The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1924-07-11
THE PLAN TO UNITE THE
FORCES OF METHODISM
History and Aims of Great Movement Set
Forth By One Who Has Always Been /,
Its Earnest Advocate
BY REV. N. il. d. WILSON. DID.

BY REV. N. il. ID. WILSON. DID.
Many Of your readers will be In.
terested In the efforts now being
made to bring together the Metho-
dist Episcopal Church tNorth
MethodlsD with It's 100000 mem
bcrs aud the Methodist Episcopal
Church. South (SOuthcrn Mctho-
dist with IT, 900. 900 members. As
many of the Methodist Protestant
leaders have expressed desire for
the union of their church. the third
largest Methodist Church In America
with the reunited Church. there Is
good ground for hope that II the two.
Episcopal Methodisms reunite 1t
will mean practically the reunion
Of all Of American Methodism. r
The split In the original Metho-
dist Episcopal Church was brought
about In 1874 by slavery. The divid-
Ing chasm was deepened and widen
ed by the increasing bitterness be.
tween the two sections over this
issue which marked the period from
1914 to 1850. Then came the war
with It's terrible accompaniment OF
hate. 1t left the two churches alien
ated and embittered. And II had
produced the two greatest obstacles
to any future union. During the
war the Northern church had taken
into its membership large number
or negroes and 1t had pursued
policy of "disintegrition and alb
sorptiOn" wherever II could find op.
p0rtunity and had established IL.
self in many centers throughout the
South. These two facts accentuat-
ed the bitterness and produced al
most insuperable obstacles to or.
ganic union.
But despite wounds created by
fratricidal war and difficulties from
developments which arose out Of
sectional bitterness Of that period,
the war was scarcely over before
the two churches began TO draw to.
gether. Fraternal relations Were
established early in tl,s seysgties.
Efforts 70 avoid local friction were
frequent though largely vain. Go.
operation was begun In foreign
lands. Worldwide Mcthodism met
in Ecumcnical Conference. Tho
two churches agreed on common
order OF worship. common catech.
ism and q common bymDal. And
the essential unity of the two
churches was emphasized by the In
creased similarity Of legislation and
organization.
Plan to United Begun In 1911
The effort to bring about organic
union bcgiln In 1911. Roth church.
es declared themselves heartily In
favor if u plan could bc discovered
which would DO just tO each, and
wise. Commissions consisting OF
twenty five from each church. the
ablest men of both. were appoint.
ed and re.appOintcd Ia find such a
plan. But every effort seemed but
to bring out the difficulties. Many
of the best on both sides were Satu.
rated with the prcjudiccs produced
by years Of conflict. The negroes,
100000 strong. were In the Mciho-
dist Episcopal Church and would
not consent TO be set of 10 them
selves. That church was legally I'm.
able and sentimcntally unwilling ~
force them out. On the other hand
the Southern church, sensitive about
anything which woud look toward
social equality. and warned by civil
politics of danger OF u united negro
"blOc." was unwilling To enter any
union which would leave the negro
on an equality with the whites.
Then. scattered through the church
es Of the Northern Methodist Church
In the South were many whose
prejudices would not permit them
willingly to enter any form of union
which would put them 'at the mcr.
cy" Of the Southern Methodists.
The same was true Of the scattered
Southern MethodistS In the North.
On these two rocks all progress
broke.
Present Plan Suggested In 1923
But the churches, though dis
courased. continued to seek and 10
pray. Finally In 1923 the present
plan was suggested by one Of th'
Continued on page TwO)