The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-11-05
METHODIST PROTESTANT CHURCH.
Seventeen Anniversary of the Maryland
Conference.

COnLEICnSCs
The following article, which has been care
fully revised, will be of interest to the members
of the Methodist Protestant Church in This
county:
The SEVENTEEN anniversary of the Maryland An
| nual Conference of the Methodist Protestant
Chuch it being also the SEVENTEEN anniversary of
the organization OF the Methodist Protestant
Church, will be celebrated in all the churches on
November IL.
The Methodist Protestant Church is one of the
smaller branches of Methodsm in the United States
and, in common with all the others, looks to Eng
land its home and to John Wesley as its founder.
| Methodsm in England was not begun as a new
church, would Wesley ever admit the POSSIBLE
ity of its becoming such. 1t primarily re-
vivaI of spiritual religion i'll the Church of England
under the of John Wesley, regularly ordained
| minister of that church.
| Methodsm was brought from England to this
country by those who had been employed by Yves
ley These men were evangelsts and did not at
tempt to organize churches, but followed Wesleys
example, going from place to place. calling men
to repentance
| Philip Embury, preacher from Ireland, began
to preach in the city of New York time in the
year 1766, and formed society of his own country
men and few citizens. In the same year Captain
| Thomas Webb preached in a hired room near the
barracks. About the same time Robert Strawbridge
| settled in Frederick county, Nd, and formed some
| societies
After the war for independence resulted i'll the
separation of the colonies from England, il became
evident that some form of organization was neces-
| sary to carry on the work designed by the Metho-
dist movement and Wesley agreed that the societies
| here should organize into church. although it is
| rtaip hat no ad lie int
and direction to be paramount. In this he was dis
appointed.
At the close of 1884 the Methodist societies in the
| United States were organized by conference, con-
sisting of preachers exclusively into what is called
! the Methodist Episcopal Church. and made indie
| pendent of Mr.. Wesley. The government was SO
framed by the inference to secure to the timer
ant ministers the unlimited exercise of the legisla
tive executive and judicial powers of the church,
to the entire exclusion of all other classes of minis
| tiers and all the people.
Subsequent general conferences exhibited marked
dissatisfaction at the leading features of the gov
eminent. In 1871 a periodical was instituted, en-
titled the Wesleyan Repository, and was continued
up to the sitting of the General Conference in 1921
Numerous petitions were presented to that body,
praying for a representation of ministers and lay
men in the rule-making department, but no change,
either in the principle or the practical operations
! of the government could be obtained.
Immediately after the rise of the General Confer
cnce of 1924, meeting, composed of some distin-
gushed members of the conference and of reformers
from different parts of the United States, was held
! in Baltimore. The meeting determined to resolve
itselfinto a Union Society," and recommended 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
|
followed By much persecution of the Reformers.
Some time during the spring of 1896 the Baltimore
Union Society recommended State conventions to
be held i'll the several States for the exclusive pur
pose of making inquiry into the propriety of pre-
pairing united petition TO the approaching GEN
eral Conference 1925 praying for representation
and to elect delegates to meet in general conven
| ton for the purpose.
November, 1927, the General Convention assem-
| bed i'll Baltimore, composed of ministers and lay
delegates, elected by the state conventions and
Union societies. This convention prepared a me-
mortal to the General Conference of May 1923,
praying that the government of the church might
! be made representative To this memorial the
General Conference replied by claiming for the
| itinerant ministers of their church exclusive
| divine right to the same unlimited and unamenable
power which they had exercised over the whole
church from the establishment of their government
i'll 1854.
! Following this and after the expulsion of eleven
ministers and twenty two laymen in Baltimore for
being members of the Union Society and supporters
| of the paper known as 1.-The Mutual Rights the
Reformers withdrew in considerable numbers and
called another convention to meet in Baltimore
! November r. 1923. This convention adopted the
title of Associated Methodist Churches" with
seventeen articles of association, to serve pro-
visional government until a constitution and dis
cipline could be prepared by another convention
subsequently to be held. This convention assem-
bled i'll Baltimore November 3 $780, By it the title
of Methodist Protestant Church was substituted for
that of Associated Methodist Churches and con-
stitution and discipline were adopted.
The convention of 1928 provided for the organiza
ton of annual conferences in every state. To carry
this into effect, it resolved to appoint agents
to travel through the territory and organize
churches and conferences.
On April D 1929 body of ministers and lay dele
gates met in St. Johns Church, Baltimore, and or
ganized the Maryland annual conference.
Among the many institutions of the church are:
It's Church Extension Society, which, during its
history, has contributed about 100000 to needy
congregations; Its Board of Ministerial Education,
which raises So 900 yearly to assist poor young men
in preparing for the itineracy the Western Mary
land College, at Westminster, which is too well
known for any comment; the Westminster Theo-
| logical Seminary the Home for the Aged, at West
minister; the Buckingham Industrial Home, at
Buckeystown:it superannuated fund, which yields
| about $1,000 annually its Pipe Creek Benevolent
Society, which supplements the superannua ted
fund.- its Jefferson Benevolent Society; its Mutual
Relief Society, which cares for the families of de-
ceased ministers and its Board of Benefcence of St.
Johns Church. The list also includes the Metho-
dist Protestant one of the best religious weekles
of the country, which is ably edited by the Rev.
DR.. F. T. Tagg.
Next Tuesday is election day. The polls
m, oud clOca Of e N m Vota