The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-10-30
AN ECUMENICAL CHURCH.
BISHOP NEwMAN'S VIEWS ON
CHURCH ORGANIZATION.

CHURCH ORGANIZATION.
The New Bishop Declares for e Rad
ical Change IN the Attitude of
Northern Methodists Toward the
Negro and White Southern Meth
odism-Savannah Ministers Indorse
the Bishops Views - 4 Threshold
Organization.
The Methodists of Savannah are inter-
ested in the views of Bishop Newman Of
the Northern Methodist church respecting
the attitude of the northern Methodists
toward the negro and the white church in
the south.
Bishop Newman has been holding a con-
ference in Nashville, and he is reported as
saying that he had ceased to hope for the
union of the two Methodist churches-the
north and the south-but that he flvors an
ecumenical Methodism consisting of three
general conferences. One to include the
northern Methodist, another the southern
Methodist, and the third, all Msthodists of
the negro race.
BISHOP EEwMAE's FORMER VIEWS.
Bishop Newman at one time was very
PAOHNuhOOu Al AdNOT VI UIo COL req people,
| so much so, in fact, that he partially favored
equal social relations; but that was during
slavery, or just prior to the outbreak of the
| OWL war, and his views have undergone a
radical change since those times He has
been In the south good deal Of late years,
and he has gathered the best information
upon the subject. His first visit was made
as minister appointed by President Grant
whose chaplain Bishop Newman was.
|
and possibly from then dated his change Of
views respecting the missionary work His
| IDEA now seems to be to let the northern and
southern conferences remain districts, SO far
as the work In their respective sections is
concerned, but that they should cooperate
in organizing the colored Methodists into a
single organization.
THE CoLoRED CHURCH.
There are at present four different organ
izations Of Methodists holding to the same
! belief, but having different heads. They
represent about l, 100000 of people.
| In interviews with two prominent Metho-
dist preachers of Savannah yesterday q
| MORNING NEWS reporter learned that it is a
| question to which much Thought and con-
sideration is being given. If the views
entertained by Bishop Newman are carried
out they believe that the entire Methodist
denomination will be benefited. The two
|
others territory, and will thus be enabled
to concentrate their force in their own
work. Touching the course to be pureued
respecting the colored contingent, they be-
lieve that neither section should set directly
in behalf Of the colored people,. but both
| should combine to aid in affecting q single
organization.
FOUR CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS.
There arc at present four oolored orgaui-
=
Methodist, Zion Colored Methodist, North
eFn African Methodist. and the Colored
Methodist OF America. The largest part Of
the membership is i'll the south, and there
could not be an objection to a combine
| vital enough to eudanger the harmony of
the church. On tue contrary it is
believed that TO unity the organizations
would solidtfy the body, and from
its efforts then the greatest amount of good
might DO accomplished. 1t is believed that
the solution of the race problem lies largely
IN christiaaizing the colored people. If
this is done by thu southern people, or even
partly by them, 1t will tend to draw the
races together in religious sense, and it
will have tendency to cause them to be-
come more united, and there will be an in
clination on the part of the white people,
| who have the power, to make advances to
the negro, who Is the weaker.
THE MISSIONARY WORK.
It appears that three of the four colored
Metoodiss organizations were organized by
missionaries from the north, and only one
was organized by the southern Methodists
Naturally, the organization affected by the
aid of the southern churches was better
thought Of than the Others, aud uncon-
soiously an effort was made to
prosper the one church more than
the others, reviving dead
issue not religiously, but socially, When
these practices have been abandoned, which
will surely be the case when the northern
and southern conferences come together in
the organization OF the colored Methodists,
the ministers say that the feelings of dead
and buried past will be forgotten, and pleas
anter social relations will exist.
REASONS FOR A COMBINE.
The religion of the two white churches is
the same; their literature is the same and
their doctrine is identically the same, but
yet it is fact that they are represented in
the heather nations by distinct missionaries.
The Savannah ministers believe that this is
unnecessary, and If the changes advocated
by Bishop Newman are put into execution
missionaries will be sent from America
representing the United States Methodist
Conference, instead Of the Methodist confer.
ence north" or the c)nfsre ice south"