The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-09

IL was merged into the Epworth League Ii
numbered nearly 1900 members. lie sec
0nd OF these societies 10 come into exist
ence was the Oxford League, ana at the
time Of the Organization OF the EpWoItn
League numbered 80 chapters. The Young
peoples Christian League was next 9iuest'
and then came the Young peoples ChlOI;
The last OF these societies 10 De FORMED
was the North Ohio Conference Metnodlsl
Episcopal Alliance. and IL had been IN ex-
tStence only snort time When IL Wds
merged into the Epworth League. Repre-
sentatives OF these societies met In a gen
eral conference and formal union was Ell
fected on May ID, 1889, at Cleveland, u Inc
name was the result OF slip in speech py
which the names of oxford League ana the
Epworth Hymnal were confused, the con-
sutution was a modification OF That OF the
oxford League; and the colors OF tne ouns
Peoples Methodist Alliance, white rlp-
bon With a scarlet thread running through
II, were adopted as the colors or the EP-
worth League. The maltese cross, when
had been the badge OF both the OXFORD
League and the Young Peoples Christian
League, was adopted as the badge, with the
motto and the initials of the Epworth
League. The motto of the Young Peoples
Christian League, Look Up. Lit Up, was
made the motto of the new organization,
Methodism. Il desire to form a league
offensive ard defensive with every soldier
of Jesus Christ" which had been the motto
Of the Oxford League, and the words OF
church a power in the land, while we live
to love every other church that exalts our
Epworth League. In 1892 the Epworth
League received the formal Endorsement OF
the General Conference and became DE,
partment of church work, with the central
office in Chicago. The first Epworth League
in the Methodist Church South was organ
lied at the First Church, Memphis, Tenn,
In 1880. The first league was followed Dy
several other churches adopting the same
society, and so rapidly did the work grow
and SO manifest was the need Tor the work
being planned and managed that the Gen.
eral Conference in 1894 made plans for the
extension and carrying on Of this branch
motto ''All for Christ and adopted white
and old gold for colors and the magnolia
for the flower. Owing TO the fact that the
the country a demand was made for more
universal flower, so ii was decided TO
violet.
The League in Canada has also made very
rapid progress. One OF the most marked
Canada has h Been p the increased interest
manifested In mission work. The confer
ence returns show that the young people
societies have raised during the last year
the sum of sl2,759SO. being an increase of
ss.2l4.59 over the previous year. The last
conference also authorized the publication
of an Epworth League paper, and the
organ of the League in Canada. Records
show that the society has grown In the
TO the present number of chapters, which is
1850. The Methodist Church South has
since. 1894 400 leagues chartered and en-
rolled. OF this number a large number are
old organizations, but the majority are new
leagues. 1t Is said that the average men,
bership of the leagues Is forty-hve mem.
bers, making aggregate membership or
the chartered Leagues in the Methodist
Church South of about 5000. In Canada
there are now 1,947 young peoples societies
in the church, most of these being leagues.
In 1894 there were 1,O32 showing an Increase
in four years OF 915. The membership has
also increased in the same period from Az
llD to al J3o. a gain of "a I6O