The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1881-05-26
JACKSON, OHIO, THURSDAY, MAY 26, 1881.

Church. The Evangelical Association
has in the main the doctrines and
practical features Of the Methodist
Episcopal Church. It's bishops, of
whom there are three, are elected every
four years; so also are the presiding
elders. There are 81 annual confer
ences, Of which two are in Europe and
one in Canada, 1913 itinerant preachers,
and 112, ,197 members.
The American Wesleyan Connec-
tion was organized in Utica, n. Y, in
1913, by ministers and members of
the Methodist Episcopal Church who
desired to show more outspoken hos
tility to slavery. They numbered
about 5000 members then, and report
now only about $4,000. They have
no bishops or presiding elders. Their
system is similar to that Of the Meth
odist Protestant Church. They
exclude from membership those con-
nected with secret societies. The
Church has $50 itinerant ministers.
The Free Methodist Church is also
a branch of the Methodist Episcopal
Church. 1t was organized in 1860, at
Pekin, n. Y, as the result of exclusion
of ministers from the Genesee Con-
ference, in which there had been hot
disputes, the excluded party opposing
what they called innovations or de-
partures from the Discipline. The
Free Methodists make prominent the
doctrine of entire sanctifcation, and
require simplicity Of dress, the putting
off of gold and jewels, and separation
from secret societies. Their terms of
admission are stricter, it is claimed,
than in any othcr Methodist bodies.
In place Of bishops and presiding
elders, they elect a superintendent and
district chairmen. They report 271
itinerant preachers and 1862 men,
bers.
The Congregational Methodists are
a small body existing principally in
Georgia and adjacent states. The first
church of the order was formed in
1852, in Georgia, of former members
of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
from which the Congregational branch
differs only in polity. The Church
Conference manages the affairs of the
congregation, besides which there are
district and state conferences and a
quadrennial general conference.
There are about $50 ministers and TO-
900 members.
The Primitive Methodist Church is
a small body, numbering only about
5000 members, branch Of the Prim-
itive Methodist Church of England,
which gives special prominence to the
lay elements in its conferences. The
ministers form only third Of the del
egates.
The African Union Methodist
Protestant Church is small body,
formerly in connection with the
Methodist Protestant Church. There
was an association of such churches
and ministers as early as 1912. Now
there are several annual conferences
in the South, with about $500 mem
bers.
The Union American Methodist
Episcopal Church is another colored
boGy, organized in 1913, in Delaware.
1t has 5 conferences and about 1000
members.
Besides these bodies, there are indie
pendent Methodist Churches, the
chief of which are in Baltimore.
They have about $500 members.
Here are fifteen Methodist organ
izations in a field and under circum-
stances in which it would be difficult
to justify four. We say here nothing
about the Methodists of Canada, who
have history connected with that of
their brethren in the United States
We append a table, to show at a
glance how the different bodies stand
individually and collectively: