552 



METHODISTS. 



49; officers and teachers, 336; Sunday-School 

 scholars, 2,425. Subsequent reports from this 

 conference announced a rapid growth by the 

 accession of other pastors and people in East 

 Tennessee and Western North Carolina. 



A second Annual Conference in connection 

 with the Methodist Episcopal Church was or- 

 ganized in the South by Bishop Thomson, at 

 New Orleans, December 25, 1865, Tinder the 

 name, "The Mississippi Mission Conference." 

 The Conference reported the following statistics : 

 members, 2,216; probationers, 476 ; deaths, 64; 

 local preachers, 13; baptisms, adults, 145; in- 

 fants, 272 ; number of churches, 5 ; value of 

 church property, $47,000; Sunday-Schools, 9; 

 officers and teachers, 95 ; scholars, 1,386 ; vol- 

 umes in library, 1,476. The bounds of the Con- 

 ference embrace the States of Louisiana, Mis- 

 sissippi, and Texas. The great majority of its 

 members are colored. The Conference con- 

 cluded to establish at once a Biblical Institute 

 (" Thomson Biblical Institute ") and a weekly 

 organ (" N. O. Advocate "). 



The missions in the other Southern States 

 were, for convenience of administration, distrib- 

 uted by the General Missionary Committee at 

 its meeting held in November, 18G5, into the 

 three following departments : Middle Depart- 

 ment, including so much of the State of Ten- 

 nessee as is not comprised in the Ilolston Con- 

 ference, the State of Alabama and Western 

 Georgia-; Southern Department, including the 

 State of Florida, Eastern Georgia, and the State 

 of South Carolina ; Northern Department, in- 

 cluding Eastern North Carolina, and so much 

 of Virginia as is not included in the Baltimore 

 Conference. 



While thus the Church received considerable 

 accessions in Tennessee, Louisiana, and other 

 States, she lost part of an Annual Conference in 

 Virginia and Maryland. Those ministers of the 

 Baltimore Conference who are stationed in Vir- 

 ginia, with many of those stationed in Mary- 

 land, showed a tendency toward secession from 

 their Church when the General Conference of 

 1860 adopted a stricter antislavery rule. They 

 refused, however, to join the Southern Method- 

 ist Church* and kept up throughout the war a 

 separate organization. At their meeting held 

 at Staunton, Va., on June 29 and 30, 1805, 

 they resolved not only to continue their sepa- 

 rate organization, but, still regarding themselves 

 as the Baltimore Conference of the Methodist 

 Episcopal Church, to reoccupy gradually the 

 entire territory of the Baltimore Conference in 

 Maryland. In February, 18G6, at the meeting 

 held in Alexandria, they passed a resolution to 

 join the Southern Methodist Church, and they 

 were consequently received into that body by 

 Bishop Early. As the churches and parsonages 

 within the bounds of the Baltimore Conference 

 are all deeded to the "Methodist Episcopal 

 Church," an order from the President of the 

 United States restored all the churches and par- 

 sonages within the bounds of the Baltimore An- 

 nual Conference, embraced in the State of Vir- 



ginia, to the Methodist Episcopal Church of the 

 United States, held by said Church prior to 

 1861. This order further states that such pos- 

 session shall be valid until the civil courts shall 

 have determined in whom the legal title vests. 

 At the end of the war the Southern Methodist 

 Church was in a greatly disorganized condition. 

 Many of the churches were without pastors, or 

 closed by the Government, or transferred, tem- 

 porarily, to the missionaries of the Methodist 

 Episcopal Church. The Book-Concern in Nash- 

 ville had likewise been closed by the Govern- 

 ment, and all the papers of the Church had 

 been discontinued. Some, both North and 

 South, expressed a desire or expectation that 

 new efforts might be made for a reunion of the 

 " Methodist Episcopal Church South " with the 

 " Methodist Episcopal Church." But the South- 

 ern Church soon declared itself almost unani- 

 mously against reunion, and in favor of continu- 

 ing an independent organization. On August 

 17th three of the Southern bishops Andrew, 

 Paine, and Pierre met at Columbus, Ga., and 

 from there issued a " Pastoral Letter " to " The 

 Preachers and Members of the Methodist Epis- 

 copal Church South," in which they at length 

 defined the position which the Southern Church 

 occupied with regard to the Methodist Episco- 

 pal Church, the negro race, the slavery ques- 

 tion, and the Government of the United* States. 

 Of the relation of the Church to the negroes, 

 they speak as follows : 



In the change from slaves io freedmen which has 

 providentially befallen the negroes of the Southern 

 States, our obligations toproniote their spiritual wel- 

 fare have not ceased. We are still debtor to them 

 free, as before to them bond. Under the divine 

 blessing, our Chuvh has done a great work for this 

 people. Their moral training, and generally diffused 

 knowledge of the cardinal truths of Christianity, and 

 their ecclesiastical discipline, have justly won the ad- 

 miration of many who have lately come in contact 

 and acquaintance with them. It has accomplished 

 more ; it has materially contributed to their subordi- 

 nation and inoffensive behavior through the late de- 

 fenceless and exciting times, when prophecies were 

 confident and opportunities frequent for domestic in- 

 surrections. And their safe though sudden passage 

 from a state of bondage to liberty, a transition ac- 

 companied by no violence or tumult on their part, is 

 largely due to these causes. 



Though often reviled while prosecuting the evan- 

 gelization of the colored people by those who claimed 

 to be their bettor friends, the Southern Methodists 

 have persevered in it, with blessed results. We 

 might have done more, but we should be thankful to 

 the grace of God that we have not done less. Our 

 labor has not been in vain in the Lord. Multitudes 

 have been saved, who will be our crown of glory in 

 "that day." And that the good effects of our relig- 

 ious teachings bestowed upon them in bondage will 

 follow the race into their new condition, and help to 



Erepare them for it, is matter of pleasing reflection 

 >r us. Our numerous membership among them of 

 over two hundred and forty thousand, exclusive of 

 the congregations and catechumens who receive in- 

 structions from our pastors and missionaries, has 

 been much reduced by recent changes and casual- 

 ties. If it be still further reduced, we need not be 

 surprised. Defections, doubtless, will take place from 

 their ranks to churches offering greater social induce- 

 ments for their adhesion* .If they elect to leave us, 

 let them go with the assurance that as heretofore we 



