The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-03-10

appear to indicate a positive retrograde
movement on the part OF the great
Methodist Episcopal church In the year
Of the past to necessitate said call. 1t
may be true that the church at large
has decreased numerically, but the rea-
son,or reasons. may not lie In decreased
spirituality, or vitiated power, but
rather in the more carefully revised
church records and better system OF
church bookkeeping.
Locally the allocution is not applic-
able. In Wyoming district alone dur
ing the present conference year over
1000 souls have been converted, while
in this city Methodism has taken no
footsteps backwards. Each Of our eight
churches and missions have had acces-
sions to their membership, the total Of
which must be in the hundreds. We
shall observe the call of the bishops, IL
not for our own good, why surely for
the good of others.
ONE OF THE REASONS.
Rev. William Edgar, whose pastor
ate Of the Providence Methodist Epis-
copal church is just closing, says as
follows:
There is no doubt some justification
for the recent declaration Of our
bishops. Every Christian worker is
forced to admit there Is much of world
illness manifested by some protesting
Christians. This cannot fail to affect
the membership of the church. Those
who are without the fold, when they
look at this class of protesting Chris
tianS, see no necessity or advantage in
church membership.
I do not intimate all Christians are
of this character We have thousands
Of earnest. spiritual souls. thoroughly
consecrated to Jesus Christ. Still, the
others referred to exert a great influ-
ence. There Is wisdom in the call Of
the bishops for humiliation. prayer and
conservation. I do not think this spir-
itual condition Is peculiar to any one
denomination alone. The mere fact Of
increasing numerically does not prove
church Is actually stronger in the
true sense. This could be abundantly
proved by quotations from the New
Testament. Concerning my own church,
l will make a complete and exact re-
port before the conference. I have re-
ceived on probation about ninety since
l came to Providence church, and at
Carbondale over $50.
HE IS NOT ALARMED.
Rev. w. q. Simpson. pastor Of AS
bury church. at Green Ridge, writes:
The bishops call for a week of alb
stinence and prayer need not occasion
undue alarm to Methodists.
Ffrst-That there Is a decrease in our
numerical strength is evidently true, a
decrease in the full membership, and
also in the probationers list. still this
may be healthful sign. It is possible
to carry an amount of dead stock on
the register Of Methodist church.
Second-A goodly number Of Metho-
dist preachers are firm believers in.
and ardent supporters of, the doctrine
Of expansion-in other words, imitation.
Others there are who believe the OPP
posite: evidently some Of the latter,
according to soul and conscience, have
been, though not departing from the
creed of true expansion, trimming or
pruning the church records. See?
Third-Figures tell wondrOus truths
OF times. 1t is possible to secure as
much In actual spiritual and temporal
results from 300 members, in a given
year, than from double that number in
the previous year.
Fourth-Progress In a Methodist
church is not always told in figures.
Such is the case at Asbury. / believe.
Fifth--I am not at all alarmed by the
awake! awake!!" Of the bishops. The
special service will greatly bless the
entire church, and should add thou
sands to the fold.