The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-08-04

up the consciencies of those who lad
,eemed Indifferent 10 this evil. and in
drawing more distinctly the dividing
line between the defenders of this
institution and those, who opposed It
But bt this as it may, history records
mat while in 1841 a large number left
the Methodist Episcopal Church because,
apparently, they were in q minority in
desiring that slavery might be abolished
IN 1874, three yeaH afteraard, a still lar.
ger number took their departure because
they were, unm .stakably, in the minori.
" III desiring that the institution might
be maintained. This latter separation
resulted in the organization of the Meth.
odist Episcopal Church South-the sec.
ond largest Methodist body on this con
tinent.
a short time prior to the General
Conference Of 1874 Rev. Francis A.
Harding had been suspended from the
baltimore Conference for refusing to
cmanclpate slaves owned by his wife.
About the same time Bishop Andrew, OF
georgia, was united in marriage to lady
.. ~ the same State who was slave owner.
lhe laws of Georgia would not allow the
emancipation ofslaves, and the Bishop's
culpabillty arose from the fact that he
contracted this marriage with full
knowledge of this fact and of the
awkward position in which the alliance
would place him. IN both these cases
the General Conference took action. In
the hrst 1t sustained the Baltimore Con-
terence in suspending Harding, and in
me case of Bishop Andrew it passed res
oiutions by q vote of fill to SO which yir.
tually suspended him from the episcopal
office. This action the delegates from
the slayehold ing States sought to have
changed, and failing in this, they entered
formal protest against it Later in the
session. when it became apparent that
the action of the conference was likely to
result IN the separation from the Church
OF large number Of ministers and mem
oers, Select Committee of Nine was
appointed to report to the conference the
Dasis on which the anticipated separation
should be made The report of this
committee was adopted, and the confer
ence adjourned with the understanding
mat u the Southern churches finally de.
clded to leave the parent body they could
depart in peace.
convention cf leading Southern
sMethodists, held at Louisville, XIV, in
May OF the following year, developing
the fact that the slavchoding States were
almost unit for separation. the new
Church at once took shape, its first Cen
erai Conference being held at Peters.
burg, in May, 1916. This new organiza.
ton carried away 100000 members. or
two.titth of the entire membership of
the Methodist Episcopal Church at tha.
time. The Church South now has 80
annual conferences. Bishops, 1850
travelling preachers, 5,S32 local preach .
ers, and membership of about $50 900.
OTHER METHODIST CHuRCuEs.
The organization known as the Color.
ed Methodist Episcopal Church was
formed at Nashville, Tenn, December.
1874, under the direction of the AIetho.
dist Episcopal Church South. 1t was
the outgrowth of feeling in tho last
named church that its colored member
ship would be better off in an organiza-
tion of their own. This Church admits
no whites to its fold. 1t has four Bish-
ops, seventeen annual conferences, 638
preachers, and liz, 300 members.
The Primitive Methodist Church of
the United States is modelled after the
church OF that name il Great Britain.
1t reports 1876 itinerant preachers. and
3,2l0 members.
The Congregational Methodist Church
originated in 1852. It's operations are
chiefly confined to a few States in the
South. Membership, 10000 with about
$50 minister.
The Independent Methodist churches
report an aggregate membership of about
$4,000.
REPRESENTATION IN EcUMENIcAL con.
FERENCE.
These different branches of the Metho.
dist family will send delegates to the
forthcoming Ecumenical Conference as
follows: Methodist Episcopal Church,
80; Methodist Episcopal Church
South, 3S; African Methodist Episcopal
Church l2; African NJ. f. Zion Church.
10; Colored NJ. +. Church, 6 Evangeli.
cal Association. 6; Union American NJ.
+. Church, 9; Methodist Protestant
Church, G.; American Wesleyan Church,
1; United Brethren, 9; Free Methodist
Church, 3; Independent Methodists, 2 !;
Congregational Methodists, 2.