Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-03-03
THE METHODIST C4uP4IGN OF 1883

est ObuN NotaAcs' ahu
their power and influence extend, in large
measure, to foreign countries. They are
largely represented In India and they have
an African bishop-Willlam Taylor-who
Is an American, and who is striking out, in
the heart OF the Congo region, with the
same spirit and determination which he
manifested, in former years, In India, South
America and in North America. Bishop
Taylor was once here and spoke to an i'm
mense audience in the old Methodist church
edifce. on the southeast corner of COlum-
bIa and Market streets-ths predecessor of
the Central NJ. Z. building, on High and
Center streets, and known as 1.-The barn."
Bishop Randolph S. Foster-oHe of the
immense brain and of sterling qualities-
once preached In this same historic edifice.
This is to be great year for the Meth
odists, and their friends and well-wishers,
also, who can be numbered by scores of
millions, for the triennial General Confer
ence Is to be held. in the great and magniti-
cent Metropolitan opera house. In New
York. in the month of May. There will be
more than 400 clerical and lay delegates,
from the several local conferences through
out the country and from other conferences,
and more than ., 900 visitors from outside
| of New York are expected to attend the
daily sessions
There are several great problems, all
frnr hna rf 80 Nh.N
terisIize at the very first session and will
roost. regularly aud steadily on the Con-
ference. until they are solved. One Of
these problems affects women, and will
have IS its most distinguished and potent
representative, Miss Frances E. Willard,
whose name is at the foot of the list of del
yates from Rock River conference. ILL.,
nois, Rev. John ii. Vinceuts name
standing at the head. DR.. Vincent will go
| in without question, but whether the con-
ference will close its door with snap be-
fore Miss Frances gets in, is one of the
things no fellow can find out until the de-
cisive moment arrives. But Miss Willard
is not the only woman who VII knock at
the door of that conference with racket
that will reverberate around the world.
There are other women-Of intellectual
power as well as of intelligence and worth
probably equal to any of the lsymen who
will be members of the conference. who
hold credentials from local conferences, and
who can be barred out only at the peril of
the conference and OF Methodist.unity.
Another problem that will be sure 10 rise
t, monumental dimensions will be that rep
resented in a growing desire to lengthen
the term in which a Methodist pas tor msy
serve any one church. Three years is felt
by many to be too short term, in some in
stances, and We are glad to reproduce in the
REPUBLIC, (herew.th.) a most significant
utterance, from so Stalwart and well posted
a Methodist as Rev. DR.. Theodore L. Flood,
editor Of the Chdutd,IQ,tnn. magazine,
York Tribune, of Thursday. DIR. Flood
who Is one of the keenest and sharpest
men in the denominstion-ssys:
1t is the deed and abiding conviction of q
VI buC ikkCsk iucu dS "clI
as of the greatest preachers In Methodism
that the Methodist Episcopal church has
been dwarfed In the great cities and her
influence abridged by the iron rule OF three
years and three years only for pastor. II
was all right for the small towns of seventy
five years ago. but it Is too small rule to-
day for the Methodist church in the great
cities Of the land, with their growing popu-
latlon. The theaters of these cities
have ali given place to larger opera
houses. DR.. John 2. Newman is now
serving his third term as pastor Of the Met
r0pOlitan Methodist Episcopal church In
Washington, ID. c. Suppose that he had re-
manned there from the time he was first ap-
pointed, as the friend of General Grant and
chaplain of the senate and pastor of that
great church-nearly twenty years of ser
vice? He would have enlarged the building
to accommodate the congregation, and the
p1wer OF MethOdism would be double what
it Is at that point in Washington today.
DIR. George E. Reed. at Hanson Place.
Brooklyn. or DR.. J. o. Peck, in the same
place, or Dr.. J. NJ. Buckley or DIR. John Ii.
Vincent in pulpits In New York city for q
long term would gather about them great
following. DIR. Vincent has now q greater
following than any other man In any
church in America. But he has had
that opportunity by being In one office
for twenty years. By his rare pulpit and
platform gifts. toyether with his excep-
tional organizing powers. he has banded
together in summer assemblies at Chautau-
qua and over forty other places In more
than twenty states more than 200. 900 peo-
pie who are pursuing four years course
OF reading What could not such a man
have done as a pastor in great city? The
sad comment is that the best talent OF great
Rlen and splendid opportunities have been
used prodigaIly. and the church has COM
parstively little to show for il in this
particular kind OF church work II that
eminent preacher. DIR. j. NJ. King. had
been kept in one place in New York for the
past ten years he would today be master OF
tremendous center of influence. But in
stead OF these things being done, the gen.
eral conference of the Methodist Episcopal
church goes to New York city next May.
where its book concern does business 10 the
amount OF 81. 600, 900 a year, and a church
behind 1t of nearly 1000. 900 members and
nearly $4,000 preachers, but there there is
no audience room TO accommodate 1t;
hence it goes over to the clans 1t fights in
Its discipline and polpits and periodicals
and rents their opera house in which 70 meet
and make laws. From this humilsting
fact some people trust that this body viii!
receive an impulse to make some very
much needed changes in Methodist policy.
Then there are five to seven bishops IL
be elected. One Of these, il is universally
acknowledged. will be Chancellor John Ii.
Vincent, ID. D., Of the great Chsutauqua
university, the greatest, strongest, and
Methodist now living. There ought TO
be no opposition, anywhere. to Dr.
Vincent's election. Probably the
next man, in real qualifications,
is Rev. Dr. J. N. King. OF New York As