METHODISTS. 



491 



III. METHODIST EPISCOPAL CIICBCH, SOUTH. 

 The M.xih <n in -nil CoQtbronco was hold at 

 Mi-lupins, Tenn., commencing on the 4th of 

 1870. It was composed of 240 delegates, 

 on. halt' of whom were laymen, and the other 

 halt preachers. On the llth of May, Bishop 

 Janes and the Rev. William L. Harris, as tho 

 -;ontatives of a committee appomted by 

 tho (ienorol Conference of the Methodist Epis- 

 copal Church, appeared before the General 

 Coiilorence with tho following address, on tho 

 subject of tho reunion of tho two Churches : 



To the Bishop and Central Conference of the MtthodM 



EiA*copal ChvrcA, South, in General Conference auetn- 



l,i, I .- 



DKAB BRETHREN : By tho action and authority of 

 iii-rul Conference of tho Methodist Episcopal 

 Church, held in Chicago, in May, 1868. the under- 

 niv'!U'<l were appointed a commission, in behalf of 

 said Church, to treat with a similar commission 

 from any other Methodist Church on the subject of 

 union. The bishops of the Methodist Episcopal 

 Church, who also constitute a part of this commis- 

 sion, in May, 1869, communicated to the bishops of 

 tho Methodist Episcopal Church, South, the fact 

 that this commission had been appointed, and ex- 

 pressed to them the conviction that the commission 

 would bo happy to meet a similar one from the 

 Methodist Episcopal Church, South, for the purpose 

 contemplated in its appointment. At a meeting of 

 this commission, held in Philadelphia, November 

 23, 1869, a resolution was adopted unanimously, 

 approving the aforesaid action of the bishops. 

 Nevertheless. the commission, as such, and as con- 

 stituted by the General Conference, being desirous 

 of discharging its duties in the fullest and most 

 acceptable manner^ deemed it proper to make a 

 further communication on this subject addressed to 

 the bishops and General Conference of the Meth- 

 odist Episcopal Church, South, to meet at Memphis, 

 May, 1870. 



The fact that the General Conference of tho Meth- 

 odist Episcopal Church appointed this commission 

 shows that, in the judgment of that body, there are 

 now no sufficient reasons why a union may not bo 

 effected on terms equally honorable to all ; and that 

 the realization of such union is very important and 

 desirable. Hoping that you may see this subject 

 in the same light, and that it may be your pleasure 

 to appoint a similar commission, to confer with us 



Erevious to the meeting of our next General Con- 

 jrencOj in 1872 ; and praying that you may be pros- 

 pered in all that pertains to the welfare or the 

 Christian Church, and desiring your prayers on be- 

 half of the Church we represent, that we may share 

 a like prosperity, we are, dear brethren, yours in 

 Christ Jesus, 



E. S. JANES. 



M. SIMPSON, 



D. W. CLAKK, 



L. HITCHCOCK, 



J. McCLINTOCK, 



J. G. BRUCE, 



J. PIKE. 



L. SCOTT. 

 E. R. AMES, 

 E. THOMSON, 

 D. CURRY, 

 J. LANAHAN, 

 T. EDDY, 

 W. L. HARRIS, 



. . . 



PHILADELPHIA, November 23, 1869. 



In reply the Conference adopted tho follow- 

 ing resolutions unanimously : 



Retolved, That we gratefully recognize that Provi- 

 dence which has guided us, multiplied us, strength- 

 ened our homes, preserved our integrity as a Church 

 of Jesus Chriat under trying conditions, both of 

 war and peace. We earnestly desire to cultivate 

 true Christian fellowship with every other branch of 

 the Christian Church, and especially with our breth- 

 ren of tho several branches "of Methodism in this 

 country and Europe. 



JtuolvtJ, That tho action of our bUhops at the but 

 annual meeting at St. Louis, in response t-. the mei- 

 from the' hiithopN of the Methodint Episcopal 

 , hoi tho full indorsement of this General 

 cnce, and accurately define* our position with 

 r. i. ixnce to any overture* which may proceed from 

 that Church having in them proper official recogni- 

 tion of this body, and that the distinguished com- 

 mission now present of the General Conference of 

 tho Methodist Episcopal Church, which met at Chi- 

 cago in 1868, appointed by them for the specific pur- 

 pose expressed in tho following resolution namely, 

 " Jtetolced, That the commission ordered by tno 

 General Conference to confer with a like commission 

 from the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church 

 to arrange for a union of that body with our own, bo 

 also empowered to treat with a similar commission 

 from any other Methodist Church that may desire a 

 union" cannot, in our judgment, without great vio- 

 lence in construing tho language of said resolution, 

 be reputed as having been constituted by that Gen- 

 eral Conference a commission to mak ) proposals of 

 union to tho General Conference of the Methodist 

 Episcopal Church, South. 



Jtesotved, Moreover, that if this distinguished com- 

 mission were fully clothed with authority to treat 

 with us for union, it is the judgment of this Confer- 

 ence that the true interests ofthe Church of Christ 

 require and demand the maintenance of our separate 

 distinct organizations. 



Resolved, That we tender to the Rev. Bishop E. S. 

 Janes and the Rev. W. L. Harris, the leaders of the 

 commission now present with us, our regard as 

 brethren loved in the Lord, and express our sincere 

 desire that tho day may soon come when, with a 

 proper Christian sentiment, fraternal relations be- 

 tween the two great branches of Northern and South- 

 ern Methodism shall bo permanently established. 



The foreign and domestic missions were 

 consolidated into one board, to be composed 

 of the bishops and one member for each con- 

 ference. The principal mission is among the 

 Indians. A very favorable report was ren- 

 dered from it. The Indians are represented as 

 being in a better condition than before the 

 war. 



In reply to a fraternal address from the Gen- 

 eral Conference of the Methodist Protestant 

 Church, the Conference expressed the belief 

 that " the recent efforts made by the authori- 

 ties of our respective churches, to effect an 

 organic union between these two members of 

 the great Methodist family of this country, 

 have not been entirely fruitless, and we hope 

 the day may not be far distant when this 

 bread cast upon the waters may be gathered 

 in a complete organic unity of these two 

 branches of Christ's Chnrch, on a basis alike 

 agreeable to both parties, already one in sym- 

 pathy and doctrine, and nearly so in polity." 



A memorial was presented from twelve 

 colored ministers of different annual confer- 

 ences, asking that a colored General Confer- 

 ence be formed, connected with and depend- 

 ent on this body. The bishops had already 

 organized a number of colored annual con- 

 ferences, and intended, unless otherwise ad- 

 vised by the General Conference, to call a 

 colored General Conference in tho winter. 

 Their course was approved. 



The statistics of the Methodist Episcopal 

 Church in 1869 were as follows : 



