Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-10-01
A NOTABLE GATHERING.
THE WORLDS CONFERENCE OF
METHODlSM TO BE
In Session in Washington City from Oc-
tober to FL. Observation-Disclosures
from Two Hemispheres.
To the Gazette.

To the Gazette.
The Ecumenical Methodist conference,
which meets in Washington. D. c., October
I--2l, will be in some respects the most
notable gathering ever held on the Ameri-
can continent. The delegates will number
500, and of these 200 will come from abroad,
mostly, of course. from Great Britain,
where MethodiSm was born. These dele
gates will be The picked men of the Meth
odist forces from two hemispheres. Among
the clerical representatives will be great
church editors, skilled exegetes,
presidents of colleges and uni
versities, any number of brilliant
pulpit lights. and, literally, bishops and
other ecclesiastical dignitaries by the score.
And equally distinguished. if not more so,
will be the personnel of the lay contingent.
Great Britain will sent not few members
of parliament, and some even, like H. H.
Fowler NJ. P. who are among the ablest
lieutenants of the great Gladstone. She
has also delegated to this assembly some OF
her brightest legal and scientific magnates,
with some others whose names have become
household words in England from their
prominent connection with great social and
phi ilanthropic reforms. This is the sort of
men Great Britain is sending, and that
these will be matched, and even eclipsed,
by those representing the various branches
of American MetnOdiSm, is, Of course, "a
foregone certainty.
The American delegates will represent,
not only eyesy branch of Methodism in our
land, but every section of the American Re-
public. The South will be there in equal
ratio with the North. and the two sections
may be expected to vie with each other, as
they did at the first ecumenical held in
London ten years ago, not only in sending
their most distinguished men. but in 4
friendly competition for oratorical hOnorS,
as well as in the more holy contest for first
place in the great modern march of fratern-
ity. The MethodiSm of the United States
is peculiarly favored i'll the large number of
men 1t can muster who are prominent in po-
litical life. Hence, it contributes to this
gathering. not only judges and governors.
but those who have won fame in the house
of representatives at Washington, and some
even who Will appear before their brother
delegates clothed in senatorial dignities.
And what an immense constituency these
distinguished men will represent! The
lowest estimate allows the Methodists of
the world an aggregate of 100000 men,
bers, and population aggregating 10000
600. The bulk of these, as 4 matter of
course, are on this continent, the various
Methodist churches in Great Britain repre-
senting only about one-tifth of these totals.
Since the first ecumenical the aggregate of
Methodist communicates has been swollen
ny Il W lliC pICSShb SIlCIlS VI
of that cause in the land which gave it
birth. Thus, while old England enjoys the
dis inction of having been the cradle of this
sect, the sphere of its greatest develop
ment and widest influence has unqueStion-
ably been found in the vast territory and
uurivaled social conditions of the United
States. And fancy these Nlethodists roll
ing up their totals amongst US at the rate of
million in decade! In these days of rec
ord making and record breaking, how is
that for i record! Where this progress
will stop, these marvelouSly aggressive
people have not told US, and the probable
tiles are it will not stop at all, but will go
on as it has been doing, if not more so.
Next to the surprise one feels to learn
how numerous are these Methodists, is the
sense of establishment which is felt upan
learning into how many sects they are di-
Vided. In presence of the facts brought to
light by this worlds conference, the advo-
Gates of organic unity may well be stag
gered. AT the time these ecumenicals were
projected. it was thought they would have
beneficient effect in helping to bring
these scattered Methodists closer together
and in Fastening the time when they would
be organically one. And upon British
Methodists they unquestionably have had
this effect, both in Canada and in the
mother-la When it is noted, however,
that III tine approaching conference the
Methodist forces in the United States alone
viii find themselves divided into sixteen
different camps, and when in connection
with these divisions the fact of their mar
vellous progress is borne in mind, who of
us can be quite sure that organic union is,
after all. a thing to be desired?
Still, for better or for worse, such a
nnion is certainly coming, if the current of
events does not wholly mislead us. Amongst
the Canadian brethren it has already been
realized, and how significant that the act
which welded these Canadian Methodists
should have been consummated within two
years after their friendly contact with one
another in that first worlds conference at
London. Who can tell, moreover, but that
this second ecumenical will lead to a sini-
lar result in England In America we need
not look for such blending of forces for
many years. Some think such union will
never be realized in this country, and some
do not wish it, believing, with a plausible
show OF reason, that the cause is stronger
for practical service as it is. But in the
old country it is different. The Methodist
bodies there are relatively much weaker
than they are here. They labor, too, under
peculiarly diScouraging conditions. That
organic union would be the best thing for
number of comparatively small sects, who,
in addition to the resistance they meet from
the world, have also a powerful state
church to contend against, is a proposition
which can hardly be disputed. In England
it Is hardly disputed, and from the amount
of counting they have INDUCED for several
years, it would not surprise US in the least,
if, before very long, the British Methodists,
the lead of their brethren in
Canada. got so closely together as to join
hands in eternal wedlocE.
The 300 delegates who will represent
American and Canadian Methodisnl are ap-
portioned amongst the various bodies as
follows: Methodist Episcopal church, 126:
Methodist Episcopal Church, South, a.
African Methodist Episcopal church, IS;
African Methodist Episcopal, Zion, Is; Col
ored Methodist Episcopal, 9; Union Ameri-
can Methodist Episcopal. 3; African Union
ant, 9; American Wesleyan. 6; Free Meth
odist, 8; Congregational Methodist, 3;
Methodist church. Canada, "a; Primitive
Methodist. 3: Independent Methodist. 3;
United Brethren in Christ, Z: United
Brethren in Christ (old constitution, 2:
and British Methodist Episcopal, 3.
OThiS apportionmeDt OF the delegates was
made by joint committee, and its basis
was the numerical strength of the various
churches taking part, with, however, this
the stronger were
pleased in fulflment of the Pauline law, to
yield portion of their rights to the weaker;
this most laudable course not only afording
the weaker bodies an extra inducement to
attend, but insuring to them prominence
such as they otherwise could not have had
in the deliberations of this august body.
And similar course was taken IN the gen.
eral apportionment to the two sections
the Western and the Eastern: for while,
according to the statistics, British Meth
odism furnishes only one-tifth of the grand
total of Methodist members, the 200 dele
gates she is allowed to send to Worlds