The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-08
THE NEWS OF THE CHURCHES.
METHODIST CHURCH UNION DIS
CUsSED Al NASHVILLE.

Plans for bringing Together the
Methodist Episcopal Church and
the Methodist Episcopal Church,
SOuth-Rev. II. =. Nfshiknwa to
Preach at wesley Monumental and
Trinity Churches TO-day-Hev. II.
Baldwin Dean at 81. Johns Church
Rev. @. G. N MacDonen, presiding ell
der of the Savannah district of the South
Georgia conference, has returned from
Nashville, where he attended meeting
of the commission on federation appoint
ed by the last general conference Of the
Methodist Episcopal church south.
Nine members constitute the commits
sion. which, with a similar commission
from the northern Methodist Episcopal
church, will consider the federation Of
certain branches of church work The
commission Of the northern church was
appointed at its last general conference
held at Omaha, May ], 1896. The chair
man is Bishop S. NJ Merrill, and the
secretary is DR. Sweet Of Kansas.
This commission met last month at Chi
cago
At the Nashville meeting Of the south
ern church commission, which was held
"Wednesday an informal discussion of
those matters likely 10 come up before the
joint meeting OF the two commissioners
was had. II has not yet been decided
when this joint meeting will be held and
the place is only open to conjecture. 1T
will probably take place during the VIM
ter at Nashville, as that city was suS-
gested as the place of meeting by MT.
MacDonell in resolution he offered IN
wiling the commission Of the northern TO
meet with that of the southern church IN
the latters territory This invitation will
be extended
The commission from the Methodist
Episcopal church, south, is composed of
the bishops three ministers and three
laymen. The bishops are j. c. Cranberry,
chairman; W. W. Duncan. Robert Har-
groves. The ministers are DR.. f. f. Hoss
DR.. j. II. Dye, Rev. q. G.. n. MacDonell
The lay members are Judge Walter Clark
Of the supreme court Of North Carolina;
Mai. r. w. Jones, president of the Uni
Versity of Mississippi and Mr.. Acey Holt
or Texas. six Of these nine commission
ers were present the absent ones being
DR. Dye, Judge Clark and Mr.. Holt
The commission met at the church
publishing house, and pleasant and har-
monious meeting was had. Or. Hoss was
elected secretary for the commission. The
chairman of the two commissions viii be-
gin a correspondence at once regarding
the meeting of the joint commission. The
main object of this commission is to dis
cuss the question of working the home
and foreign mission fields so as to avoid
a useless competition, expenditure of
means and stationing men.
The two churches are closely allied in
all theological matters and their methods
follow similar lines, and the adjustment
Of these relations will, il is thought, re-
eult in a great deal of good for each. The
action of the commission viii be only
tentative. Its decision Will have TO be con-
sidered in turn by the next general con
ferences of the churches. No practical
results can come from its action until
after 1900, as the general conference Of the
northern church does not meet till that
year. The southern churchs general con-
ference will meet next May at Baltimore.
The sermon at the morning service at
Wesley Monumental church to-day will be
preached by Rev. II. S. Nishikawa, a ma
tive Of Japan. The presiding elder of the
Savannah district, Rev. G. q. n. Mac
Donel, will preach at night Both Mr..
Nishikawa and the presiding elder will
preach at Trinity church. though the or
der will be reversed. Mr.. MacDonell fill
ing the pulpit at the morning and the
japanese minister at the night service.
Rev Nishikawa has been in this country
about six years pursuing a course Of
study at Central College in Missouri and
at Vanderbilt University He will sail
from Vancouver B. c., Aug, % for his
native land, where he will become a
teacher In the Kwansei Gakuin, an inst-
tuition under the control of the Methodist
EnisconaI church. south.