Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1901-09-05
THE ECUMENICAL
METHODIST COUNCIL
Conference Of the Body Be-
gins In London.
LARGE REPRESENTATION

The Archbishop OF Canterbury and
the Bishop of London Send Friendly
Greetings - Sessions Held In John
WesIey's Old Chapel.
LONDON, Sept. 1.-The Ecumenical
Methodist conference opened in White
chapel today with a good attendance.
In the devotional exercises King Ed
ward and President Mckinley were
prayed for.
Bishop Jose Q. Hartzell, missionary
Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal
church in Africa, made the opening
prayer and Bishop Galloway of Jack
son, Miss, preached an eloquent SER
mon, setting forth the aims of Meth.
odists throughout the world and EN-.
phasizing the value of the tenets OF
John Wesley. Communion followed.
The archbishop of Canterbury, the
Most Rev. Frederick Temple, and the
bishop of London, the Right Rev. A. f.
w Ingram, D. D., seat friendly mes.
sages, the archbishop of Canterbury
praying that Gods blessing may rest
on the deliberations. The bishop of
London sent a similar message, but add
ing the hope that some day the Metht i
lists will be reunited with the EpiScO-
pal1ans.
The Ecumenical Methodist conference
is meeting in the City Road chapel,
built by John Wesley in 1850. 1t is
sometimes called the Cathedral of Meth
odism and is filled with memorials of all
denominations tracing their origin to
Wesley. Marble columns representing
Methodist branches in the north and
south of the United States and Canada
are among those holding up the gallery.
These were presented after the first con-
ference that assembled here exactly 20
years ago today.
The representation. which is on ba-
sis Of about one delegate to 10000 mem
bers, gives the United States and Cana
da 800 out of the 500 delegates cOmpOs-
ing the council The chairman will be
changed daily, so that nearly all the di-
visions represented will have chair
manship. For convenience in arrang
ing business the conference is divided
into eastern and western sections.
The eastern section, which takes in all
the branches of English MethOdists, TO-
gether with affiliated conferences in
Australia, South Africa and the West
Indies, consists Of 206 members, appor-
toned as follows:
Wesleyan Methodists, SO; New Con-
nection Methodists, 10; Primitive Meth
odists, 81; United Methodist Free
Churches, 20; Bible Christians, 10; Irish
Methodists, 10; Minor Methodist bod
les, s; French Methodists, 2; West In
dian Methodists, 6; Australasian Wes-
leyan Methodist church, ~, and South
African Methodist church, 10.
The Western Section.
The western section includes Ameri.
can and Canadian Methodists, and be-
cause of it's relatively greater strength
has 300 delegates. The Methodist Epis-
copal church of the United States sent
129 reports, among them Bishops Hurst,
Vincent, Hamilton and Hartsell.
The Methodist Episcopal church,
south, is represented by several dele
gates, including Bishops Fitzgerald,
Galloway, Cranberry and Anderson.
The Methodist church of Canada, among
its 20 representatives, has DR.. Briggs,
DR.. Potts, Professor J. O. Antliff and
Chancellor Brownash of Toronto. The
African Methodist churches of America
are represented by So delegates, includ-
ing 20 negro bishops.
AuOuSu GuS conference QO6S uOG nave
legislative and administrative power
over the churches represented, their
policy will probably be affected both di-
rectly and indirectly by the discussions
on the religious and social problems that
will come before it.
Among the subjects that will be con-
sidered are 1.-The Present Position of
Methodism;" 'The Influence of Meth.
odism In the Promotion of International
Peace;" "Bible Criticism and the Chris.
tian Faith;' principles of Protestant
ism versus Saoredotalism;" "Methodism
and Education;" christianity and Mod
'ern Unbelief; Modern Indifferentism;"
methodist Literature and Journalism, ~
and practical Methods of Dealing With
the Liquor Traffic
A public meeting will be held at which
'The Moral Unity of the English Speak
ing Peoples" will be the subject dis.
cussed.