492 



METHODISTS. 



In the Indian Mission Conference there are 

 3,079 Indian members ; there are also 70 In- 

 dian members in the Holston Conference. To- 

 tal of Indian members, 3,149, an increase of 

 848 from 1868. There are 187 superannuated 

 preachers. The total number of members and 

 preachers is 571,241, showing a net increase of 

 26,172 from 1868. 



IV. THE COLORED METHODIST EPISCOPAL 

 CHUECH. The Colored Methodist Episcopal 

 Church in America was organized in a general 

 conference which met at Jackson, Tenn., De- 

 cember 16, 1870. It arose out of provisions 

 made by the General Conference of the Meth- 

 odist Episcopal Church, South, which met at 

 New Orleans in 1866; authorizing the organiza- 

 tion of the colored members of the Church 

 into congregations, districts, and annual con- 

 ferences, and ultimately into a general confer- 

 ence, with bishops of their own. At the time 

 of the meeting of the General Conference of 

 the Church, South, the bishops had organized 

 five colored conferences. The General Confer- 

 ence sanctioned the steps that had been taken, 

 and authorized the completion of the new or- 

 ganization. 



William Henry Mills and Richard H. Van- 

 denhorst were elected and ordained bishops. 

 Steps were taken to prepare a discipline and 

 hymn-book. The Christian Index, at Nash- 

 ville, Tenn., was adopted as the official organ 

 of the denomination. It was determined to 

 depend for general literature and Sunday- 

 School books on the publications of the book- 

 room of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. 

 A condition of membership was adopted which 

 excluded all whites. Nevertheless, the Rev. 



Dr. "Watson, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 

 South, was requested to art as editor of the 

 Index. It is understood that all other mem-' 

 bers of the church will be chosen from among 

 its own members. 



V. THE METHODIST PEOTESTANT CHURCH. 

 The Quadrennial General Conference of the 

 Methodist Protestant Church met at Baltimore, 

 on the 6th of May. The following are the 

 names of the conferences which were repre- 

 sented: Maryland, Virginia, Alabama, Texas, 

 South Carolina, Mississippi, "West Tennessee, 

 North Mississippi, North Arkansas, Holston, 

 Arkansas, Des Moines, McCaine, Missouri, 

 South Illinois, "Western Virginia, Georgia, Ten- 

 nessee, Illinois, and North Carolina. The Rev. 

 Thomas M. Eddy, D. D., and the Rev. John 

 Lanahan, D. D., were received as fraternal 

 " delegates from the Methodist Episcopal Church, 

 and presented the address of the committee of 

 that Church on reunion. The reply of the con- 

 ference suggested : 



As one step in the direction of this most desirable 

 consummation (reunion of the churches), the com- 

 mittee would recommend the appointment (wher- 

 ever it may be practicable) of fraternal messengers 

 from the General and Annual Conferences of the 

 various Methodist churches, to convey the Christian 

 salutations of the bodies they respectively represent, 

 and thus promote that mutual acquaintance, confi- 

 dence, and brotherly love, which are essential to moro 

 thorough and efficient cooperation. 



Another step would be, a recommendation, to the 

 editors of the periodicals published by the churches 

 respectively, to avoid irritating controversy, and the 

 misrepresentation of each other's history, motives, 

 and conduct ; a recommendation to the ministers to 

 arrange their respective plans of appointment, for or- 

 dinary and extraordinary religious services, so as to 

 avoid even the appearance of desiring to stand in 

 each other's way ; but, on the contrary, whenever it 

 is practicable, to render assistance in those labors of 

 love which, if successful, must inure to the benefit 

 of every Christian, inasmuch as souls are saved and 

 God is glorified ; and a recommendation, finally to 

 all the members of our respective churches to think 

 and speak charitably of the words and acts of each 

 other, remembering the precept of our Lord and 

 Saviour, " All things whatsoever ye would that men 

 should do to you, do ye even so to them." 



A third step would be, cooperation in the great 

 work of sending the Gospel to the heathen. Why 

 may not one foreign missionary organization serve 

 for all Methodism? ' Why should we go among the 

 heathen to distract them with our various polities 

 (neither of which may be adapted in all respects to 

 the heathen), when the great want of the perishing 

 is Christ and His salvation? The committee is not 

 prepared at this time to suggest a plan for carrying 

 out the idea, but, let it once receive the favorable 

 considerations of the churches, and the wisdom of 

 the churches will devise all the details for its success- 

 ful prosecution. 



The Rev. Alexander Clark, the Rev. Dr. 

 Brown, and the Rev. Dr. Collier, appeared as 

 fraternal messengers from the Methodist 

 Church, and spoke in favor of reunion. In 

 reply, the conference declared that, whenever 

 the conferences of this body should "see fit to 

 place themselves again under the discipline of 

 the Methodist Protestant Church," they would 

 be cordially received. 



