Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1898-05-14
The General Conference Of The NJ. f
Church, South.

The General Conference OF The M. +.
Church, South.
AT the opening session of this body
in Baltimore, last wee,.. an address
prepared by the bishops and read by
Bishop R. X. Hargrove, of Nashville,
showing the progress of the church
and making recommendations for the
future, WAS in part, as follows:
THE place OF our meeting in itself
is full of suggestion. For the first
time in its separate and distinct and
ecclesiastical existence the Methodist
Episcopal Church, South, holds it's
ouadrennial session in this historic
city, where Episcopal Methodism was
born, took its earliest organic form
and started on its marvellous career.
Here its early bishops-Coke, Ash
bury, Whatcoat, McKendree, George,
Roberts, Soule and HeddiDg-were
all chosen, and, save one. were all
consecrated to their holy Office. Here
its ouadrennial sessions for the first
forty years were all held except one.
And in this same city, in 1908, pre-
vision was made, under constitution
al restrictions, for a delegated Gene
raj Conference which capacity we
are here and now assembled.
GROWTH OF AMERICAN AIETHoDIsM.
ITO American Methodism this is
holy ground. The intervening years.
a little more than century, have
made vast hanges-changes IN the
nation itself, then an infant, now
among the foremost powers of the
earth; changes in this fair city. then
scarcely more than struggling VII
lage, now hall a million souls or
more, and most Of all, changes in
American Methodism, then feeble
folk with IS itinerant preachers and
14,9SS members, now swollen IN all
its divisions to more than $4,000
preachers and more than 6,0C0,0
members.
SOUTHERN CHuRCH'S MEMBERSHIP.
THE statistical tables of our church
show for the present quadrennlum
| the net increase in the number OF
itinerant preachers is $3.50, OF local
preachers, 5,6S5-a total of 11,674
preachers-and of 1,47S,43 members.
| The aggregate value of our church
property of all kinds is estimated at
a little over $50. 900, 900, an increase
of about 81, 100000 within the quad
rennium. The records show that the
church is not receding, but advancing
in its appointed work of evangelical
ton and in the accumulation OF
means and agencies for still more
rapid progress. ~
schools, 104, 1876 teachers and S51, Ass
pupils, an increase within the quad
rennium of S25 schools, $3.50 teachers
and $1,000 pupils.
The Epworth League has been
doing very valuable work. There
are now 1886 leagues chartered with
l26.5S4 members.
1.-The Board of Education, organ
lied four years ago, has made fair
beginning in the broad and inviting
field committed to its care. The
church now owns or has under its
control and auspices of all grades IS
educational institutions with over
1000 teachers, over 10000 pupils,
property valued at 81, GGl, $50 and en-
dowments amounting 70 S2,1S9, 695.
EDUCATIONAL AND MISSION WORK.
Experience corroborates and con-
firms the wisdom of our church in
1 its established ecclesiastical relation
to the colored people, which has re-
| lieved both them and us from need
| less jealousies and irritating and
damaging complications. Our past
missionary enterprise and success
among them require that we continue
and increase our cooperation with
the Colored Methodist Episcopal
Church in America in providing suit
able intellectual and spiritual train
ing for both their teachers and their
preachers. Both Pains aiHnesed f2 efahc t3 our
! !, ga Saial work. The two now have IA
teachers and 341 pupils. The board
is providing for Paine Institute new
building to be known as Haygood
Memorial Hall.
During the last quadrennium we
have added Korea to our mission
field, and ten missionaries to our
force in foreign lands. In the same
period there has been a net gain in
the foreign field of 2,177 members,
1,141 Sunday school attendants, 1926
Epworth Leaguers, IS church edi-
| fees and 10 parsonages. In selfsup
port a gain of $11 ,G56.S5 is reported
from the field. Our mission property
is now valued at $39S, TO. On our
! Indebtedness of $129, 144.79 at the be-
ginning of the quadrennium Sill
599.17 has been paid, and there is an
ample unmatured subscription to
cover the balance.
THE amount paid by our several
boards and societies for missions
within the quadrennium is as follows:
Board OF Missions. ISL ,077, 3SS. 10
Domestic board. ........ 531, 300. I'll
Woman's Foreign Mission
airy Society. 3O7,0OO.0l
Woman's Parsonage and
Home Missionary So
ciety. ......... l5l,5l2. w
Grand total by the church s9,O67, $50 SO
This is the jubilee year of our
China mission, out Of which those in
Japan and Korea have sprang."
OPPOSED TO SMALL CONFERENCES.
lG GuUIeeS llIeU dl SuOo dSdlhot
the ACCESSIBILITY of organizing and
maintaining small conferences, which
are often dependent on missionary
support and upon immature and in
experienced men largely for its min
istry. Attention is called to the vast
influx of foreigners tor the two de-
cades from 1877 to 1897, averaging
$50, $40 a year, and to the necessity
for missionary work among them.
The work of the Woman's Foreign
Missionary Society is praised highly.
The Woman's Board of Foreign Mis-
sions has so missionaries in the for
eign field, 1872 native helpers and 81
Bible women, making total force
of 219, while the general missionary
board has total of only 395. With
in twenty years the women have