The Washington times., 1916-04-01
UNIVERSITY TO Be
THE HOST TODAY TO
METHODIST VISITORS
Members Of Baltimore Confer
ence Will Be Guests at Re-
ception at Institution.

SOpttOtt al IIoubuuOib
Members OF the Baltimore conference
OF The Methodist Episcopal Church, now
n session at Foundry NJ. e. Church.
will spend part of the day as the guests
Of the trustees and officers of the
American University.
The conference met this morning at .
o'clock. with several questions OF
church government and discipline to be
considered and announcements OF as
signments OF preachers to the various
local pulpits for tomorrow to be made.
After luncheon in the church. the min
listers and such members Of the laity
as remain in the city will go to the
American University. where reception
will be rendered them at o'clock at
the College of History. During the
GScw S IT rse viii niep present The Drama
of st. Paul"
President Wilson and Secretary of the
Navy Daniels Joined with the Metho-
dists of all branches of the church in
celebrating the centennial anniversary
of the death of Bishop Francis Asbury,
the first of the Methodist bishops in
America, last night. The Asbury CEN
tennial exercises began with the meet
ing OIL the conference ana layH1en III
joint session yesterday afternoon and
reached a climax with the meeting last
night.
Necessary to Lock Doors.
Foundry Church was so filled that
before the services of the evening
commenced 1t was necessary to lock
the doors and refuse admission TO
hundreds of Methodists OF all
oh 81
to attend the service.
Not seat was to be had In the
church and hundreds of people stood
throughout the exercises. A special
musical program was provided by the
choir of Foundry Church.
The principal object cf the meeti ~
was to formulate a plan for the con-
structlon OF monument to Bishop
Asoury in Shis city. Francis Asbury
was me hrst of The Methodist bishops
ISIS t1 i country. He died March 81.
va, whiie on his way to attend a ses-
sion OF the Baltimore conference.
IN introducing President Wilson to the
audience last night. Bishop Earl Cram
sion referred to the work of Bishop
Asoury' and said that the Methodists
OF To-Day could not do better in greet
,hg the President of the United States
IMAM by repeating the words Of their
famous pioneer when he and his
brethren of the Methodist Church maid
.neir respects to George Washington i'm
~ ih after his election as President
blshop Cranston then read extracts
from Bishop Asbury's address to Wash
t,hhst9n which assured the President OF
dists in the President and the republic.
- bishop Asbury said he represented
lLVOo Methodists. Bishop Cranston said
the 1000. 900 Methodists OF this country
nnfN
bishop to their first President on this
occasion.
President Wilson Acknowledged the
ihhtrooucuon oy declaring that he could
thlnk OF no hitter way to respond to
such a greeting than by emulating the
example of President Washington, and
ne therefore read the reply which WASH
'nston made to the Asbury address.
Greeted With America"
The President arrived at the church
Just after the service began, and was
greeted by the singing OF America by
the audience.
he remained throughout the meeting,
Joining in the singing and the other ex-
ercises. He confined his address entire
ly to a discussion of the life OF Bishop
Asbury, and the effect of men of his
type on the lives of the people of his
time and OF future generations
Asbury was one OF those knight err
rants who go boldly forth to battle for
the glorihcation OF the soul as opposed
to the material welfare of the people.
Drawing all the dangers and the hard
ships of the pioneer days, the doughty
bishop carried such spiritual stimulation
mat ne oVercame all physical difficult
ties, the President declared.
whether or not a monument is erect
ed to Bishop Asbury In Washington is
OF little consequence, he declared. The
building OF monument Is only what
the people OF this generation do, he said
not what Bishop Asbury did to de-
The real monument to the man is the
memory of his work and the results
that have been attained by 1t. The mon
ument is what his followers add to his
itself. ''' '"'''
4 have very little patience with the
principle that the chief duty OF a man
In life is to cultivate his character, the
President said. That is a spirit OF
seltishness, because II means that the
chief duty Of man is to think about
That is the last person he ought ever
TO think about, believe that charac-
ter IL essentially a by-product. III YOU
try to make 1t directly, you make a
prig: but IL you do your duty to man
kind and your God. you make a char
acter. And. perhaps, we are relieved OF
some elements of disbursement by the
fact that the rush OF circumsta noes
Hlhheb IL seldom possible TO think about
ourselves and always necessary to think
about the duty Immediately in hand, be-
cause II that is we'll done the character
Will take care of itself"
Union of Branches.
Last nights exercises were attended
Jointly by the members of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, the Methodist EpIs-
copal Church. South. and the Methodist
Protestant Church.
The Rev. ]. r. Wheeler who was
ordained in 1853. offered the prayer al
the opening OF the service. and Bishop
7, s. Henderson, OF Chattanooga, Tenn.
delivered the first address
BISHOP Henderson's remarks were de-
voted to a review of the life OF Asbury
ana his accomplishments as shown In
what can be found in the MOUNTAIN
trails and remote regions today that
formed part OF the territory covered by
the pioneer pastor
secretary OF the Navy Daniels, who
IoHowed President Wilson, declared
Inst the best monument that could bt
erected to the memory OF Bishop AS.
wOnln ha he NnIy Inc 90