Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-10-04
THE METHODISTS.
rue WORLDS CONFERENCE OF THE
FOIL OVERS OF JOHN WESLEY.

rue WORLDS CONFERENCE OF THE
FOLLOWERS OF JOHN WESLEY.
c..,a.ur and Popularity Of the Ecumc-
Mica, rdsa-Four General Divisions
Tho Temperance Question.
fcorreepondcncc Of the Richmond Dispasco.l
LEXINGTON. Ky. October 2.-Such an as
,embly as the Methodist Ecumenical Con
ference. which is about to convene ~
washington. ID. O., has never before peen
hold in the United States. and. il present.
arr.ngements are allowed to stand. II Will
be twenty years before this country eau
Ia favored with another such conciave'
The design being to bring toge'he,
representative Methodists from AL
lands into which that system mas cA-
tended, it has been thought tna'
these ecumenicals could not DC cou-
veniently held oftner than once III US
cade and that fair play would require
them 70 alternate as to the place OF meet
inc between the Old World and the New;
NeturalIy. the first gathering OF tins KIND
n,as held in tho country where MethodlsIn
or;ginated. the immediate scene OF that
memorable convention being CITY koad
chanel IN London-Weslcy's chapel, which
odioins the house where much Ut MS ire
was spent and where his death occurred.
md which has for its background the
cemetery in which, with those OF many
other Methodist worthless. his honored
remains are entombed. This was IN 1881.
and il il striking fact that previously to
that time there had been not ONLY no con-
ference representing the worlds Method.
Jam but none in which the privilege OF
looking one another in the face had been
enioyed by the numerous Methodist sects
on either of the two continents since
then. however. the American Methodists
have had such conference. 1t was held
at baltimore IN December. 1884. to cele-
brate the centennial OF the famous
Christmas Conference, at which. IN
;he same city, under the molding
hands of Coke and Asbury. American
Methodism took on its first organized
form. Ii il maintained by some that the
first suggestion OF an Ecumenical Con-
ference fell in an inspired moment from
the eloquent lips of Bishop James, but be
this a. it may the credit of making the
project feasible and of bringing about
the first realization of 1t must be given to
the interchangeable DR.. A. G. George, who
shortly after the first Methodist Ecumcni-
cal. was taken in the full glory of this
achievement to the larger Ecumenlcal, IN
which not Metho1ists alone but all the
other sects are united
WITH HAPPY RESULTS.
Grand and popular IA is the Economical
| idea TO-DAY, it was far from being received
with universal favor at first in either Eng
| land or America In the nOther-land there
were not only divisions III the Method
lst fold, but a. a legacy from the strifes
| ..i, k.I u tt.r
onmitv remained. Fancy DR.. George
Osborn, OF the Wesleyan Church of Great
| Britain. ard Rev. William Griffith,
of the Methodist Free Churches.
two Methodist giants who. since the
bitter controversy which thirty years be-
fore led 10 the organization Of the churches
last named, had never spoken ~ they
passed by- fancy these men being brought
! together after 20 long An cstrangement III
! n fraternal conference, Such Il meeting
| could scarcely have been anticipated 10y
| .hcse veterans with unailoycd pleasure.
! By the force of events. however. they
we're brought TO take part II II,
and with the happle-t results. too
| for before the Conference closed Mr.
Griffith, referring to the good he had de
rived from attending It, said that mt first
| he had no desire to be present. thinking
~ practical result would be obtained, but
now he felt As though he could not have
| afforded 10 be absent adding. with a
pathetic emphasis which stirred the whole
assembly, And there - not person IN
this Conference To whom cannot give the
right hand of fellowship
The feeling Of opposition in America was
not So bitter ~ IN England: and yet. even
here, with the civil WAT and and slavery
only seventeen years off. 1t was by no
means CERTAIN that the hon and the lamb
would behave themselves IN WORLDS
, Methodist Conference quite "a they
should. But they did behave most ali
mirably: and who that was present will
| ever forget the scene enacted, and the
impression for good produced. when. at
the close Of ringing speech by hcv. j. 1.
Price, an eloquent colOred delegate from
/ North Carolina, DR.. c. X. Marshall. one OF
the most eloquen; and striking figures III
J the southern delegation. 5prang TO h.s iect
! aud reached over several pews TO take the
lack mans hand, saying, as he grasped It.
with an JUNCTION which thrilled that vast
worlds gathering: greet you "a a bro
Their. and thank God that your people are
free"
CONVERTED MAN.
Among those who at first did not favor a
Methods. Ecumenlcal Conference We're
many. no doubt. who felt as did the re-
nownei editor of the New ork idr0c0f.
Or. Buckley is always for or against, and
when he Is against he Is very much against
nor. when he takes q stand, is he an easy
man to convert. And YET. let It be
known everywhere, Or. Buckley has
been converted. and stands before
the world rs converted man upon
bis own formal and editorial confess
sion. This conversion, however, has no
reference TO bis bclligerent attitute
toward the question Of women III the
General Conference: It - supply a change
Of mind III regard to the good which may
result from the Fcumenical Conference
"A change which doubtless Il but one III
many hundreds. for when "a man so firm IN
his opinions as DR.. Buckley coniesses to Il
change of heart, We may quite believe that
conversion has become epidemic. The Doe
tors confession Is in the last ISSUE of his
paper. He was not in sympathy with the
Ecumenical movement at hrst. he tells us,
"suspecting 1t 20 DO another name for a
dress parade Of the different bodies, mu.
tual admiration society. kind OF secta-
rian worlds fair: hut now, he tells us.
he is III sympa. by with such gatherings. a
critical observation If the proceedings o.
the first conclave Of this kind having con-
verted MIN 10 a belief in their utility.
THE DIVISIONS.
For the better regulation of its business
the vast Methodist community represented
in the Washington Conference will be
separated into four general divisions as
follows: First division. the Methodist
Episcopal Church and the Methodist Eps.
cocal Church. South; second division
other Methodist churches IN the United
States and Canada: third division. the
British Wesleyan Methodist churches
fourth division, other British Metho-
dist churches. Besides this division 10y
four the Conference and the community
1t represents will also be divided for
convenience by two. the resultant aegre-
gates being called sevcrally the Eastern
section and the Western section. The Bust
ness Committee. having entire charge Of all
the affairs OF the Conference. will consist OF
twenty members. ten being visitors from
abroad and the other ten representing
Methodlsm in America. The members OF
this committee from the Western section
are: Bishop j. I. Hurst, Bishop j. c. Gran
berry. Bishop A. Carnam, Drs. j. g. En-
bury, J. W. Hamilton. j. M. King. J. T.
Murray. 4. Walters. p. IL. Whisner, anc
Professor j. NJ. Van Week. To thi.
business Committee must be submitted
all questions, proposals. resolutions, com
municatiOns, or other matters not in
Guided IN the regular programme, an
the gentlemen composing this body vii
be tha court Of final appeal as 10 which