Evening journal., 1908-04-21
CONFERENCE OF
METHODISM
The Church Statistics Almost
Startling in Their
Immensity
3.3OS.22l PERSONS
IN THE CHURCH

After adjectives have failed numbers
are most convincing for expressing
magnitude. Baltimorcans are asking
just how big is the General Conference
Of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
which will convene here May next
and continue in session. day and night,
week days and Sundays. for more than
a month.
Here are a few figures for 1907 that
VIII answer this. after fashion:
Membership OF the Methodist Episco-
pal Church. s.sos.221 persons; 1857 O6s
are in fun connection and 346,155 pro-
bationers
Churches. 2s52s: valued at sisO.Os4.-
Parsonages. 1909: valued at s2s,s29.-
15s.
The combined value Of churches and
parsonagef is s1s6. 24.O3s. This sum
contains debts amounting to 1912. .2fs,
which leaves an unincumbered owner
ship worth S174,796,7s5.
There are 175 educational institutions
The property values and endowment Of
these run up to si7,569. .5s2 after debts
have been Deducted. The property of
the institutions is valued at $25. .761, ,547
and the endowments total $23,s5O, 1856.
An army Of 2.9s1 professors and
teachers is used in these schools, which
have an enrolment Of 50 ,306 students.
With the bishops at their head num-
bering about a score. there are, accord
ing to the latest compiled reports, 49,
100 preachers and other ministers
directing the real work of the confer
ence. Aiding them are 14,057 lay
preachers, including former regular
ministers who have entered commercial
or other lines of activity but still give
their talents and their money in what
measure they can to the aggressive
work of the church. There are 36i,-
80 Sunday school teachers and super
intendents who have under their care
1886 schools and s.0O7.677 pupils.
The church is established in &c coun-
tries besides the United States, and has
29O.6S6 members in foreign lands.
The gathering next month, which
will mark the one hundredth ami
versary Of the adoption of the title
Methodist Episcopal" and Of the first
non-delegated session, which was held
in Light street parsonage, Baltimore,
promises to be fruitful in making his
tory.
Nearly every one Of the 13i annual
conferences has selected a delegation.
and. on account Of the importance of
the issues at stake, has picked the best
men it could find. Questions will be
considered that deeply concern the
whole church. and w,n affect its future
in MANY wavs.
One Of the questions that will stir
up much interest Is that which was
brought I'D by the Methodist Episcopal
Church South. in 1906, by the appoint
ment Of a commission to confer with
the Methodist Episcopal Church in re-
gard to a statement Of the common
faith of worldwide Methodism. 1t is
likely that the conference will create
a similar commission.
The perennial problem OF the election
Of presiding elders-instead Of having
the bishops appoint them, as at pres
ent-will be up again.
The question Of bishops for races,
which means Chinese bishops for a
Chinese conference. japanese for a
Japanese conference and-where the
crux of the question has come-negro
bishops for negro conferences, loomed
up big about a year ago, but over
whelming votes have removed it from
the list of vital questions.
The exact number is not known. but
possibly as many as 10 bishops win be
voted for. and these elections are likely
10 give unusual Importance to the
meeting, compared with others in the
past. Six bishops have died in the
last three years They were Bishops
L. NJ. Merrill. e. G. Andrews, c. II.
Fowler. J. N. Fitzgerald, T. w. Joyce
and c. c. McCabe.
Never more than eight bishops have
been elected at one time before this.
In all only SO have been elected since
the organization Of the episcopacy, at
the Christmas Conference, 1874, at
Lovey Lane Chapel. in Baltimore.