West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1881-05-11
Strength of Meth0dism.

In view of the near approach of
the Ecumenical Council, the New
York Independent, a Congregational
paper, looks over the Methodist
field to observe its progress and
strength and makes an admirable
summary. The following extracts
from which, embracing the most
prominent Methodist bodies, with
the final summing up, we take from
the columns of the Central Methodist.
The largest and oldest Methodist
organization in this country, the
Methodist Episcopal Church, took
its rise about one hundred and fif-
teen years ago, in New York City
and near Baltimore almost simulta-
neously. The English Wesleyan
Conference sent over several mis-
sionaries, but the War of Independ-
ence interrupted this arrangement,
and in 1874 the Methodist Episco-
pal Church was organized in Balti-
more with two bishops. In the
ninety-seven years of its existence
as an organized body the church
has had thirty-fvc bishops, Of whom
20have died. It's annual conferences
have, in one hundred and eight
years, increased from one to ninety
five, and its members from 1000 to
1,743,OO0
The second Methodist body in the
United States, and also in the
world, in numbers, is the Methodist
Episcopal Church, South. 1t was
organized in 1916, in consequence
of the action of the fourteenth Gen
eral Conference, held in New York
City, in 1914, on the case of Bishop
Andrew who had become connect
ed with slaveholding by marriage.
This body has confined itself chiefly
to the Southern and Border States,
though it has conferences in III
inois, Indiana and on the Pacific
Coast. 1t has six bishops and thir-
ty-nine annual conferences, besides
three foreign mission districts The
church has grown rapidly since the
war In 1866 it had 498,847 mem
.bers; in 1879 it reported S28,301,.
with 1881 itinerant preachers.
The Methodist Protestant Church
is the outcome Of a struggle in the
Methodist Episcopal Church on the
question of lay representation and
abolition of the presiding eldershipe
Many who seeded, or had been ex-
cluded, met in Baltimore, in 1928,
and called a General Conference for
1880, at which an organization was
effected. No differences except Of
government and discipline distin-
guish the. Methodist Protestant
from the parent body. Laymen par
ticipate in all their conferences.
They have no presiding elders and
no bishops. Their conferences elect
presidents, and committee station
ministers. The church divided be-
fore the war on the slavery question,
but was reunited in 1877. 1t has
1900 itinerant ministers and 49,
405 members.
We append table to show at a
glance how the different bodies
stand individually and collectively:
Methodist Episcopal Church, 1,743,-
900; Methodist. Episcopal Church,
South, 828,300; African Methodist
Episcopal Church, 215,00O; United
Brethren in Christ, 1877, 800; Meth
odist Protestant Church, 113,400;
Colored Methodist Episcopal
Church, 1890; Evangelical As
ISOLATION, 112, 200; African Method
list Episcopal Zion Church, 1911 600;
American Wesleyan Connection,
$4,000; Free Methodist Church,
1900; Congregational Methodist
Church, 10000; Primitive Method
list Church, 5000; African Method
ist Protestant Church, $500; INDIE
pendent Methodist Church, $500;
Union American Methodist Episco-
pal Church, 1000 Total, 1881, 800.
No cases of drunkenness have yet
occurred during Court. 80 far az we