Evening star., 1901-09-04
Great Gathering Of Followers Of
Wesley in London.
MEETING IN 4 FAMOUS CHAPEL
Five Hundred Delegates Present;
300 From America.
ALL SECTIONS REPRESENTED

LONDON, September 4.-The ecumenical
Methodist conference opened in Wesley's
Chapel today with a good attendance. In
the devotional exercises King Edward and
President Mckinley were prayed for Bish-
op Jos. G. HartZell, missionary bishop OF
the Methodist Episcopal Church in Africa,
made the opening prayer, and Bishop Gal
loway of Jackson, Miss, preached an elo-
quent sermon, setting forth the aims OF
Methodists throughout the world and en-
phasizng the value of the tenets of John
Wesley. Communion followed. The arch
bishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Fred
erick Temple DID,, and the bishop of Lon
don the Right Rev. A. F. w. Ingram, DID,,
sent friendly messages, the archbishop of
Canterbury praying that Gods blessing may
rest on the deliberations. The bishop of
London sent similar message, but add
ing the hope that some day the Methodists
will be reunited with the Episcopalians.
Meeting in Famous Chapel.
The Ecumenical Methodist conference is
meeting in the City Road Chapel, built by
John Wesley in 1760. 1t is sometimes
called the Cathedral of Methodism, and is
filled with memorials Of all denominations
tracing their origin to Wesleyism. Marble
columns representing Methodist branches
In the north and south OF the United
States and Canada are among those hold
ing up the gallery. They were presented
after the first conference that assembled
here exactly twenty years ago today.
The representation, which is on a basis
of about one delegate to 10000 members
gives the United States and Canada 800
out of the 500 delegates composing the
council The chairman will be changed
daily, so that nearly all the divisions rep
resented will have a Craftsmanship. For
convenience in arranging business the con-
ference is divided into eastern and western
sections.
The eastern section, which takes in all
branches of English Methodists, together
with affiliated conferences in Australasia.
South Africa and the West Indies, consists
Of 206 members, apportioned as follows:
Wesleyan Methodists, Sc; New Connexion
Methodists, 10; Primitive Methodists, "a;
United Methodist Free Churches, 20; Bible
Christians, 10: Irish Methodists, 10; minor
Methodist bodies, 8; French Methodists, 2;
West Indian Methodists, g. Australasian
Wesleyan Methodist Church. II, and South
African Methodist Church, 10.
Strength in the West.
The western section includes American
and Canadian Methodism, and because of
it's relatively greater strength has 800 dele
gates The Methodist Episcopal Church of
the United States sent 100 representatives,
among them Bishops Hurst, Vincent, Ham
iton and Hartzell The Methodist Episco-
pal Church South is represented by seventy
delegates, including Bishops Fitzgerald,
Galloway, Granbery and Anderson. The
Methodist Church of Canada, among it's
twenty representatives, has DR.. Briggs, DR..
Potts, Prof. j. c. Antliff and Chancellor
Brownash of Toronto The colored Meth
odist churches of America are represented
by fifty-eight delegates, including twenty
colored bishops.
Though the conference does not have leg
islative and administrative power over the
churches represented, their policy will prob
ably be affected both directly and indirectly
by the discussions on the religious and So
cial problems that will come before it.
Among the subjects that will be consid-
cred are "The Present Position of Meth
odism.'' 1.-The Influence of Methodsm in
the Promotion Of International Peape,"
Biblical Criticism and the Christian
Faith principles of Protestanism versus
Sacerdotalism, "Methodism and Educa-
tion," "Christianity and Modern Unbelief,"
Modern Indifferentism,' Methodist Lit
erature and Journalism" and Practical
Methods of Dealing With the Liquor Traf-
fic."
public meeting will be held, at which
''The Moral Unity of the English Speaking
Peoples" will be the subject discussed.