The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-04-27

y III
On July 10. 1890. Jesse Lee. the apos-
tie of NIeth0dism in the East. preached
under the old elm on Boston Common.
the first Wesleyan sermon ever heard
i'm Massachusetts,. The annivermry of
that event il 10 bee celebrated % an
elaborate manner. For some go.a rca-
son. doubtless because the city j. de-
serted i'm July, the celebration will take
place i'm October. aud the great and
! ilOurishing Church which has. from
the seed sOwn on that day one hum
drcd years ago, grown to be the
second In the Commonwealth,
VIII commemorate It's achievements
by oratOry, poetry and song. and
with Che assistance OF It's greatest
minds While it is to be peculiarly @
Boston anniversary. Meth0dists from all
parts OF New England are to partici-
pate. Centennial celebrations were
were held last year by several churches
d in Southern Connecticut. for Mr. Lee
organized the first Methodist society az
StratfOrd i'm June 1850. aud q second At
New London three months later. Con-
timing eastward bee preached in the
shore towns of Rhode ltland. and final
iv extended bis tour to the metropolis.
arriving In Boston a stranger
There was no sympathy here for thenew
message OF free grace for mans ino-
bility aud Of free viii for tine discharge
Of his personal obligation. Lee was
refused a pulpit. More than that. he
was treated with dlscOurtesy; but with
bis ind0mitable courage Lc took his
stand on The Common, and under the
! all protecting shadow Of the gigantic
Old elm (which. by the way. stood until
/ The great storm Cl lof0 me delivered
his message 90 a community which was
surcharged with d0gmas aud distracted
by polcmics. Now in New England there
are 600 Methodist Epi c0pal churches.
with l2j. 600 members and ODi preach
eis. A growth to be proud oiY We'll.
the loyal Methodist think 20 and next
October they viii say SO.
II is 60 be borne I'M mind chat ono
hundred years ago COngregationaiism
was almost supreme in New England
and that The Baptists were no incou-i-
derable body. To day there are - 0l0
more MeihOdists than Bap.ists. aud
- coo more scholars i'm the Methodist
Sunday schools than I'D those of The
Baptisls. THE Congregati0nalisis aie
vet in the Lad i'm Massachusetts. bus
the growth Of the Methodist Church. as
shown by statistics published only this
week. Is so much more rapid that
another decade will in all probability
find it leading in New England. as IN
most other sections of the Union.
Nine conferences share the hOnois ia
this growth. Six Of them are entirely
in New England The New York East
Conference, which includes Brooklyn,
extends to the Connecticut river. The
New York Conference has few
charges in Berkshire county. Mass.
The Troy Conference has one Of its dis
tricts in Vermont
The idea of celebrating the centenary
of New England Methodism was illsl
preached by the New England Confer
euce, which. roughly speaking, hos
nearly an oil Massachusetts for its terri
tory. and the arrangements were con
} fidtd to two commissions. one from The
/ Conference and one from the New
England Methodist Historical Society.
The makeup of these commissions is as
follows. Conference.-The Reys. G.. s..
/ Rogers. y. w. Hamilton. George W..
/ Steele. j. III. Tw0mhly. and President
/ Warren Of Boston University. Nes-rs.
H.. G.. SMITH. Of Springfield: Charlie d
/ KimbaI. of Lynn. o. II. Darrell. Of
/ Cambridge. and G.. G.. COrbln, OF NOr-
cester. and Dr. G.. Edwin Miies, of Eos.
tom Historical Society Rev. O.. w.
IInn.flf.r D. W lion ID H. iI.