Smyrna times., 1884-12-24

IoIonco was neld on Tuesday eVenino,
9th inst, in Light Street Church. in
Whlch the descendants of Lovely Lane
society worship at this time. Bishon
ANDREWS made an address of welcome
which was replied to by DIR. McFerrin
ana one of the leading colored men of
the A. M. +. Church. The sacrament
OF the Lords Supper was then admin
lstered. This service was an insnira-
tion and everybody felt it to be the in
auguratlon of great occasion.
Inc proceedings of the Conference
nad been arranged for by an Executives
committee, made up from the differ
enU branches of the American Netbo-
ulst Church. 1t had been hoDed that
| Ihe opening address or sermon would
1e pTeached by Bishop Simpson. His
Geath devolved this duty upon Risbnn
roster; NO description of the ADDRESS
could do 1t justice. 1t is believed that
II Will do more for his fame than nnv
performance Of his life. He was mnre
IMAM two hours delivering il. and was
ilstened to by packed audience with
GREATNESS interest. The aim Of tho
address was to show that the church of
Ihe future Is to be 1.-THE survival of tbo
IUlesC and the iittest must be. in
"OGIrlhe the nearest to absolute truth
ana IN methods the most expedient
ana IN character the most consistent
ne lhduIged IN the severest criticism of
the Methodist pulpit and set up an ex.
alted ideal OF what it ought to be.
NO paper excited more interest than
IToi' Ihttles, OF Dickinson COLLEGE
On The Pioneers of Methodism . II
was discriminating, bright and entbus-
lastlc. 1t abOunded ia vivid descrin-
tlOns OF the heroic character and COX
duct of the Pioneers" and hro,,oTb+
the house down with applause from The
beginning to the end. Ii was in ,,,,I,ast
with Bishop Fosters address ,yl;oL
made his hearers almost yrith. nnJnr
ms scathing and severe criticism of tha
"FlecIS and tuliles tOn often seen in
pulpit and pew, while Prot. LiltIr's
was constant CoHSruulaiiun and iub.
ilatlon over IN" heroism of our Church
ancestry
Dr. DorrheSter, who has acouirod
reputation for statistics. and has viii
ten the most exhaustive book nu tho
LIquor Problem" read a pauer ON t,o
statistics OF Me!hudism. som, of ,ho
figures, being the summaries only ,ro
as follows:
Total Episcopal Methodist, in the United
Total Son Episcopal Ncih",ii~i> ''9,- ~ 9., 9eg
M''Aod.Ni- III 'auldi. ....... . r. 80 |
MI: G'"nt Britain and
MlS>iuuS. ......... ...... oo, ,,, |
i"'"I MtlhodlS'> in Wesleyan Aniiuting
conferences. ............ ...............,7 l32u3,
Grand total ol Methodi,,, ........... --5-@o-o
The growth Of the Methodist Enisco
pal Church during the century Is i;.''o" w.
follows: 10 d.
I"'"l at church organizarion in l7sl...... Ilg,,
1t Is estimated that the Mctbodist
population of the United STATES is frn,,,
hileen to twenty millions at the pres.
ent time. i'O"'
Perhaps the most popular man on
the tloOT of the Centennial Couf.ro,nl.
was the old man eloquent" as Bisb0n
+ foater named hhn, DR.. NIcFerrin nf
,ne Methodist Episcopal Church Couth
lie was always received. whenever bn
rose to speak with applause. lie is
nearly 80 years old, and was the only
man present who had been member
d. the General Conference of 1870
mere were four in attendance who
were members Of the Conference Of
1914 ''i'e ol
Inc closing service was a Love Feast
NO account Of it could convey an idea
u It's religious enthusiasm and spirit.
General Fisk and DR.. McFerrin sat in.
'lue the altar together. Touchjnp AL J
uslohs were made 10 an interview he
ween them by General Fisk, at Nash ,
Vile, where he was in command NJ tho
lose OF the war. DIR. McFerru re
ponded To it with SO much feelin,, G.
hat the whole Conference was af, !
,ec'ed; AZ the close Together let us
'"eetly Live was sung. the benrdir- a
ION was pronounced, and the Cepten- =
liai Conference adjourned. not to meet h
gam until 1884. If one hundred veors q
.ehce, the relative proportions of mem
ershlp IN the Methodist Church tn
opulation shall be maintained. and {
ne increase in population shall be only
All as great as in the past century. the ~
Iethodlst Church will number t6irtv- ;
Wo millions; while the population
MI De 4OO,OOO,OO0 But fthe increase
! members which have been multiplied
90 times, shall be only fifty times in 5
ne next century, there will be at the
TAI centennial meeting 20O,OO0OOO