The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-10-09
THE METHODIST COUNCIL.
p,scussION or THE CONDITION OF
THE uHURCH, EAST AND WEST

III. Delegates rros Abroad ofve Statistics
and Note The Character 81 the werk
There, sua the Anericaa Representatives
suppienent Their Words with Details
or Methodist frssrsss .. TAis Continent.
WASHINGTON. OCT a-The presiding offloer's
chair at the Methodist Ecum enical Council to-
day was filled BY the Rev. DR.. T. B. Stephenson
Of London. President Of the Wesleyan Confer
ence. The session wns opened with devo-
tIonal exercises. prayer being offered by the
noy. Grimm W. Wilson Of England. who has
boon q missionary among the Fill Islandcrs.
The subject for conside Grafton during the morn
ing session was; The Present Status of Meth
odlsm In the Eastern Section" and tho essay
was delivered by tho Rev. Dr. Waller OF Lon
don. Secretary Of the Wesleyan Conference.
In all spiritual movements" said DR.. Wal
ler, "thero arc influences and forces Mt work
which cannot DO tabulated. It is difflcult
task. therefore. to determine the status Of q
Church. Any boosting Of numerical increase.
material prosperity. or social and political
status cannot by any possibility further tho in
tercsts OF Him who said. My kingdom is not
Of this world"
DR.. Waller thon gave statistics to show tho
phenomenal progress the Church has made
during tho past thirty years. During the
Decade" said DR.. Waller. 1.-THE population in
England has increased III per cent, and In
Scotland It has increased 10 per cent: but in
tho same period tho membership OF the
Wesleyan Methodist Church in britain
has increased 21.3 pcr cent. and in
tho other Methodist churches there has
boon an increase OF 10.1 nor cont.
In England thoro nre nearly 2.000.00O pupils
In tho Sunday schools. Tho Wcsleyans have
taken larger share than any othor branch OF
tho Methodist family IN providing day schools.
These schools are among tho very best In that
aation. and thoy hnvo given that dcnomina
ton position In the educational world and
voice In determining tho councils OF tho M
ton which in tho absence OF their schools they
could mover havo had. There Is another cdu-
cattpnal work which must DE mentioned for 1t
has extended Methodist influence far beyond
the community with which 1t s specially iden-
titled. refer to tho establishment OK chill
dren's homes and orphaEagcs
"The status OF Mcthodism" continued DR..
Waller. Is determined Ivy its missionary zonl.
Recently thers has been remarkable revival
OF homo missionary enterprise. Tho way In
which Mcthodlsm Is cndcavoring to solve tho
problems OF city life. and the manner In which
she Is striving to make her strength effective
in the redemption Of tho masses Of mankind
from hs d and
OF ali classes Of tho community"
Dr.. Waller then gave statistics to show the
in tho numbers Of ministers; OF lay agents. Of
church members; and Of children IN the sun
day schools In ireland he s9id. the inSrease
but during tho decade there has been q do
crease n The population Of per cent; But tho
lands. and especially. In the United States.
French Methodism alone shows decrease.
but the hs been 10
propSstc john %eses
declared that i was the pTrpSse, o Of God in
Church" Mothodism Is not and never has
Sss sss s s! eod
Ss revival is shS rss whs
hsd upon
ssss ssa i sSs SSSsss 5ssss
which Was .preashed at the time when GOD
mupS eR ss o anG ssn es
H. a9sp %Hy be %aa
% S1s Status g r BsSd WSieh Angelo
'4 Rev. 1ssS %esssls If ep
SssSntinS ths EafIish MMsthodsts ioOSSd Br
snss Sr n of ths
snstsrn section was perfor,Taing sreat and
Asia. and australasia Methedism was exertiEn s;
was not known to all. Methodism was working
thanking God that ever. such a man as Wesley
vas raisod up and had borne ungrudgtng tes-
81 tSs csns
encc. the pext speaker. said that tho Church
Som II hs fst Toason e regret the
end boasts that Methodlsm wa. tho largest
ss1s In w s oSe 1e
Church. he trusted that the Church would have
iaiiy e rmly bnt kindy and that no Shepherd
would be permitted to mix with poison. even
ssSss b be Ms Ws shs h % n 9sne Ap
gathering UP the littlo waits from tho streets:
II was looking to public morals. whether 1t
rs Rss DIR Of s bsp
Church. Brighton. England. said that Method
was q o e EpE
aiiierent to status. It's work was H. savS mon.
Il did not affect to BIO independent Of anything;
sldoratlon. Methodisnl h,ld in It tr,.ces 81 tho
Puritan. Presby terinn. md Anglican. The ro-
suit was the threshold cord. Tho clement OF
{qsion, the. superior power. was that Of the
.Df. Hugh Price Hughes Of the West London
showed that tho CHURCH Of England itself was
In the minority IN England. a cruol law
forced tho non-conformists to send thoir chill
dEen to church schools. A mistake had been
made In not taking DR.. Arthur's advice twenty
years ago and establishing non -sectarian
schools. Now his own Church had inaugurated
the movement. and they hoped to establish In
England something like the magnificent sys-
tenn OF non-secturinn schools which were the
glory Of the country on this side Of the Allan
Tho Rev. William Stanly Of New Zealand ex-
plainod . statement that had been made IN
was snid that in the Friendly Islands 7.00O
merabers had been lost to Mcthodism. He
wished to say that while tiese 1000 now bore
SSnotter pane they wsEe Me aI stli In
Primitive Methodist Of England. spoke Of tho
educational institutions OF tho country and
congratulated tho CHURCH. upon its growth.
Let Methodlsts 1.-Two as Metholists and they
bad nothing to fear from the Church OF Eng
land. tApplause.l The Secretary announced
tho receipt OF memorial from the General
Assembly Of the Presbyterian Church concern
Ing The settlement OF International difficulties
At the conclusion OF the devotional exercises