The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-08-04
AMERICAN METHODISM.
Irigin. Growth. and Strength of it's
Branches, as Given by o Northern Writer.
II. r. in Cincinnati CARTE.

IriRIn, Growth and Strength of IT.
branches, as Given by q Northern Writer
H. r. in Cincinnati CARTE.
IS Nlethodism in the United States is di.
ided into many branches, and is called
y several different names. All these
Examinations, however, are shoots from
se same stock; they all owe filial allie.
lance to John Wesley. 1t is not
aaimed that Wesley personally directed
sESe formation of each Of these societies.
lor ere some of them came into life this
reat organizer Lad been long in his
faye. It is simJf claimed that thew
lie al the produ.. Of his principles, and
That but for his life and work those
sscn Of this number which are the fur.
hest from direct descent would either
lot be in existence ct all, or, if they had
n being, would still lack plany of their
peculiarities. To John
Wesley, therefore, this country owes a
SSrge debt Of gratitude. He was himself
{ ior a short time missionary to the
american colonies. Converts to his
eachings were the band of Irish emil
Srarts who instituted the first Methodist
services on these shores. Phillip Embu.
IL
9eck. who reused Phillip to duty; so,
also, was Capt. Webb, Of the British
.Dayy, who came providentialiy to help
sn this movement.
81 METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
81 The labors Of these three made possible
Shc building, in 1766, Of the first Metho-
dist Church which adorned this CONT.
Ihent-the old John Street Church in
New York City. Not long aftcrward
Wesley sent detachment of his preach.
ssrs to America. This advance guard
3lSas supplemented by other squads, until
finally, the revolutionary war having
separatcd the Colonies from British rule.
and, therefore, from the care, to large
lextcnt, Of the Established Church, Dr..
Coke came over, empowered by Wesley
20 confer ordination on the American
stinerants, and to give to the Wesleyanism
Of the land the dignity Of separate or
Sanization. That organization was
Effected in December, 1885,. at
Baltimore, and was called "Thc
Methodist Episcopal Church in til. Unit.
ed States" Thomas Coke and Francis
SAsbury being elected, according to IVES.
sley's desire, its General Supcrintendents
or Bishops.
This first Methodist organization in
America adopted the "rules of Society,""
which governed the Wesleyans of Great
Britain, and accepted as its creed Wes-
iley's abrldgment of the thirty-nine arti-
Ecles of the Church of England. OF its
distinctive Wesleyan character, excep,
sir some features of government, there
Gan be, therefore, no question. The
statistics of the New Church con-
strast strangely with those which repre-
Isent its strength at the present day. 1t
had then IA 1888 members, 1881 of whom
were south of Mason and Dixon's line.
Hts itinerant preachers numbered eighty
Hour, and there were reported to be forty
pix circuits. This was less than a cen
.tury ago. The same church boasts now
1,742,922 members, 1906 travelling
preachers, thirteen Bishops, ninety-fve
annual conferences, and owns church
and parsonage property valued at about
The Methodist Episcopal Church, be-
ing John Wesley's first progeny-thc
first and only American church he per-
sonally aided in establishing-ve are not
surprised to find nearly all the other
Methodist bodies in the country are off.
ahots from this, and that it is through
their original connection with this tree
OF Wesiey's own planting that they trace
their Wesleyan ancestry and establish
their claims to representation in the
forthcoming Ecumeniual Conference.
10 this rule there are, however two ex-
ccp;ions. These arc the
UNITED BRETHREN IN CHRIST AND THE
EVANGELICAL ASSOCI IATION
Neither of these sprang directly from the
loins of British AIethodism nor will
either acknowledge the Methodist Epis-
ceopal Church as its parent. They must
DC. accorded separate and independent
origin. They are in the great Methodist
family not by right of birth, but by
adoption and on account Of the striking
resemblance to the other children into
which they have grown.
THE UNITED BRETHREN CHURCH
originated little more than a century
ago, in Pennsylvania and MARYLAND
under the labors of Phillip w. Otterbein.
a German Reformed preacher, stationed
at Baltimore. Up to 1880 it was cxclu-
slvely German church. It's doctrines
ana usages are very similar to those
churches which are distinctiyely Metho-
distic, but aside from these it has been
by two peculiaritics, viz,
continuous opposition to slavery aud all
uttcr intolerance of fsocieties whose men,
oers are bound to secrecy. Slavery it
mas seen abolished, but secret societies
sui live and prosper. There is strong
and IN growing liberal element in this
Church, which it is expected, will succeed
ere long in putting her in the line of pro.
gress with reference to the last named
huolect, and when this has been done a
rapid growth may be looked for This
has now about 100000 members
ahd about 1000 itinerant preachers. A
recent writer in the Gazette estimates
that II this Church maintains her present
rate OF prosperity for the next decade,
she VIII then report 250,00O members.
THE EVANGELICAL ASSOCIATION.
The other Methodist organization
which VI originated independently of the
Methodls. Episcopal Church, viz. the
evangelical Association, took its rise
y, III Eastern Pennsylvania in 1900, under
INC ia6ors of Jacob Albright. The mem
oers OF this church are frequently called
ca1lorights. = 1t is almost exclusively
GERMAN church. 1t has an elective Pre-.
siulng Eldership aud elects its Bishops
very iour years. It's membership num-
cers c0s III, ,l97: 1t has fifteen annua! con.
lefencess, 1893 ministers, and church prop
erty valued at So, 1885, 900.
win the owo exceptions above noted,
~ .ue church organizations in the United
I.ales which will send delegates to tile
lLohaon !, conference are all offshoots from
me n Methodist Episcopal Church. That,
IN ~ u country reveling in freedom, and
snose intense life renders the brain 40