The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1884-12-31
NO. IL.
A CcntRry Of MethOdism.

DALI ihohE, M d., locomDef wv haC
changes have boon wrought In a hun
drcd years.! Wo are not conscious Of
Our wonderful progress until wo stop
and compare our own times with those
OF our fathers, or contrast to-day with
the state Of things century ago. A
hundred years ago, Francis Asbury sent
frccborn Garrcttson abroad to call to-
Sethcr tho itincrants from Nova Scotia
to North Carolina TO meet Dr.. Coke in
Conference in Baltimore and organize
tho Church. Gayre.tson travelled twelve
hundred miles in six weeks, and secured
tho attendance OF sixty Of the eighty
thrco itinerants which constituted tho
active forco Of Methodism at that time.
To-day tho delegates, lay and clerical,
arc coming in from all directions in pal
ACC cars, travelling rs far in single
night while asleep, as Gsrrottson trar-
elled In a week.
a hundred years ago tho Con terenos
met in Lovely Lane Chapel, tho only
Church which tho Methodists had then
in "Baltimore Town. Some idea Of tho
costlinoss Of this primitive place Of
worship may be gathered from the fac.
that Bishop Coke begged "the brethren,
If possible, to try to secure a stove to
warm tho -hurch, and also to put backs
to aonc Of the benches to add to their
comfort" Tonight tho Conference is
meeting In the First Methodist Episco-
pal Church, corner Fayette and Charles
strccts. which sprung from the old Love-
ly Lane Chapel and is near tho site Of
that historic building. The Church u
a splendid structure, built Of brick, With
carpetcd floor and upholstered pews,
and, instead Of stove, is heated with
hot air from furnaces beneath.
A hundred years ago there were only
sixty Methodist meeting houses in Amor
ica- To-day there are 101 in this city
nlono. A hundred years ago John Street
Church in New York was the most pro-
tentious Church building the Mcihodists
had. To-day they own some Of tho An:
est i'll America, the Mount Vernon Place
Church, in which the Conference meets
tomorrow morning, boing one Of the
finest. At the Christmas Conference Of
1884 it was determined to attempt to
found College At Abingdon, Maryland.
Aftor several futile attempts the enter
prise was given over and the Church
sought everywhere 10 establish the COM
mon schools. and it WAS no uncommon
thing to SEQ tho school house built by
the side Of the Church, and where two
houses could not be afforded tho school
was taught in tho Church. In this way
tho foundation Of an educational system
was wisely and broadly laid. Tho needs
Of the people At lOngth demanded COL
lcscs, and now the Northern and South
crn branches OF Episcopal hcthodism
alone have 2l7 institutions Of learning
Of high grade, Universities, Colleges,
male and female, seminaries and +heo-
logical institutions. with property VAL
uation Of about $25, ,OOo.OOO.
The following statistics will show tho
wonderful growth Of Mcthodism in
America and in the world: Episcopal
Mcthodists in the United States in 1888:
ltencrant preachers, 23,S03; Gn 1884,
SO } local preachers, 33,OOl; lay men,
bcrs, 3.SO5.74l, Gin 1884, l4,988.) Non
Episcopal Methodists in the United
st: tes in 1888: Itinerant preachers,
1910; local preachers, l.7GS: lay men,
b-rs, leS.O70. Total ncthodists in the
United States ltcnerant'preSchcrs, &c.
s33; local prnachcrs. 34,7l4; lay mem
hcrs, 3.993,S2O. Methodist In Canada in
1883: l,ncrant preachers, 1853; local
1929; lay Hemhsr-. l7l,9O3. Total
number Of Methodist in the world in
1883: ltinsrant preachers, 33. 1855. Gu
1854, ls7 local preachers. 77.G35; lay
members. 5.O54, ,564. (in 1884. 1928;
total methodist population or cumluuni-
ty, 25.489.745.
The opening services Of tho Centona-
rs Conference this evening at tho arst
"StHpuiAt NhuICit, CnIntF Nn1Ii0S Anu
Fxyette streets, were highly intersaGH3
The door. we're opened at O'Clock. tus
hsf"re that hour peopl" b"gan to gath
sr around the doors of the church, xui
waited patiently, not ~ithstan,ling a cold
northwes,crIy wind was blowing. Wheu
the doars were opened thar. was = ru.h
FOR sents, Of course. The delegates were
admitted first to tho lower floor, and
others directed to the galleries hxt
this rule was not long observed, ana Nv.
cry available space in tho church VIA
soon occupied.
Sitting near tho chancel got lu,
view Of the body. tits really msguiD-
cent looking bohy Of men. Among tho
facos which strike the looker-on ara
those Of pr. A. =. Hunt, Of New York: