Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-10-08
a Worlds Conference to be
Held Next Week.
THE SECOND IN HISTORY.
Some of the Scenes That Were Witnessed
at the Baltimore Session-The Com
mittees in Charse-Wash-
ington the Place.
specta. correspondence of The Gazette.

the Dnlleu States, anu IL pTeStHt
nlents are allowed to stand, it will be
twenty years before this country can be
favored with another such conclave. The
design being to bring together representa-
-;yeMethodists flom all lands into which that
system has extended, it has been thought
that these ecumenicals could not be con-
veniently held oftener than once in de-
cade, and that fair play would require
them to alternate, as to the place or meet
iug, between the Old World and the New.
Naturally, the first gathering of this kind
was held in the country where Methodism
originated the immediate scene of that
memorable convention being City Road
chanel IL LondoD-Wesley's chapel, which
,dioius the house where much of his life
Was spent and where his death occurred,
and which has for its background the
cemetery in which, with those of many
cther Methodist worthless, his honored re-
mains are entombed. This was in 1881, and
II is a striking fact that previously 10 that
tiln- there had been not only no conference
representing the worlds Methodism, but
none in which the privilege OF looking one
another in the face had been enjoyed by the
numerous Methodist sects on either of the
wa continents. Since then. however, the
American MethodiSts have had such con-
ference. 1t was held at Baltimore
in December, 1884, TO celebrate the
centennial of the famous Christ
mas conference, at which IN the
.a.oe city. under the molding hands
If Coke and Asbury, American Methodism
took on its first organized form. 1t is main
tanned bv some that the first suggestion of
AN commercial conference fell in an inspired
moment from the eloquent lips of Bishop
James, but be this as 1t may, the credit OF
making the project feasible, and OF bringing
about the first realization of it must be
pivcn 10 the interchangeable DIR. A. G.. George,
7ylo shortly after tine first Methodist ecu
Igenical was taken in the full glory of this
achievement. 10 the larger ecumenical in
,rbich not Methodists alone, but all the
uthe S.rtS are united.
Grand ana popular as is the ecumenical
idea of to-day, it was far from being re-
reived with universal favor at first in either
England or America. In the mother-land
there were not only divisions in the Metho-
dist fold but, as Il legacy from the Strifes
which had caused these divisions, bitter
enmity remained. Fancy DR.. George Os-
born of the Wesleyan church oil Great Brit
ain and Rev William Griffith of the Metho-
dist Free Churches, two Methodist giants,
Who. since the bitter controversy which
thirty years before led TO the organization
ofthe churches last named. had never spoken
as they passed by-fancy these men
being brought together after so long an
arrangement in a fraternal conference!
such u meeting could scarcely have been
anticipated by these veterans with unal'
lowed pleasure BY the force of events,
however, they were brought TO take part N
H. and with the happiest results, too; for
before the conference closed, Mr.. Griffith,
referring 10 the good he had derived from
attending il, said that at first he had no de-
sire 10 be present thinking 10 practical re-
suit would be obtained. but now he felt as
though he could not have afforded to be alb
sent adding, with pathetic emphasis
.rbtsh GFif-rp1 the whOla DSspmDlN-'sAnd
there is not a person in this conference to
Hhom | cannot give the right hand of fell
owship."
The feeling of opposition in America was
not SO bitter as III England; and yet, even
here, with the civil war and slavery only
seventeen years OFF it was by no means GER
tain that the lion and the lamb would be-
have themselves in the worlds Methodist
conference quite as they should. But they
dl most admirably; and who that was
present will ever forget the scene enacted,
aud the impression for good produced,
when, ct the close of Z ringing speech by
Rev j. G. Price an eloquent colored delegate
from North Carolina, Dr. G. X. Marshall,
one of the most eloquent and striking hg-
Tres in the Southern delegation, sprang to
h's feet and reached over several pews to
take the black mans hand, saying, as he
era ped IL, with an JUNCTION which thrilled
that vast worlds gathering, Il greet you as
Il brother and thank God that your people
are free
Among those who at first did not favor a
Methodist ecumenical conference were
many. no doubt who felt as did the re-
uowucd editor of the New York Advocate.
Dr. Buckley is always for or against, and
when he is against he is very much
against nor when he takes stand. is he
an easy man to convert. And yet-let II be
known everywhere-Dr. Buckley has been
converted, and he stands before the
world as converted man upon his
own formal and editorial confession.
This conversion, however, has no refer
enca TO his selligerent attitude toward the
question of women in the general confer
euce il IS simply change of mind In re-
gard TO the good which may result from the
ecumeniCal conferences change, which,
doubtless, is but one In many hundreds;
for when man so firm in his opinions as
DR. Buckley coufesses to change of heart,
we may quite believe that conversion
has become epidemic. The doctors
confession is in the last issue of his paper
He was not in sympathy with the ecumeni-
"a movement at first, he tells us, suspect
ing it 10 be another name for dress parade
uf the different bodies, 4 mutual admiration
s0cietv. a kind of sectarian worlds fair"
hut now, he tells us, he is in sympathy with
such gatherings, critical observation of
ne proceedings of the first conclave of this
Riud having converted him to a belief in
their utility.
For the better regulation of its business,
the vast Methodist community represented
in the Washington conference will be sepa-
rated INTO four general divisions as fol-
lows: First division, the Methodist Epis-
copal church and the Methodist Episcopal
church. South. Second division. other Meth
odist churches in the United
States and Canada. Third division,
the British Wesleyan Methodist churches.
Fourth division, other British Methodist
churches Besides this division by four,
the conference and the community 1t repre-
ssuts will also be divided for convenience
by two, the resultant aggregates being
called severally the Eastern section and
the Western section. The business
committee, having entire charge
nj all the affairs of the con-
ference will consist of twenty members,
ten being visitors from abroad ana the
other tea representing MethOdism in
America. The members of this COM
mittee from the Western section are:
Bishop J. F. Hurst, Bishop J. c. Gran
berry, Bishop a Carnam. DrS. j. c. EN-
bury, J. VI. Hamilton. ]. NJ. King, j. L.
Murray, A Walters, p. II. Whlsner, and
Professor J. NJ Van Week. To this
business committee must be submitted al
questions, proposals, resolutions communl-
cations, or other matters not included IN the
regular programme. and the gentlemen
composing this body will be the court OF
finol appeal as to which of these various
matters shall be presented for action to
the larger body. Such an arrangement as
this is not only necessary Tor the economy