The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-10-09
Clear $4,000.
BURNED the WITCHES.
Bishop Fowler on the Growth OF the
Methodist Church,.
Its Rise to Its Present Position In
America-Figures Which Tell the
Wonderful TaIe-Yesterdav In the
Ecumenical Council.

WASHINGTON, October Sat today's ses-
Charles 81. Fowler of San Francisco, read an
essay upon the present status of Methodism
in the eastern (American) section. Metho-
dism, he said, had whipped the Quaker,
burned the witch and banishea the Baptist
One hundred and seven years ago there
we're but one Methodist denomination, only
one annual conference, only SO travelling
preachers and 1883 members.
Today there are 10 denomination of Metho-
dists, 800 conferences, 3l.765 travelling
preachers. $4,000 local preachers, over 5,00O,-
600 actual communicates, 100000 Sunday
school children and following of over 20,-
10000 souls In the republic. There are over
5000 churches and about 1900 parsonages
and the church property Is worth more than
S2OO,O000 900. The first act of American
Methodism. her first resolution. was to or
dain college. The first breath she drew
crystallized into Cokesbury College. 1t was
as natural for, her to bring universities,
tionss iSs'' into N being Ss" as for A''isSs the
lark to give forth its morning song. With
her hundreds of universities, colleges, theo-
logical schools, thousands of professors and
Instructors, and tens OF thousands of stu
dents; with her text books received into the
of languages. Methodism has the right to
stand In the first class of the worlds educa.
tors. The great problem Of governing these
millions In America Is the simple question of
forming public opinion. Methodism, having
nearly half the people of this country study
ing in her Sunday schools, listening to her
pulpit and reading her literature, has only to
be worthy Of her Inheritance and true to her
God to make this land the land of promise
for the ignorant and oppressed. Bishop
rloxr ro6 %hr Il tl.1{.. 49,
various societies connected with the church.
and glanced at some of the principal wants
OF the church. Her highest want, he said,
Is a firm grip upon the supernatural. The
next need is ideas. We must fight for the
Whoever holds them holds the future. The
church must thus settle the labor difficulty.
Another want Is c0nsecrated money.
Bishop G. b. Galloway, Of jackson, Miss,
representing the Methodist Episcopal Church
South. devoted his remarks largely to the
subject of the status Of Methodism in this
country. The spirit Of Methodsm seemed
to peculiarly fit the Southern temperament.
Every sixth soul South was a Methodist.
Rev. DIR. VIM. Brigens of Toronto, repre-
sented, as he said. the Methodist church
growth Of the church in Canada, saying it
was the largest in membership of any Prot
estant church. and included a third Of the
Protestant communicates. As church, the
luOtuouiobo VI Ohudud arc lUK cLuOob III ugut-
ing intemperance
Bishop b. w. Arnett of Wilberforce, O.,
representing the African Methodist Episc0-
pal church. said he spoke for the western
section with 100. 900 population. OF these
he represented 1900, 900 people. The speak
er said there were 1852 travelling preachers
In the African church, and that more than
half the negroes in the United States were
influenced by African Methodist pulpts.
DR.. Leonard of New York described brief
ly the work Of the missionary society. By
October 3lst, the yearly income of the
society would aggregate 81, ,25O,0OO. and tax
ing into account receipts from the women's
mission and other sources the grand total
would be nearly $1.80O,000. Every two
years, the Methodist church was building as
many churches as the Roman Catholics had
In all the land.
Rev. DIR. 1. /. McLaren of Toronto, Canada,
said the membership In the Methodist
church in Canada has increased 200 per cent
In the past decade.
Bishop Fowler offered resolution looking
to the appointment of a committee of five to
prepare statement of the views of Method.
ism on the question of keeping the Sabbath
at the worlds fair. Some question as to the
proper procedure was raised and the resolu-
tion was temporarily withdrawn. The coun-
Gil then adjourned.