Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-05-08
METH0DISM SOUTH
Eleventh Quadrennial Session Of the
II. E. South Church.
Work to be DOns-sOme Of the Prominent Dele
gAtes-Arrangements for the Enter
tainment Of the Guests Who
Attend.
81. Louis Republic.


day, May 2, will in many respects be the
most important religious gathering thar
hes been held in ST. Louis for years, ana
from reports that are being received
from all over the country it promises 10
be by far the most largely attended
meeting in the history of that body. The
wonderful and rapid growth of Method
ism since the first organization Of some
thing over q century and half ago Is
truly marvellous, and it cannot be bet
ter illustrated than by recalling lew
statistics in the history of the church
| in America; The first Methodist
society in the United States
was organized in New York In october,
| 1776. Eight years later the nrst conter-
ence, which embraced ten preachers,
representing a membership Of ll60, was
held. Now the Methodist Episcopal
| church alone has q membership in this
country of nearly 5000 900, and the
Methodist Episcopal church, South, has
| in the neighborhood of l 800, 900. Up
| to 1874 there was no division among the
| Meth odists In the United States, and one
| general conference represented the
| church from North, South, East and
! West. But at the conference held in
that year a separation was brought about
! by the difference of opinion between the
| Northern and Southern delegates on the
slave holding question. Bishop James
| q Andrews of Georgia was the
owner of a large number Of slaves,
| and because he refused to part
| with them the Eastern and Northern
members OF that body succeeded IN haV-
ing him suspended from his high office IN
| the church This created q feeling OF
| dissatisfaction among the Southern mem
bers, who straightway prepared to with
draw from the general jurisdiction ana
form a conference of their, own. This
was successfully accomplished and the
first meeting was held In Louisville, KY
in Nav, 1916. There was built the
| foundation for the present large and
| successful organization known as the
| Methodist Episcopal church, South, and
ii is to the able aud earnest divlnes that
stirred the church through those critical
periods that the present prosperity is due.
| Since then ten quadrennlal conferences
| have occurred and the dement's
| resulting therefrom are known the
| world over, In view of the stand taken
Inv the representatives of this
body on the question of slavery, there is
one significant fact in relation to their
work that is not so generally known as 1t
should be. When the division occurred
the missions which had been Instituted
and carried on by the united church were
taken up and vigorously prosecuted oy
the Northern branch under the direction
of Bishop William Copers, who had made
the subject special study, and for a
long time gave the matter his UNDIVIDED
attention. During the twenty years fol-
lowing 1916 the church spent over 81 >
900 900 in this work of endeavoring to
convert the plantation slaves. at the
close of the war, when the colored race
established an episcopacy of their own,
All their church property was transferred
TO them gratis. and they are still being
largely aided by the Methodist Episcopal
church South, especially in the establish
ment of institutions for the education OF
candidates for the ministry.
THE PREsENT CONFERENCE.
Since the first assembly in Louisville
there have been ten general conferences.
Two of them were held IN this city, but
the Importance attached to the former
gatherings hardly compares with the
significance attaching to the one now IN
preparation. At the last general con-
ference held in Richmond, Va, In May
1856. arrangements were made providing
for a plan of entertainment, quartering
the delegates at hotels and creating q
fund TO defray the travelling and other
expenses of the attendants. Heretofore
IL has been the custom to entertain all
members of the conference at the homes
of the Methodist families IN the city where
thew meet, but the increasing attendance
makes this plan very impractical and
Il was TO avoid such Inconvenience thai
this action as to entertainment, etc.
was taken at Richmond. The commits
sion chosen to do this work is composed
of Col. C, ". Cole, the railroad magnate
of Nashville, Tenn; Mr.. r. NJ. Scrugg'
of this city, G. n. Snyder, prominent
cattleman Of Georgetown, Tex; Rev. }
J, Lafferty. editor OF the RICHMOND
Christian Advocate, and Rev. Q. I. An
drews of Mississippi. This committee has
for some time been busily engaged IN the
work devolving on it. Mr.. Cole has been
delegated to negotiate for transportation
ana Mr., Soruggs has been placed in
charge of the local arrangements. Mr.
Cole has not yet submitted his final re-
mort, but he has succeeded in securing
reduced rates from all the railroads, and
in most instances rate of one fare fol
the round trip has been obtained for al
parties DESTROYS of attending the conTen-
ton.
THE LOCAL COMMITTEE
arrangements, with R. NJ. seruggs a;
chairman and DR.. T. NJ. Finney as SEQ
rotary, is composed of the following gen.
tlemen Of the city: S. NJ. Kennard
George A. Baker, Samuel Cupples, @.
O. scruggs, j. p. Boogher, NJ. D. LewiI
and q. c.. Ketchum. This committee
J under the direction of Mr.. SeruSgs' has
been ensrgetically at work for severa
weeks past. The first matter to bt
agreed upon was the selection Of place
for holding the convention, and Cente-
nary church, situated at the northwest
, corner of Sixteenth and Pine streets, wai
unanimously adopted as the most avail
able and DISQUALIFICATION This church
both BY reason of its history and ad-
| mirable advantages for such large
meetings, is well entitled TO the DIS
tinction and honor thus conferred
upon 1t. Deriving its name from tn'
fact that it was established wher
| Methodism was 100 years old. It hai
| -.,,aa sbrct.uh all Sho trials and tribulB-