The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-05-06
ADDRESS OF THE BISHOPS
A Document That Covers Every Phase
of Methodist Work.
OF THE GREATEST INTEREST
Church ExteusiOn-Thc Frcedmcn-Chris'
tiau Unity Different Conferences.
Epworth DOctrine-Amusements'
Iutoxicants-Capital and
Labor Citizenship.

Iutoxicants-Capital and
Labor Citizenship.
Below are salient parts of the episco-
pal address of the bishops OF the Meth
odist church, which was read az the
Cleveland general conference, May
The address in full contains nearly TO-
900 words:
We most heartily congratulate me
church on the success OF the ,aHrossaI las. iou.
The world has been in hnancial straI,s,
Vast railway systems have gone mo
the hands Of receivers. Great corpora
tions have been wrecked. Fortunes nave
disappeared like mist. Mems hearts nave
failed them for fear. But the church OF
the living God has moved risht on "
certain victory. The King of Kings an
nually makes draft on our recruiting
Office in the church militant for rein-
forcement of the church triumphant. rms
draft takes from us about S5,ooo fheiipras
year. Our church records also s%u,er %
from the enterprise of our itinerant people
thousands going into new states ana Ter
ritories where their names are lost To- U.S.
But Notwithstanding this. our gam III
lay membership in the quadrennium mas
been 3S6 900, making total membership
including probat!oners of 2.I6G,GSS.
We find our conferences more ana more
crowded every year. One reason Tor thlS
abundance ana
candidates is that we have in our col
leges and schools an army Of 43,32 stu
dents. OF this army there has been
gain of over 1000 the past year and
Sunday schools of the churches numbered
in 1895 0,259. gain of 2,766 in the qua,
drennium. The number of teachers ana
scholars is 2,9SS So5. a gain IN tne asr PAS
Of conversions reported in the Sunday
school In four years Is 533, 4s6.
The quadrennum has abundantly DEM
onstrated that the church Is diVinely ap-
pointed to evangelize the world. The con-
version of India is both more thorough
and more rapid than was the conversion OF
Europe. There Is a power turning the
world upside down that cannot be ex,
pressed in the language OF ciVilzatlOn anu
secularism. Besides preaching the Gospel
in fifteen languages in the United states,
our beloved church has l5o,0O commum-
cants and as many adherents outslde tne
country: 10000 students in training schools
and 10000 in Sunday schools. during the
quadrennium we have been able to SEND
out but, fifteen more American missiona-
ries, but the native ordained missionaries
have Increased 80 per cent, the unor-
dained GO per cent. We could double our
foreign membership in the next four years
il we had the money to send the teachers.
FINANCIAL GROWTH.
A few material facts deserve statement.
During this time of financial depression
we have not only kept good and preserved
out $113, 900 900 worth Of church and par
sonage property, but We have gained $ll,-
100000 more In pastoral support the gain
has been over $500, 600. This has not been
so much gain to individual pastors, but
a gain in consequence Of !. 400 more pastors
In the growing field The income of the
missionary treasury from the contrbu-
tions of the people through the confer
ences in 1891 was SLOTS. 5h; the gain on
that IN 1892 was SAL ,S5; In 1889; sso,slt; in
1894. $685. the loss in 1895 was s5,55l. leav-
ing q total gain Of gifts to this cause In
the quadrennium Of $65, 1856.
ciety and the Woman's Home Missionary
society are among the best outcomes OF
the Christianity Of our century. The In
come for the quadrennium for the first
has been 81. 1879. gain in the amount
given in 1891 amounting In all to SSS.9j1
The Woman's Home Missionary society
had an income last year of cash $50
and Of supplies s55,363. total of $IS6,26J
organizations and greater efficiency of old
ones we are giving for missionary 'pur-
poses $932, coo year more than we were
twelve years ago.
The Methodist Episcopal church has fir
ty-one deaconess homes, hospitals and or
phanages, of which fifteen are in foreign
lands. There are 574 deaconesses. of which
ninety, are in our foreign work; 100 are
3el.s5O worth of property, which has been
mostly given during the past quadrenni-
UNI. During the past year the deaconess-
es, who work without salary, have made
262, ,46l calls held II, ,060 religious meetings
and helped to care for 6,2O9 sick people
either in hospitals or their own homes.
The board of church extension is Or
ganized on the principle that the strong
ought to bear the burdens of the weak.
During thirty years II has administered
nearly $5,5O0OO0, aiding about 10000
churches. Besides the aid given outright
1t has a fund of nearly s, 900, ,OOO which
q ptlI, 1on ma 70 phnrphps a "a 1aV
rate Of interest, to be soon returned and
loaned out again and again to help other
churches.
FREEDMAN'S AID.
The Freedmen's Aid and Southern Edu-
cation society is of the greatest service
10 the negroes and whites in the south.
1t~has been in existence for thirty years
and during that time has expended $4,000
900 In establishing and sustaining institu-
tions of Christian learning in the south
1t has taught industry and letters, trades
and learned professions. There has not
been a time in the past thirty years. and
We Judge will not be in many a year to
come. when we can withdraw our aid
from these people who suffer so many dis
abilities.
In the midst of the severe stringency of
the times, and the prostration of nearly
all kinds of business. our Book Concern.
besides the necessary additions to its per-
manent capital, has gone on paying its
dividends from actual business done.
sitous cases among our effffectivc prea CHI
ers, whose salaries are deficient, and to as
sist in supporting our veterans, worn out
in the service, and their widows and or
phsns Thus it is evident that the church
Of God, dependent on the free gifts of the
people, is the most substantial most firm
ly founded and best supported business
establishment in this country.
We congratulate the church that within
the past four years, as In all It's previous
history. there has come into it no division
Of sentiment with regard to its funda.
mental doctrines. This does not imply
lack of thought. It implies that the truth
has been rightly apprehended, that it au.
thenticates itself to the mind and heart
and employs all its adherents in rapid
progress.
EPWORTH LEAGUE.
Among the great agencies for the in
crease of spiritual life We cannot speak
too highly of the Epworth league. In It
are enrolled 1,350,O0O Of our young peopl,
organized into our 2l.OOO chapters. They
are turning away from amusements of n
pernicious character which are always
the peril Of advancing wealth and conse-
n