Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-10-08
uErHoDIsrs OF THE WORLD.
All Branches of the Church VIII be Rep
resented in Washington.

WASHINGTON, Oct 6.-To-morrow the
Ecumenical Methodist Council will
begin its sessions in this city. Once be.
fore in the history of the church founded
100 years ago in England by the Wesley
brothers, have the branches springing
off from the parent stock come together,
and laying aside all differences and
avoiding all schismatic discussion, lis
tened to the suggestions of the best men
of all divisions and sought to find means
to promote the common cause and tho
common good. That was in London 10
years ago, and so fruitful was the seed
then sown and so abundant the ensuing
harvest of good works that it was re-
solved 10 rcassemble for conference at
the expiration of every decade.
The council which convenes here to-
morrow is therefore the second in the
history of the Methodist church. All
denominations and branches of this
great church in all parts of the world
will be represented by 500 delegates.
No less than 200 of these are expected
TO come from the British division, the
Oldest wing of the Methodist church,
including in its ranks, besides ecclesias.
teal dignitaries, many statesmen of re-
nown and men of worldwide scientific
and legal ability. There will also be
delegates representing 12 distinct
branches of Methodism) from France,
from Australia, from Ireland, from
South Africa and from the West Indies.
Then, more numerous in sectional diyi-
sions, there will be 800 delegates from
the new world. They represent II
branches of the Methodist church on
this continent. These delegates are
classified as follows: Methodist Episco-
pal, 1876; Methodist Episcopal Church
South, 64 African Methodist Episcopal,
Is; African Methodist Episcopal, Zion,
ID; Colored Methodist Episcopal, o;
American Wesleyan,6 Union American
Methodist Episcopal, 3; African Union
Methodist Protestant, 81 Methodist Pro-
testant, o; Free Methodist, 8; Congrega-
ton Methodist, 8; Methodist Church,
Canada, "a Primitive Methodist, 81 In
dependent Methodist, 2; United Breth-
rem in Christ, Z; United Brethren in
Christ, told constitution), 2; British
Methodist Episcopal, 3.
So 20 divisions of the Methodist
church will be represented in the council.
Among the American churchmen are
many bishops. Among the English there
are none, as the office is unknown to
them.
This council, like its predecessors, is
to be confined TO discussion. From its
nature there can be no legislation. No
delegate or organization will be bound
by what is said or done here. The ami
mating purpose is 10 bring out the
brightest and most practicable ideas of
the most thoughtful and wisest repre-
sentatives of the church, and the appli-
cation Of these ideas will be left to the
discretion of the separate divisions. The
most radical difference to be noted he
tween the coming council and the one
held in London is revealed in the list Of
subjects selected for discussion. In the
first council "Methodism" formed the
principal topic of discussion. In this
council the programme has been divorsi-
ned so as TO touch upon questions Of the
day. Discussion of abstract ecceastical
dogmas finds small space. but whole
days are set apart for the consideration
of questions relating TO temperance
education, missions, Romanism, social
problems, the issues between capital and
labor, the relation of Methodism 10
scientific thought, and practical church
work.
The various committees have made all
necessary arrangements for the comfort
of the delegates and tho conduct of the
sessions. The council will be held in
the Metropolitan Methodist Episcopal
Church, and the first session will begin
at 10 O'Clock tomorrow. The morning
session will be devoted to religious SER
vices. The Rev. William Arthur, Nj. A.,
OF London, will deliver a sermon, and
the communion will be administered nj
the afternoon session, addresses of well
come will be delivered by Bishop Hurst
of this city and others, and the business
meeting will then begin.
Two hundred delegates representing
foreign churches have arrived, and 1t is
expected that all of the delegates to the
conference will be in the city to-mor.
row. Tonight the four permanent Sec
retaries of the conference were chosen
by the business committee. They are
the Rev. J. NJ. King, d. D., of New
York; the Rev. +. II. Ryckman, y. d.,
Of Ottawa the Rev John Bond, Of Lon.
don, and Mr.. T. Shape, Of Liverpool
Dr. King is personally known to nearly
every member of the conference. Dr.
Ryckman is pastor Of the Dominion
Methodist Church at Ottawa, and DR.
Bond is ex-secretary of the church OK.
tension and metropolitan building fund
| OF the Wesleyan Church in ENGLAND.