excpaugs calls staiwartn legislation. The Mchi-
gan Chrstan Advocate accounts IOr the disavor iEto
which local preachers have iaIlen by rcctng tho ioI
lowing causss-1ack OF intelligence ana pupit prcpa-
ration; too great dcpcndenc upon the travelling
ministry bostowing their labors; ambition or pcr
sonal ends sought in ordination, to secure railroad
passes, discounts pefOuiCais, lre0
nen,s aud. IN somc instances, demand Tor compsn-
sation for pulpit services general inactivity
preoccupaton OF the locals ana ind dGerence aud Jeal
ousy Of Inc travelling minsters
RELATIVE VALUE OF PREACHERS.
Now those reasons may or may not be sound. IL
viii not be easy 70 prove that tho travelling min
isicr Is SO mucn more valuable TO the community
than tue local that tho former should be entied TO
free passes Tree ments discount on books
and periodicals, and the latter not any OF these
things Nor will ~ be difficult TO show that u
local preacher nils pulpit while the Itinerant pastor
"a val ny IN m M. "A
the summer he should not be paid Tor ms services II
he desrcsiI Tncrs Is no more moral ooiigation on
the local preacher to serve churcnes without pay,
and dad himself, than there 10 on itinerant 10 do tho
same. Tho obhsa,on is alike for both, aud
ana @ o. OF early Me,hodism. recosn,zca md
coniormed 10 this Obligation. When tue travelling
with zeal" as tho paper quoted says, tho locals ought
10 preach the gospel psrshng souls rather than 10
sit IN easy chairs editors secretaries presiding elders
ana agents Tor every hing, and camor Tor u eloDg
pastoraies; tnen d0ub the locals Will follow their
example and ind work tor themselves IN rev neds.
But IL Is at present like priest like people. II The
National Convention, nov IN session In Trenton,
would map out plan oI WORK Tor Its members IN
their respective locsiitiss could increase
Iuincts hundrcdfoid In year ana greatly augment
the Church. As organization It's accommodations
would receive at least respectiu! consideration IRON
pastors and presiding elders anu might escape
opposition ana adverse criticism. But u Is al
mos, impossible Tor slngic local 10 open
or n field Tor himself In large city like New YORK;
Boston, Philadelphia or Baltimore without trenching
some itinerant's parish srd thereby Increasing
exists toward his brethren as class or order
Methodist Idyman preacnes on the streets oil New
York every sunday, and, judging from mis- pubic
Advertisements atone, he receives awning but a
'God- spoed' irom tho ministry Of his Churcn. And
this opposition TO lay Labor IN tno Methodist Church
often taxes more tangible ana unwecome terms. SO
That local preachers and otner lay workers IN the
Church, who would be glad TO do sOmctning for the
Methodism they love are hindcrcd ana compelled
10 sit iuly down White the Church and aer interests
languish aud the decline oil Alcoholism ~ cities Is
the uniailng topic oil tho religious press ana OF
reiigous gatbefinrs.
oLD JOHN srREEr CHURCH ANNIVERSARY.
While the Nstionai Convention OF Local Preachers
s exaIting Christ to-day Trenton the
first Metnodist Episcopal Church IN America founded
by a local preacher Will celebrate tho ll2th year OF
s existence and the 10th OF tho dedication of It's
ancient house OF worship, quilt alec by tho han OF
the who orgapzed the society ana uninsured TO
The exercises Will consist oil love least In tho
morning al nine. presided over by Rev. J. l. Peck,
sermon at Ten A. N. by Bishop Wiley. OF Cincinnati;
rcunion service at three r. NJ, at " hcn A. v. STOUT
deliver addresses and praise meeting IN the even