Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-12
SECOND EcUMENICAL COUNCIL.
1t VIII Be Held in Washington Some Time
Next Fall.

I Next faH.
| OF THE GREATEST INTEREST TO NETHoDrsrs
| IL ALL PARTS OF THE woRLD-FIvE HUNDRED
DELEGATES TO BE PREsENr-soME TOPICS WHICH
WILL PROBABLY BE DISCUSSED.
Early in next October there will assemble in
this city a large concourse of prominent Meth
odists from all parts of the world, making what
viii probably be one Of the largest and most
important meetings of Methodists ever held in
this country. The whole number of Metho-
dist communicates in the world at the present
time is somewhere between six and seven
millions, and 500 Of them will be in Washing
| ton next fall representatives to the second
ecumenical council.
THE FIRST ECUMENIcAL COUNCIL
In September, 1881, the first ecumenical or
worlds council was held in City Road Chapel
II was a very large affair, and its value and i'm
portance to the church have never been
questioned The council in this city will be
the second and the greatest interest is already
manifested in it in all parts of the world where
Methodsm has found a fOothold.
The council is to be q representative organi-
cation, with delegates in attendance upon its
sessions from all the Methodist bodies the
world over, though it is probable, of course.
that some of the smaller and less important
were selected at a meeting of the ecumenical
commission held in Philadelphia, November
1e, 1880, representing all branches of Methodism
in this country. Baltimore was preferred by
some on account of its having larger church
membership and presumably better accommo-
dations for "A large convention such as this is to
be. At the close of the last meeting of the Bal
timore conference, Tuesday evening, Bishop
Hurst. who is deeply interested in the council,
in making q few remarks with reference to it,
att tod tbath a had fav Pa ,nra
on these grounds; but. nevertheless, Washington
was selected The date has not as vet been
definitely fixed upon. The council will proba-
bly, assemble on the firstWednesday in October,
but this plan may be changed a result of
the correspondence that is going on steadily
with the delegates on the other side of the
ocean. Out of the 500 representatives to the
council 300 will be from the United States and
Canada and the other 200 from England and
the dependencies. They win be chosen by
election by the bodies of which they are MEM
bers Already the English delegates are MAX
ing their preliminary arrangements and will
probably cross the ocean In a special steamer.
DISTRIBUTION OF THE FIVE HUNDRED DELEGATES.
The number of delegates to the conference
was fixed at 500, distributed as follows: NJ. E.
church, 124; NJ. E. church south, 81; African
N. E. church. IS; NJ. E. Zion..church, Is; Col
ored NJ. E. church, 9; Evangelical association,
3; Union American NJ. E. church, 8; Union
/.
g. American Wesleyan church. s.; Free Metho-
dist church, 8; Independent Methodist church,
g. Methodist church of Canada, "a; United
Brethren, 8; Primitive Methodist church in the
United States and Canada, 3; Bible Christian
church, 3; British N. Z. church. 3. Laymen as
well as ministers will be among the delegates.
PROBABLE PROGRAM.
The program for the council has not yet been
completed no. will it be for a month or two
yet. In general way, however, it will be de-
voted to discussion of the present state of the
Christian church. The first council was held
at City Road Chapel, the church which was John
Wesley's special charge. and it was in the par
sonage adjoining the church that he died. No
more appropriate place could have been found
for holding Methodist council The meeting
there was devoted almost exclusively to the dis
cussion of Methodism its growth and the
proper methods for future work.
AT the second council the subjects for dis
cussion will be much more general in scope
Only short time at the commencement will be
devoted to MethOdism- The English commit
tee on topics preferred that the greatest en-
phasis should be laid upon Methodism in its
strictest sense, but that plan has been ADAM
doned- While the program has not yet been
definitely arranged, Bishop Hurst said to a
STAR reporter recently that it possible now
to give an approximate idea of what the exer-
cises will be. Rev. VIM. Arthur will deliver the
opening sermon and the first Sunday will be
devoted to a memorial service on the centen-
NAL of the death of John Wesley.
GENERAL TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION.
Among the general topics for discussion are
the ,,r..s,t cond;,;o,, 90 N.,bod;s,,, hr,oIor.,.
and music, systematic doctrinal teaching
training of the ministers, lay evangelical
agencies. woman's place in church work.
brotherhood and sisterhood, the press, the
wealthy class and how to reach it, the general ad
vance in education attained by the masses. the
latest developments OF skePtlcism. Romanlsm
perance reform, new mission hetds entered