The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-10-07
Only One Voice Raised
Against 1t at Toronto
Conference.
PLAN OPPOSED
BY BISHOP HOSS
He Fears That Arnslgamation of
Seventeen Different Kinds of
Methodism in America Would
Result in Body Too
Unwieldy to Be Eff
fective.

Toronto. October s.-Statlsacs re-
latiye to Resources In Men and Means
in Methodist Mission Fields" was
given to-day by Rev. James Lewis. Of
Cambridge. England. proved interest
ing to the delegates from seventeen
countries. who attended the sessions
Of the Ecumenical Methodist Confer
snce IN this city.
From the detailed reports presented
It appeared that during the last year
there were 2.52s Methodist foreign
missionaries. These included $50 or
dained missionaries and ITO physi-
clans, nve Of the doctors being wo-
men.
Native workers numbered so,s47.
while the number of missionary sta
lions and substations was s.762 These
missionaries represented 70S,l05 bap-
tized Christians. and 1.&44,2s2 adher-
ents, of whom 45S,166 were Sunday
school teachers and scholars. The or
dained ministry at the beginning OF
1910 was 1888. OF whom but 2,322, or
. per cent counting foreigners and
natives. were in the mission field.
One Minister TO IVA Members.
or our total number OF ministers
throughout the world" said Mr.. Lewis,
the average is one to every ia
Methodist church cfnembers. In hea-
then countries the ratio Is one Metho-
oist minister to every 308 members.
Our means as expressed by the in
come OF the missionary societies in
1910 totaled about 100000, sum
which represented about 80 cents to
each OF the s.T5l.+3i Methodists"
Practically every phase or foreign
missionary work was discussed by
delegates from various fields. An ur-
gent plea was made by the Rev. T. II
Lewis. of Westminster. Md, who IS
president of the general conference of
the Methodist Protestant Church, for
union of American Methodists into
one body: This proposition. which
has been discussed since the opening
of the conference, evidently Is fav-
ored by a large majority of the United
states delegates. Bishop r. f. Hoss,
OF the Methodist Episcopal Church,
South. was the only one to express
dissent al to-day's meetings.
w hen you get too big a church It
suffers from its own obesity" he said.
Mr. Lewis stated his position in favor
OF such union thus: I'VE are keeping
ourselves back from the greatest oppor-
tunity ever offered us by the most I'M
necessary and inexcusable hindrance
ever tolerated. If a census of opin-
Ion could be taken as to what one
circumstance would do most to pro-
mote Worldwide evangelism among
Methodists themselves. enlist most
missionaries and start missionary
crusade that would set the wold aflame
with new zeal and hope, l believe an
overwhelming majority OF all our peo-
pie would say 1T is the union of Amer
acan Methodists into one body. We have
seventeen different names for Method
lists in America, and consequently about
as many different missionary cam
paigns. In the field we compete with
each other. duplicate each others ef-
forts and confuse those We are try
ing to serve.
The Heart of Methodism.
Evangelism" Mr.. Lewis said. SIS
essentially the heart of Methodism.
But doctrine and policy are only tho
mechanical opponents of the real pc
culiarities of Methodism. Pierce n
Methodist until he bleeds and you find
not a dogma, nor a rubric, but n throb-
bling heart. For him regeneration Is
not a figure of speech nor a magic
force.
"Methodism is heart power rather
than mind power, but 1T has both.
Methodists claim to have received a
new and peculiar power demonstrated
to be of Coda peculiar power over
sinners. entailing responsibility for
worldwide evangelism"
Among other speakers to-day were
the Rev. G. w. Clinton, of Charlotte.
N. c.. Bishop of the African Methodist
Episcopal Zion Church, who spoke on
The Mission of Methodism to the
Backward Races; Rev. David Brock.
Southport, England. The Mission of
Methodism to the Non Christian
Races; Bishop e. e. Hoss, Nashville,
Tenn. "Methodism in Korea"
Missionary mass-meetings were held
In several Toronto churches tonight.