The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1884-03-13
METHODIST CENTENNIAL.
This Year to Witness the Centenary
Of American Methodism.
Hcw the u. z. Church, South, Pre-
poses tc Celebrate the
Great Event.

C6leDTablOn oil the one lu0QreQt
anniversary of the Methodist Epi:
cOpal church on this continent, an
certain to prove year of unusu;
. activity and profound interes
throughout the wide extended bol
ders OF that powerful denominatio
of christians. The grand histori
\ facts relating to the beneficent char
acter and wonderful achievement
of christianity through the organ
lied plans and the doctrines O
Metbodism during its pathwa,
through this century of it's exis
tence in America, are truly phenom
enal, as acknowledged by the world
leading minds, and is one of th,
grandest problems Of the ages
With more communicates than a1y
other religious body in America, i
is matter of interest to briefly re
view some of the facts of genera
interest connected with the history
of the Methodist Church Begin.
ming IN obscurity and feebleness
it has achieved for itselfeverywhere
a most wonderful success. This
great religious movement has, im
mediately or remotely, so given an
impulse to christian feeling and
profession, on all sides, that it has
come to present itself as the start
ting-point of our modern religious
history.
In 1884, the year when the Meth
odist church was organized in Bal
timore, when Coke and Asbury
were set apart as superinten-
dents or bishops, there were only
14,98S members, SO preachers, 64
church builders, no missionaries,
and no institutions of learning
within the bounds of the denomina
tion. But from that time until the
present the growth of Methodism
has been almost incalculable. This
result was achieved by men who
can we'll be denominated heroes in
the loftiest sense of the word. Ac-
cepting the motto of John Wesley
their church's founder-"fhe
World is my Parish" these men of
God traversed evers state and ter
ritory of our great country, preach
ing the gospel with power and IN
demonstration of the spirit build
ing up the church. Their entire
singleness of purpose in spreading
the gospel has been their promi-
nent characteristic and to-day
American Methodism numbers with
IN her various branches 3,993,72
members; 25,S39 travelling preach
ers and 34,714 local preachers; 80
600, church edifices, universities,
colleges, seminaries and high
schools; in 1882 had 433 missiona-
ries in foreign fields sent from
America, besides 1906, native
helpers; and during that year con-
tributed for the cause of foreign |
missions the sum of 1851, ,447.44.
The NJ. E. Church, South, has pre-
pared to join in the celebrations of
"the Centennial Anniversary of the
organization Of the Methodist Epis |
copal Church in America" which |
will occur in Baltimore on Dec. 81,
and proposes to commemorate the
great event throughout its entire
bounds with suitable services and |
by raising funds for educational
purposes, church extension, and |
three noble objects to
which the liberality of the church |
will certainly respond. Two mil
lions of dollars is the amount pro-
posed to be raised for these objects
and that this purpose can be ac-
complished there should be no
doubt; it will certainly not exhaust
the treasury of this strong church
with its nearly nine hundred thou
sand members.
1t may be interesting to our
readers to recount what American
MethOdism has hitherto accom-
plished on her centenary occasions.
We first revert to the centennial of
1889. As the first Methodist socie-
" was formed in London in the
month of November, 1879, so 1889
became properly the one hundredth
year of Methodism. 1t was accord |
lngly celebrated In Europe and |
America. During that centenary |
year, with a membership of 749, PIG |
members, including colored mem
bers and Indians, the Methodist |
church in America raised 100000
for missions, educational purposes,
and for the support of the worn-out
preaching, and the widows, chill |
dren and orphans of preachers. The
Wesleyan Methodists of Great
Britain raised over one Million dol
lars for similar objects.
The next Methodist centennial
event was in 1866. 1t was in COM
memoration of the first Methodist
preachlnp services held in this
country in 1766, and was celebrated
by the Methodist Episcopal church
IN 1866. Education and church
extension were the great object of
their benevolence, and 100000
was suggested as the amount to be
raised. The result was q magnif-
cent one, the thank offering amount
ing to $S, ,7O9, ,49S.39, 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 and competent committees
have this work in hand, and will
spare no effort to success, fully con-
summate it. The central centena-
ry committee, with headquarters at
Nashville, Tenn, is composed as
follows: E. r. Hendrix, d. D., of
Missouri, chairman; w. P. Harri
son, D. D., secretary; Wills. Will
liams, assistant secretary; Judge
James Whitworth, treas; Bishop
III. N. McTyeire, L. d. Palmer,
esq, of Nashville, and James G.
Garter, ESQ, of Louisville, XIV. The