Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-01-04
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Bkrrrzosx. fAee. 4. iss4.-The u-sss-t
Ce1tsrnial Aeskodiss Ccafe.ence rasrks
the one ezn6yedth rear stnce American
Asthodlsn tock a a. orr4nfz-d form
and became i36epe1denf in irs govern
nenf Of the MoshsT ChErsh IN Grsa,
Britain Tha Sr<z church, old Joha
4 Street Mestirz Hscse-she Mescs OF
American Meghodism-was erected in
l16s- In III Francis Asbcry came over
as missionary. and the year follosin0
be Vas commissioned By Wesley a. his
general assistant IL the eontrol OF
the work here. Twesve years later DR..
Coke came with eniar9e1 powers, and,
AZ what is known IN history a. the
Christmas Coufevence,- which con
vened IN Baltimore, Nd. in the latter
pert Of Dsesnbef. 17s4, "The Msth.
odist Episcopal Church IN the UnIfsd
States vas formed. With Cake and As
barry as is General S1perin;sndents, or
Bishops, this last named event being
tsai which Methodists have particular
" IN vie~ IN their present centennial
shseEvancss
The organiZ stion of Methedisru il To
b. COMMUNICATED this year in tgo cen.
ersl ways In the first place strenuous
efforts are to be made to raise m.uey
for benevolent Purposes. The PROPOSE
ttoo i to signAlizA the present wear by
hqaldatine debts which have sccumu.
lated opon the educational institutions
OF tss church, and by providing the
schools With liberal endowments.
Church debts are slso to receive the
proper kind Of attention, and no do1bt
many venerable speoter OF this kind
viii, IN the next fey weeks. melt into
thin AR before the liberality Of rich lay.
men.
But the most interesting feature Of
this centennial, IL not the most profita
bic. will be the great conference which
will assemble here in Baltimore on
Tuesday Asxf, in eommsmoration of
the historic Christmas Conference
which met 10 this city a hundred years |
ago. The conference will consist of |
about 600 delegates, and will continae |
In session eight days. The following |
table shows the bodies that will be req |
resented. and indicates ais their M |
mericai strength:
Methodist Episcopal /, 7y9 $50 |
Methodist Episcopal. south S9I. 1872 |
African Methodist Episcopal. 39l ,0i4 |
African Methodist Episcopal
tAtonl..... --..-...-.......-. JU.UD /
Colored Methodist Episcopal. l69 sJ3
Primitive Meshodist 49,. ais /
Independent Methodist .. 5000 /
Total. ......-..-...-.-... ID, I 10 IS 1
The above footing represents the bona
fde commandments. within the past two |
or three years, of the different churches,
net the attendants at Methodist places /
of Worship. Allowing three a2hersnts
for each member. which 10 very res
sousble estimate, il will thas be seen
that the actual Methodist constituency /
IN the approaching Confer
epcs will approximate closely To fifteen
millions.
The Methodist bodies OF the United
States which will not he represented in
the Celtennial Conference, bat all of
whom, with two exceptions. are Off
shoots, Immediately or remotely, from
the tree planted 8n OR soil hundred
years ago, are the following: Methodist
Protestant Church, which has l23, 054
members: United Brethrep. l59,.547
Evangelical Association. 49,
1853; American WESLEYAN Church, % go; |
Congregational Methodists. 2a.oOO; Free |
Methodist Church. Il. 7l9; Union Ameri
can Methodist Church $500. These
swell the grand total Of American
Methodists, according 10 the latest sta
tistics, to over foar millions, and, on
the basis previously announced, would
make the Methodist population of the
country not much less than sixteen
and halt. The Conference
will be delibsrstive, not legislative
body.
Extraordinary interest will attach to
this gathering from the fact that il will
be the FIRST reunion the American Meth
odists have ever held. rs we'll a. from
the additional fast that owing 10 the
bitter animosities which have existed, it
Is only within recent years that such a
has been deemed practicable.
The fact of the Plenary Council OF
the Catholic Church concluding It's ses-
sions In Baltimore Just about the time
the Methodist Conference opens in this
city, forms q conjunction Of events
which will naturally place those two
great churches in contrast with each
other. The Roman Catholic population
Of the country is reported at 600 900,
greater than the aggregate
Of the Methodist bodies,
bat not nearly so large as the estimated
Methodist constituency, including ad.
herents. Another churck which IL
brought in contrast With Methodism at
this time In the Protestant Episcopal,
which few weeks ago celebrated its
one hundredth anniversary Of the srdi-
nation of its frst Bishop. This church
has done and Is still doing grand work
In the nation, bat numerically il is far
behind the Methodists. At the present
time II has sixty four Bishops, about
SOC Clergyman and A membership of
about 10000 Next year is the fiftieth
OF the organic stion Of Ger
man Methodism In this country, bat the
German brethren. with that eye to busi
ness which Is commendahle character
istic Of their race, are taking time by
the foreiook, and holding their celsbra-