The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-15
tion Of the Kind Ever Held In
the state.
GOVERNOR DURBIN TO PRESIDE
ELOQUENT BISHOP FOWLER, OF BUF-
FALO, N N, WILL SPEAK.
Addresses by Senators Fairbanks and
Beveridse, James f. Watson
and Others.

On the night Of Saturday, May %. at the
Denison Hotel. the bicentennial Of the
birth Of John Wesley, founder of Method
ism. viii be celebrated in royal fashion by
the leading ministers and laymen Of the
Methodist Episcopal Church In Indianapo-
lis Bishop Charles II. Fowler. of Buffalo.
N Y. who. of all the eloquent divines in
the church. is said to have the most golden
tongue. will be the guest Of honor and will
respond TO a toast.
The other speakers are Of prominence
befitting the most notable gathering of
Methodists the city will have seen. Senator
Charles w. Fairbanks, Senator Albert ].
Beverage. Representative James E. Wat
son. j. Frank Hanly, Charles L. Henry and
Frank z. Gavin viii be the other speakers.
Governor Winfield T. Durbin will preside
as POSTMASTER.
The toast list has been partially arranged
by the committee in charge of the banquet,
which consists of the Rev. Joshua STAINS
field. pastor of the Meridian-street Church;
the Rev. e B. Rawls, the Rev. C. E. Ba-
con. OF Roberts Park; Mr.. w. c. Van Ars-
del and Mr.. James NJ. Noel.
THE TOAST LIST.
The programme announced last night,
subject to change. is as follows:
Toastmaster. .............. Governor Durbin
John Wesley. the Man" ..-Jas. T.. Watson
The Message Unassigned
THE Movement" .....Un Unassigned
..rrh f1eid ,:s,-----.--.--senator Fair6anks
.rhe nssuie ~. . Unassigned
'',rhe Future OF Methodism' ............
........................... Bishop Fowler
In the main dining room and the ordi-
nary connecting with 1T plates will be laid
for 500 guests, and IL is expected that every
chair will be filled. Before the banquet a
reception will be held at the Denison in
honor OF the distinguished New York
bishop the Governor and the senator's.
"A large reception committee will be
named by the executive committee in
charge OF the banquet, to consist of forty
son Will probably be chairman.
A LOCAL AFFAIR
The banquet will be almost entirely a
local affair. The guests will be almost en-
tirely from Indianapolis. although there
may be number of well-known ministers
and laymen from other cities in the State
John Wesley, was born June Is. 17Os but on
account Of the fact that so many of the
ministers will be out of the city on that
date 1t was deemed best to celebrate the
bicentennial of this birth in May. Several
held similar celebration at which Presi-
dent Roosevelt was the principal speaker
Speaking of the banquet last night, Dr.
4. b. Rawls. presiding elder, said: 1T
win be the most notable occasion of the
kind ever held by the Methodists of In
diana There has never been a celebration
of the same character arranged in this
State. or one where the list of speakers was
so remarkable. The committee in charge
has labored assiduously to perfect all the
details OF the affair, and I have no doubt
that the result Of its efforts will be a de-
hghtful feast of moral. mental and ply
Sunday night there will be a great mass
meeting OF Methodists in Tomlinson Hall.
All the M r. churches In the city will
will go, instead, to Tomlinson
Hall to participate in the union
service. Bishop Fowler will preach
ably be other brief talks by prominent
minister's. If the evening be fair IL is ex-
pected that Tomiinson Hall will be in
adequate to accommodate the vast crowd.
CAREER OF JOHN WESLEY.
John Wesley. whose memory the banquet
and mass meeting will honor, was born
June 2s 1908, at Epworth Rectory, Ep-
worth, England. He received his educa-
ton at the Charter House in London and at
Christ College, Oxford. He was a priest
In the established church until he came
to the conclusion that priests of the
Church of England were not interpreting
the Scriptures as they should be inter-
preted and he broke away from IL and be-
gan 10 preach the doctrines that
came afterward to be called Meth
odist.' He was prosecuted and
reviled. but added constantly to his
followers. principally among the poorer
People He came to America in 1726 and
preached his beliefs I'm many cities, gain
ing thousands Of converts. He returned to
london and died in that .city at the age