New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-30
NETWORK EAST CONFERENCE.
A PROTEST AGAINST CUTTING 1T OFF FROM NEW.
YORK CITY.

n
YORK CITY.
To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir Tn your issue of to-day you nre pleased TO speak
cdI,oroy on the division line between the two Metho
dist conferences which include New-York City. AS
one who had something to do with calling the recent
meeting of Ncw-York East Conference ministers TO
voice their protest against the proposition to exclude
said conference from their city, beg the privilege VI
puttIng in few words, some Of the reasons against
this proposition. This is a question much broader
than the simple detachment of nineteen churches from
,he York East Conference and placing them
wifi hin the New-York Conference. Vital interests Oh
MethodIsm are involved far greater territory
than Is covered by these nineteen churches.
1t Is a question which cannot be approached
properly without purpose to consider all these In
tcrests giving each due attention.
T. begin WITH the fuct must not overlooked trat the
boundaries of their city are not fixed beyond future
change The New-York OF today Will not be the
New. York Of tomorrow evidently In It's bounda1ess
The older conference holding the west side OF the
city must again enghen its cords and strengthen us
stakes when the city takes in Brooklyn ana west
chester County In order TO keep New York City within
It's bounds.
The rights OF 90 preachers Of the New York East
Conference must be taken into account, and their legal
claim upon vested finds Of tic conference funds winch
they have helped to create 1t Is proposed to wlpe
ont these LEGAL and ministerial rights by stroke OF
tho pen. A strip Of this city from the Battery to
Harlem east Of Third ave- is only small fraction OF
the Interests and rights involved I'm the proposition to
put this city wholly within the NewYork Conference.
To throw all these ministers into three. possibly four
different c differences with new relations after Efe
service in many cases. with body OF men than whom
none ar, trcr or more noble would be treatment the
like OF Which has never been sean In Mcthodisn.
Excluding the Ncw-Yorl East Conference from New.
York city will ncccssi,ate other extended changes
hOuudlrics-changeS.
reaching from the Harlem River 10 Cape Cod. Tie
portion OF the NcwYork East Conference now in this
city taken away, would not only dismember inc
conference bat 0itcrate H. The remaining territory,
part up in New England and part south OF Long
Island sound with no connecting land would bc too
awkward and rem )te In its relations 70 survive Us
conference. Our Connecticut portion. too small to be
mt by itself must be hltched on to either the New
England southern, to the western portion OF tie
New gland Conference TINS necessating the rear
ranging Of the Meth )dism OF three ewEnghnd states
ON the other hand 1t would be little short OF tho
rlaiculous 10 make Long Island Mt present into
,opaat. conference 1t does not contain two iull
Presiding Elders districts Mt tbs time.
must refer TO tho supposed influence OF their
boundary line on the decline Of Methodism in the last
ten years In this city, The declInc even small as Is
speaking has become the dismal swamp Of American
Nlchodism. the inhucees which have made it such arc
boundary line between conferences. the location
Of which through the city four-hiths ot Ne~n .r
Mcth0diss c)nid not place. one OF the Drishtcst
men In the East Confer nee asked me to designate
for him. since this agitation came up Just where me
line runs I'm she lower part OF the city. venture 10
say that numbers OF ministers In both conferences can.
not tell Just where thi, line Is the whole length OK
fbe CITY The causes which have brought Neth0dism
where II f. I'm this civ are to be found In this
boundary line. As that question is not up now It
would be ont Of the line OF this communication even
IN hint whn these causes are but some OF them have
been I'm Potent and painful exercise within this Year.
statistics for the ast thirty years now before me
how that downtown churches II both conference
with similar ncghborhoCd surroundings have declined
lin like proportion. Have the friends who wish 70
nbteratc their conference boundary because OF lis
Imagined influence In depicting eastside or downtown
Methodist churches in the city In one OF the finest
locations FOR a majestic popular church in Fonrhave.
hu. for nearly the entire length OF Manhattan Island
Anv uufavor.lble influence this line NAV have had
In fixing tho location OF said churches is thing OF
the past and can not now be overcome.
Wv GEO. L. THOMPSON.
Newly ork City, Nav H. lS02.