The New York herald., 1878-11-17
METHODIST ITINERACY.

purpose.
METHODIST ITINERACY.
CONVENTION OF MErHoDIsTs IN BROOKLYN TO
MoRRow-wHY METHoDIsM DECLINES IN
cITIEs-THE LOVE OF MONEY THE ROOT OF
THE TROUBLE.
convention Is to meet in Washington Street
Methodist Episcopal Church. Brooklyn. tomorrow
evening to consider the relation Of the present ma
ton of the pastoral term to the condition Of Method
ism in that city, and to take such action with regard
to memorialzing the next General Conference may
be deemed best for the interests of the Methodist
Episcopal Church The call for this convention orgi
mated in the Quarterly Conference of the Washington
Street Church, which sent out formal notices asking
the cooperation Of all other Quarterly Confer
ences in the city. The responses sufficiently
large to justify the gathering of representatives
Each church has chosen five lay delegates
The pastors of the several churches will
probably be present also o1icio dele
gates. The itineracy has become the great burden
of Methodsm within the last fifteen years. Previous
to that rarely word heard against it. But now
the efforts Of pastors chiefly directed toward the
congregatonalizng of the entire Methodist Episcopal
Church. They don't say SO, to be Their de-
cared purpose is to advance the interests Of Meth
odsm in Cities The itinerancy is good enough as it
is for the country but not for the city The public
cannot associate the name Of any Methodist
minister with the Church which he serves as the
Prcsby yterians Baptists and Congregationalists
associated. DR.. Halls church, DIR. Talmage's, DIR.
William NJ. Taylor's. Dr. Thomas d. Andersons or
Dr. Armtages churches are better known by the
of those worthy pastors than by any other name
sign. Few. If any. persons speak of DIR. Tiffanys
DR.. Davis or DR.. Kings Methodist churches because
the people scarcely have time to recognize
1yha <ba
is driven mp and they are carried off
to another field Of labor. The pastors and
some oil the churches think this triennal change him
ders the growth of Methodism well interferes
with their own personal and social comfort. The
severance OF the pastoral relation comes Often they
the fruits Of faithful abors being thus lost to the de-
nomination But why should church properly in
sructed in the things of God fall to pieces when the
teacher is removed? Benevolent and social and COM
mercia societies change their heads annually without
any such dread of disintegraton and with such
experience Pastors leave churches also of their own
free will regardless of any such consequences. And
indeed there is less danger from this cause in the
Methodist Episcopal Church than in any other, for
individual church need be pastorless week under
the polity and government Of Methodism. But it is
it will in time become fruitfulsourc of loss to the
churches. both in its minister md lay membership.
and hence the necessity Of prdhpt consideration Of
all the issues involved.
wHENcE THE c1.AMoR ron CHANGE.
Now two or three things may De said on this sub,
of pastoral limitation comes almost exclusively from
highpriccd churches and large-salaried minister's.
The who gets $3.50 $500 year is satisfied with
the present order. He can change at the end Of
year. as indeed all Methodist ministers can. for the
appointments made from year to year. and only
for year at q time, and there is prospect before
him that he may get an $500 or $1,000 appointment
from the ensuing Conference. But the man who re.
ceives from $1,000 to - 900 year and furnished
house does not want to take his chances of getting
$1,000 900 less at the end Of three years. he
whole Church share of the best well
of the poorest ministerial talent. The
money value of preaching in former days took
ondary place in the economy OF Methodism. Now It
stands first and foremost that the minister's first
question 70 church committee who seek his services
IL about the salary. And where the highest salary is
offered there the call Ia loudest. Hence the high
priced ministers transferred year after year to d
erent conferences wherever the largest pay and the
least service be combined. In former article in
the HERALD IL shown that some ministers spend
almost their ministerial lifetime in city alter
mating between two cities and often between two
churches. That the itineracy has many excellent
points when considered as system for pioneer
work, that 1t is well adapted to sup
ply the needs Of weak and especially Of
rural churches must be conceded. But the advo-
of change satisfied that IL Is not applicable
to large cities. The Methodist voices in part the
opinion OF this class and the term ought either
that is all the Brooklyn Convention proposesor the
settled pastorate ought to be adopted 1t does not.
however expect very rapid growth Of the move
ment nor very unanimous acceptance of the change
proposed but it nevertheless thinks the change Is
needed.
MKrHoDIsM DECLINES AND DoEsS'r
Another thing that may be said on this point IL
that, whenever the HERALD the Independent any
other paper publishes anything concerning the de.
cline of Methodism in cities the Church, press and
many Of its preachers feel bound to contradict the
statements. Last spring, when the HERALD pub
lshed something OF this character, minister in
this city and another in Brooklyn and many more
throughout the land felt a special mission thrust
a9n rsnnn e ~ dnn stpr sgs ago bs sne s,n
advocate presented facts and figures to prove that
Mcthodism was advancing in the cities instead Of de-
clning and Chaplain MeCabe In his addresses before
the New York and New Jersey and other conferences.
made his most effective points in contradiction Of the
HERALDs statements. DIR. John Atkinson Of Chicago,
has written column upon column of contradictions Of
the same similar statements. But now comes
convention in OF the largest cities in the Union.
declaring beforehand, doubt they will declare
tomorrow that Methodism is failure in cities, and
that the only hope of saving IL from wreck
It, II the disease exists. and have shown
the doctors differ that point the remedy proposed
IL not the best There In excellent way, but II
in a way that will not be adopted by very many high
priced preachers. That the money value OF sermons
is the basis of the failure Of Methodsm in cities II
failure exists III very evident from certain ministerial
movements that have taken place within year or
two The Rcvs. T. Slicer. r. X. Meredith J. l.. Hall.
T.. Tinker, W. Lawrence and others from this city
and vicinity. and many more from the cities of the
land. have left the Methodist Episcopal Church and
joined Cavinistc organizations. few Of them have
given the Methodist authorities their reason for
changing the itncracy, while to the denominations
into which they entered they assigned a change Of
doctrinsl views. Both may have been correct. but IL
at least remarkable coincidence that in the major
ity Of reported the change of doctrnal views
uDOut time tnc change Oh paStOrh
ton which brought smaller salaries came. There
may have been no connection in the minds of those
good between the loavcs and fishes and the
Masters service in one church another. But the
changes involved certainly among the strange
condolences Of ecclesiastical life.
BROOKLYN METHoDIsM SUFFERS.
The Rev. Joseph Horner. of Pittsbnrg. has pub
liscd couple Of articles to prove that Mehodism is
not adapted to foreign populations. and that there
fore does not succeed In cities where foreigners
most do congrcgatc He would deduct all
foreigners from his popular statistics, and.
counting every American. would demonstrate
beyond question the success OF Methodsm
in cities He also attributes the alleged
or actual failure lnzincss Of ministers and churches
In very sarcastic vein he utters lament that Method
ism il conquer more. II has already ceased to
conquer II IL vanquishcd in the cities--uttcry
powcrless ecte inalc. Its fate Is saddcr than the
aoeful and lanentable exit Of poor Cock II bin" 1t
killed "by the sparrow with Its bow and arrow.
But this great body dying of its own incompetent
greatness Its lovers must wall more bitterly than
did they of old the beautiful Adons, dead upon