The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1895-06-24
EPWORTH LEAGUERS.
The Second international Conference Is To
BE Held This Week.

Chattanooga, Tenn, June 22-(Special)-
The interested eyes of one million enthusi-
astic Epworth Leaguers viii be turned upon
Chattanooga next week when the second
international conference of the Epworth
League will be called to order Thursday
afternoon, June 27th and the ensuing pro-
ceedings will be the theme of conversation
I'm Methodist homes all over the land.
The official programme of the conference
covers four days of song and service meet
ings but the diversions and instructions
may be extended day or so longer. Ten
thousand Epworth Leaguers, and possibly
fifteen thousand, will be present. Two solid
vestibule trains will be run through from
Boston, two from New York, two from Chi
cago, one from Cincinnati, TWO from Mem
phis, two from Atlanta, two from Nashville,
two from Knoxville and one from New Or
leans. 1t viii be the greatest even in
southern Methodism since the establish
ment Of the church. Never have the Meth
odists Of this section taken such interest
in religious event.
There are several divisions of the church
of John Wesley, who is said first to have
landed on St. Simon'S island, Ga, and there
preached under a great oak at Frederick,
which is today pointed out 4 place of
hallowed and historical interest to visitors,
but each division resembles the other and
all are essentially of the same family, dit
fering but little in creed, doctrine or gov
eminent. OF this unity the EpwOrth League
is a striking illustration. Its function and
place in the Methodist church is the same
as the Christian EndeayOr in Congrega-
tional and Presbyterian churches. 1t IS, in
brief, the young peoples department or So
ciey of MethOdism. It's object is 10 culti-
waite the intelligence ana plety of its MEM
bers, organize and employ them in works of
charity and religion and bring them into
active participation in every department Of
church work and in every branch of reli-
gious society.
%The league was organized at Cleveland,
o., May II, 1890. Prior 10 that time there
had been a number of young peoples sOcie-
ties bearing various names IN the thou
sands of Methodist churches over the coun-
try, but each was more or less indepcnd-
ent of the other although all of them had
about the same object in view. that object
which now dominates the combined league
and fOrmulatcs its universal and globe
encircling motto: Look Up, Lift Up; All
for Christ"
Delegates from these various societies as
sembled in Cleveland on the date mention
ed to harmonic in one As might be sup
posed, the delegates were attached each
and every one to their own society and for
a time it looked as though the attempt
to form one grand league would fail. But
at last, on May 18th. the purpose for which
the meeting had been called was accom-
plished the work outlined and the EpwOrth
League was born Since then Its growth
has been phenomenal.
The league was when organized strictly
within the pale of the Methodist Episcopal
church The next general conference of
that church gave it official standing by
ana adopted tie organization as a branch Of
the church prDpor.