Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-12-24
The Great Conference.
An Ecumenical Meeting of MethOdists
Next Year, in London.

An Ecumenical Conference of the
Methodist Episcopal Chnlch and its
branches will meet in London in
September, 1881. This conference
has been talked of in the churches of
the denomination for several years,
but no decided action was taken un-
til last May, when. at the General
Conference of the Methodist Episco-
pal Church in Cincinnati, a plan
was drawn up and agreed to by the
representatives of the Methodist
Episcopal Church and the different
branches in the United States. The
denomination numbers over 4,000,-
900 of actual communicate and
A METHODIST POPULATION
OF about $4,000, 900. There are nu-
merous branches in Europe and this
country, and they will all be repre-
sented in the conference. The mem.
bers of the conference will num- mber
400, one half of whom will represent
British and Continental Methodism,
and one-half the churches in the
United States and Canada. As near
ly as possible the conference will be
composed of lay and clerical dele
gates equally. The 200 delegates
of the United States will be assigned
to The churches as follows: The
Methodist Episcopal Church, so del
egates; Methodist Episcopal Church
South, 3S; African Methodist Epis-
copal Church, II; Methodist Episco-
pal Zion Church, 10; the Colored
Methodist Episcopal Church OF
America, 6; the Evangelical Associa-
ton, 6; the Union American Metho-
dist Episcopal Church, 2; the Union
American Protestant Church, 2; the
Methodist Protestant Church, 6; the
American Wesleyan Church, 4; the
Free Methodist Church, 2; the In
dependent Methodist Church. 2; the
Congregational Methodist Church,
2; the Methodist Church of Canada,
II; the Methodist Episcopal Church
of Canada, i; the Primitive Metho-
dist Church in the United States and
Canada, 2; the Bible Christian, 2;
the British Methodist Episcopal
Church, 2. The
REMAINING SIX MEMBERS
Are left to be distributed by the wes-
tern section of the General Execu-
tive Committee. The assignment of
delegates to the European and Con-
tinental churches has not yet been
made. The delegates will be named
by the conferences as they meet, be-
tween this time and next July. The
conference will not meet for legisla-
tive purposes, for twill not have the
authority to legislate. 1t is not for
doctrinal controversies. 1t is not
for an attempt to harmonize the va
rious politics and usages of the sew
eral branches of the great Methodist
family, for Methodism has always
striven for unity rather than for uni
formity. 1t is not, in word, fol
consolidation, but for cooperation.
1t is to devise such means for prose
cutting our home and foreign work as
will result in the greatest economy
and efficiency;
TO PROMOTE FRATERNITY;
To increase the moral and eyangelic.
al power of common Methodism
and to secure the more speedy con
version of tho world. 1t has beer
suggested that the proper topics tc
considera are those respecting proper
ty, paoan!sm, skepticism, intemper'
ance and kindred vices, the relations
of Methodism to education, the
means of eyangelization, such as ar
ltinerant ministry, training schools
for Christian workers, both at home
and abroad; Sunday schools anc
special efforts for special classes
Concerning missionary labor, it IL
further proposed to examine Metho
dism as u missiopary movement, the
relation of the home work to the
foreign work, and the best mode O.
avoiding waste and Iivalriss, and O.
securing instead thereof sympathy
and cooperation between
DIFFERENT METHODIST BODIES
Occupying the same or contiguous
mission fields; the use OF the press
for the increase of Christian knowl
edge and sanctiiyins power; the re
sources OF Methodism in numbers
wealth, culture, spiritual life and re-
vival agencies, and the correspond
ing responsibility; the spiritual uni
ty of Methodism, and the best way
to secure its maintainance and III
crease and to manifest it to the
world. The conference will meet II
City Road Chapel, which was the
first church of the Methodists. Fol
many years John Wesley preached
there, and his pulpit Is still showl
to Methodist travellers who visit Eng
lands's capital. The delegation from
this country will be composed of the
strongest men in tho church, anc
will most probably be headed by