Evening star., 1898-10-22
IN THE CH u RICH E S

N | h T. l. h u X T. h E .
Great interest is felt among the church
people of this city in the approaching cele-
bra ton of the SEVENTEEN anniversary of the
establishment of the Methodist Protestant
Church, which will take place early next
month. This will be observed with an elab-
crate program in each of the churches of
the denomination in Washington. and else
where throughout the bounds of the Mary
land conference OF which the District of
Columbia forms a part. Immediately after
the rise Of the general NJ. f. conference of
1924, a meeting, composed of some distin-
guished members of the conference and re-
formers from different parts of the United
States. was held in Baltimore, at which it
was determined to publish periodical
pamphlet entitled The Mutual Rights of
the Ministers and Members of the Method
ist Episcopal Church" for the purpose of
giving the Methodist community a suit
able opportunity to enter upon calm and
dispassionate discussion of the subject in
dispute" The meeting also determined to
resolve itself into a union society, and rec
commended that similar societies be raised
in all parts of the United States. "in order
to ascertain the number of persons in the
Methodist Episcopal Church friendly to a
change in her government"
Some time during the spring of the year
1926 the Baltimore Union Society recon-
mended state conventions to be held in the
several states for the exclusive purpose OF
making inquiry into the propriety of pre-
pairing one united petition to the approach
ing general conference of 1928, praying for
representation. and to elect delegates to
meet In a general convention for the pur-
pose. Conventions were accordingly held
and delegates elected, in consequence of
re- N Of 81.
country were made to feel the dispIeasure
of men in power. many being expelled from
the NJ. E Church. The expelled members
and their frienIs Immediately organized
under Mr.. Wesley's general rules taking
the title of the Associated Methodist Re-
formers.
In November 1927 the general convention
assembled in Baltimore, composed of min
listers and lay delegates. elected by the
state conventions and Union Societies
This convention prepared a memorial to
the general conference of May, 1898. pray
ing that the government of the church
might be made representative and more in
accordance with the mutual rights of the
ministers and people. To this memorial the
general conference replied. in circular by
claiming an exclusive divine right to the
unlimited and unamenable power which had
been exercised over the whole church from
the establishment of their government in
1874.
The reformers, relinquishing all hone of
obtaining chance in the government of
the church, withdrew in considerable num-
bers in various parts of the United States
and called another convention to assemble
in Baltimore, November L., 1925 This con-
Vention adopted the title of Associated
Methodist Churches" with seventeen arti-
cles of association, to serve as a provisional
government until constitution and dis
Cipline could be prepared by another con-
Vention subsequently to be held This con-
yention assembled in the same city the I'd
day of November, 1880, Francis Waters
d. D., president. and Rev. W. C. Lipscomb
and w. S. Stockton, secretaries. BY il the
title of Methodist Protestant Church was
substituted for that of Associated Metho-
dist Churches, and a constitution and dis
cipline We're adopted.
Rev. Nicholas Snethen was president in
the first plan of appointments, and Rev. DR..
A. D. Melville is the present president of
the conference.
Tuesday next the annual sessions of the
Synod of the Potomac of the Reformed
Church in the United States will begin in
St. Paurs Reformed Church. Woodstock,
Va. The sessions will continue until No
vember /. Other important subjects to be
considered besides the mission, Sunday
school and publication interests will be the
mission proposed in China and the election
OF a professor of church history and exc
gesis in the Eastern Theological Seminary
at Lancaster Pa Rev. DR. Thomas G. Ap-
pie, the last incumbent. died suddenly a
month since. the synod includes the
Maryland Virginia, West Virginia and
North Carolina and District of Columbia
and comprises nearly $1,000 confirmed and
unconfirmed members.
There is every reason to believe that the
new franciscan monastery, which is near
ing completion in the vicinity of the Catho-
lie University, will, after ii is opened 10
the public, attract visitors from not only
all sections OF our own country, but many
from abroad. Within the monastery there
will be a church in which will be repro
duced She birthplace of the Savior the
holy sepulcher, Mt. Calvary, the catacombs
and the home of the holy family at Naza-
reth. or those mentioned the holy sepul-
cher Will probably be the most Interesting
every detail of the original in Jerusalem be-
ing accurately reproduced. Above this will
be Mt. Calvary. To the right of the church
entrance carved stairway ample in pro-
portions VIII lead to the grotto of NaZa-
reth, twenty feet below the floor. Here will
be reproduced the rocky cave where the
holy family lived after leaving Bethlehem
with the infant Christ. Beneath the main
moor will be the chapel of the dead, which
is designed: for holding the funeral cere-
monies OF those who may die in the mou-
astery. Adjoining it will be a miniature re-
production of the catacombs of Rome. with
inches in the wall for the reception of dead
bodies but they will not be used as such
being built solely to carry out the general
plans Of the reproduction.
From the catacombs dark. winding pas
sage Will extend beneath the church floor
to the grotto of Bethlehem or holy cave
This is designed as an exact counterpart Of
the birthplace of Christ, over which the
Church of Nativity in Bethlehem is built
1t was In the grotto. it is said, that st. Jer-
ONE spent the last thirty-one years OF his
translation OF the Old Testament into Latin.
In one part of tine monastery will be the
executive offices of the order for the juris-