Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-24
METHopIsr cENrENEIAL.
This Year to Witness the Centenary 9
American NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. the n r

American INSTRUMENTATION the n. E.
Church, south. Proposes to Celebrate
the Great Event.
This year, 1884, is q great and notable
one in the annals of American MethOdism.
II will witness the celebration of the one
huDdredth anniversary Of the Methodist
Episcopal Church on this continent, and
is certain to prove a year Of unusual ac-
tivity and profound interest throughout
the wide extended borders Of that power
full denomination of Christians. The
grand historic facts relating to the benef-
cent character and wonderful achieve
ments of Christianity through the organ
lied plans and the doctrines Of MethOdsm
during its pathway through this century
of its existence in America. are truly phe-
nOmenal, as acknowledged by the worlds
leading minds, and is one of the grandest
problems IOf the ages. With more COM
municauts than any other religious body
in America, it Is a matter OF interest to
briefly review some of the facts of general
interest connected with the history OF the
Methodist Church. Beginning in obscu-
rity aud teebleness, it has achieved for
itself everywhere most wonderful sue
cess. This great religious movement has,
Immediately or remotely, so given an i'm
pulse to Christian feeling and profession,
on all sides, that it has come to present it
self as the starting-pOint Of our modern
religious history.
In 1854, the year when the Methodist
Church was organized in Baltimore, when
Coke and Asbury were acknowledged and
set apart as superintendent, or Bishops,
there were only 4,9SS members, 80 preach
ers, Ga church buildings, no missionaries,
and no institution of learning within the
bounds Of the denomination. But from
that time until the present the growth of
MethOdism has been almost incalculabie.
This result was achieved by men who can
well be denominated heroes in the loftiest
sense of the word. Accepting the motto
of John Wesley-their Church's founder
THE World is my PARISH these men
of God traversed every State and Ter
ritOry of our great country, preach
ing the gospel with power and in de-
mOnstration of the Spirit-building
up the church. Their entire singleness OF
purpose in spreading she. gospel has been
their prominent characteristic, and to-
day American MethOdism numbers within
her various branches 1903, 724 members;
%, S39 travelling preachers, and ALA
local preachers; 80, 900 church edifces
valued at 500, 0OO,0 900; 25S institutions of
learning, embracing universities, col
leges, seminaries and high schools; in
1882 had 433 missionaries in foreign fields
sent from America, besides 1896 native
helpers; and during that year con-
tributed for the cause Of foreign missions
the sum of 1851, 447 A.
The NJ. Z. Church, South, has prepared
to join in 1.-THE celebration of the centen-
NAL anniversary of the organization of the
Methodist Episcopal Church in America"
which Will occur in Baltimore on Decem-
Der p, and proposes to commemorate the
"a .Tc
with suitable services, and by raising
funds for educational purposes, church
extension, and missiOus-three noble Ob-
jiects to which the liberality of the church
will certainly respond. Two millions of
dollars is he amount proposed to be raised
for these objects, and that this purpose
can be accomplished there should be no
doubt; it will certainly not exhaust the
treasury OF this strong church, with its
nearly 100000 members.
1t may be interesting to our readers to
recount what American Meth0dism has
hitherto accomplished on her centenary
occasions. We first revert TO the centen-
NAL OF 1889. AS the first Methodist So
ciety was formed in OndOn in the month
Of November, 1879. So 1889 became prop
eTly the one hundredTh year of MethOdism.
1t was accordingly celebrated in Europe
and America. During that Centenary
year, with membership Of 1926 MEM
berss including cOlOred members and In
dams, the Methodist Church in America
raised 100000 for MISSIONS, educational
purposes, and for the support OF the worn
out preachers, and the widows, children,
and orphans of preachers. The Wesleyan
Methodists OF Great Britain raised over
$4,000 for similar objects.
The next Methodist Centennial event
was in 1866. 1t was in cOmmemOratiOn of
the first Methodist preaching services held
in this country in 1865. and was cele-
brated by the Methodist Episcopal Church
in 1866. Education and church extension
were the graf objects Of their benevo-
lence, and 2,O00,OO was suggested as the
amount to be raised. The result was
magnificent one, the thank-Offerings
amounting to IS, 100, 49S 80, or more than
four times the amount proposed at the
outset.
The successful celebration of these two
former Centenary events should certainly
encourage our Southern Methodist friends
to the accomplishment OF the noble deeds
they have essayed. Such past ought to
be an inspiration.
Able ana competent committees have
this work in hand. and Will spare no ef-
fort 10 successfully cOnsummate it. The
Central Centenary Committee with
headquarters at Nashville, Tenn, is
composed as follows e. r. HeSlrix, d.
u, OF missouri, Chairman: W. =. harfl-
son, ID. D., Secretary; Wis. Williams,
Assistant Secretary; Judge James Whit
worth, Treasurer; Bishop II. \. Ne
Tyeire, L. ID. Palmer, Esq of Nashville,
and james G. Carter. E5g., Of Louisville.
Ky. The following IS the Centenary
Committee Of the
SOUTH GEORGIA CONFERENCE.
SdraRRdh DiStsct.-J. i. NcGehee, 7.
E., Guyton; Rev. !. Il, McCleskey. San
dersyille; r. Il. Reppard, Savannah.
Macon UlStrict.-J. W. linton, +. E.,
Rev. J. o. \. Clarke, Walter B. Hill,
Macon.
Columbus Distrtct.-Joseph s. Key, p.
E., Rev. w. +. Lewis and 4. 81. Brannon,
Macon.
Amerlcus Distrlct.-G. &. \. MacDon-
neil. p. T.. R1y. +. A. Branch, n. W.
DOzier.
IhomdsrHle Disirict.-J. O. Branch, P.
E., Rev. E. II. McGehee, j. A. Bush.
Vdycr0SS DiStrict.-J. D. Anthony, p.
E., Gay; Rev. L. A. Dorsey and George
r a ;b, Waycross.
Eastman DiStrjct.-R. b. Lester, 2. E.,
Macon; Rev. G. A. Moore. Wrightville;
J. Clayton, Clements.
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