Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1939-04-13
THE END OF THE NJ. r. AND
Nj. =. CHURCHES

| After American independence wa
secured from Great Britain, Metho
dism in America was like an infan
from which the parents had ru,
away Nearly all the English min
| listers had returned to England, no
| feeling at home in the colonies, dur
| ing the war. There was an impera
church. This, John Wesley tht
founder, realized, as he faced the in
evitable at the close of the war
He sent over Dr. Thomas Coke to or
,, ganize such church. This was done
at Baltimore, Dec. "a, 1884. 1t was
called 1.-The Christmas Conference.
This was the origin of the Methodist
Episcopal church, and it is now 155
years old.
The Methodist Protestant church
was organized in 1928. 1t sought
larger opportunity for the laymen
and representation for them in the
general conference, and less epis-
copal form of government. This de.
feet was remedied in the mother
church long ago, so there is no bar
rier now to keep the two churches
apart.
The Methodist Episcopal Church
South, was organized in 1845. In
the main slavery was the cause OF
tlc III dllu lAAo DC pal oCihSo
sue has been removed Slavery is
gone. The laymen have equal rep
lesentation in the mother church.
10th of the above mentioned church
es will now form a union with the
Methodist Episcopal church, making
new united church, to be called
"The Methodist Church
For about 70 years efforts have
been made to reunite. Each effort
vrysf1, fo;I h. In Cot I~A
ing in 1924, when the vote lost by a
very small margin. All three church
es have voted for reunion by very
large majority. The Southern Church
voted in May, 1898.
April 26, 1899, at Kansas City,
Missouri, 900 delegates will meet in
an uniting conference. There will
be 400 delegates from each of the
two Methodist churches, and 100
delegates from the Methodist Prot
estant church. OF the 900 delegates
uniting conference will be in session
about three weeks. 1t will take
some time to create or complete
one common discipline for the new
church. Then there will be the ed
ucational, missionary and benevo-
lent enterprises Of the church to be
harmonized. Hospitals, homes and
Q6dCOQoSS WOTK must De cOOFQludC-
ed. Years ago the three churches
united in one common ritual, with
one common hymnal.
The Methodist church will have
100000 members, and 100000
adherents This constituency is
made up from the Sunday schools,
the baptized children and the vast
number of interested folks who
naturally make the new church
their choice Parents sending their
children to church schools are count
ed as constituents.
1t is natural to ask how this new
union will affect our local churches.
All individual churches are expected
to carry on their work as before,
and at any further time, if one
church wishes to combine forces
with another church, it will be put
to vote in the two churches, and
they will make their own arrange
ments as to the common place of
worship, and the residence for the
common pastor, and for the disposi-
ton of other remaining properties.
One great general conference for
the united church will convene in
1910, or soon thereafter. April 23
has been set aside as day of COM
munion and prayer for all individual
societies of the new great united
church, to be called ''The Methodist
Church. DIR. H. H. Scott.