The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1879-04-03
THE M. E. CHURCH.
It's Growth and Work During the
Life Of one Man-Rev DR..
Lovick Pierce.
From 1871 to Down to 1910.


The growth OF the Methodist
Church in America will be more
strikingly presented by consider
ing what she has accomplished du
ring the life of one man. DIR. Lo-
wick Pierce was born in the same
year the Methodist Church in
America was organized. The first
conference convened in Baltimore
on Christmas Day, 1871. Out OF
eighty-three travelling preachers in
America at that time, sixty were
present, representing IA, $50 mem
bers. By unanimous vote, that
conference elected DIR. Coke and
Mr.. Ashbury to be their Bishops
and with equal unanimity declared
for separate ecclesiastical organi-
zation called the Methodist Episco
pal Church. The second General
Conference was held in Baltimore,
November. 1892. At that time the
membership had increased to 65,
$50. From this time forward to
the present General Conference has
been held quadrennially.
The fifteenth General Cohferer ce
brings the history to 1914, q mem
orable era in the annals of the
church The conference met IN
New York on the first of May. 1t
was composed of $50 delegates, rep
resenting 33 annual conferences,
1922 preachers and I,I17,353 mem
bers. This was the last General
Con ference of the United NJ. +
Church The schism of slavery was
introduced and embittered by the
counsels. On account of a resolu-
tion passed at this conference de
posing Bishop Andrew from Episco
pal functions because of his connec
tion with slavery-though it was
shown that he did not own slaves,
but that they were the property OF
his wife-fiity one delegates fIom
thirteen annual conferences peti
toned for a separate ecclesiastical
organization. A resolution was
offered authorizing the conferences
in the slave-holding States, if they
found it necessary, TO form ga dis
tinct ecclesiastical connection" A
second resolution authorized MINIS
ters of every grade in the M. f.
Church to remain in that church,
or without blame to attach them
selves to the Church South. The res.
olution providing for a distinct &c
clesiastical organization passed by
vote of lat to Is.
The first General Conference ot
the Methodist Episcopal Church
South, met in Petersburg, Va, May
1916. There were eighty-seven del
egates present, representing sixteer
annual conferences and 45S, ,49s
members.
The last conference Of the Meth
odist Episcopal Church, South, be
fore the war, was held at Nashville,
Tenn. There were 655,777 mem
bers. During the war the Church
was greatly depleted. The regular
work Of the ministry was TO a COZ
siderable extent suspended, and al
most the who colored member
ship was lost The first General
Conference after the war was held
at New Orleans, in May, 1866. The
church membership was then re-
ported at 505,1 The quadren-
nial report that followed was 57I,-
241. and the next 676,60O. At the
conference now in session at Allan
ia the aggregate membership is
about 100000. These figures will
show that the Church South has
experienced a more rapid growth
since the war than during any pre-
vious period of its history.
Since the division Of the church,
in 1914, the NJ. +. Church, (which
means both branches, North and
SouJh), has strengthened and in
creased rapidly, the entire number
of Methodists in the United States
being about 100000. -
Almost the entire history of the
Methodist Church in America has
passed under the personal observa
ton of DIR. LoyIck Pierce. This
venerable father IN Israel is now in
the 94th year of his age. He is a
wonderful example of long pre-
served vigor both ofmind and body.
He still stands erect as most men
of 60 years; able to preach once a
week and his sermons are clear and
forcible, full of thought and relig-
ious junction..
DIR. Pierce was appointed by the
Church South, after the division IN
1874, to bear fraternal greetings to
the General Conference in IS4S.
Tne NJ. +. Church at that time re-
fused to receive the messenger or
TO enter into fraternal relations
with the Church South. Since the
war, fraternity has been established
between the two Methodist Church
es. DIR. Pierce again represented
the Church South in the fraternHl
delegation. Nearly thirty years be-
fore, when his fraternal message
was rejected by the General Confer
ence Of the NJ +. Church, he had
said in the presence of that Confer
ence, "This overture for fraternity
has been voluntarily made upon the
part of the M. Z. Church, South,
and having been rejected, it is final
so far as the Church South is con
cerne6. If fraternity is established
between us in the future you must
take the inItiatory step" He had
the pleasure of seeing this step Ia
ken and fraternity between the two
churches at length firmly estab |