490 



METHODISTS. 



Upper Iowa University Fayette, Iowa. 



Wesleyan University Middletown, Conn. 



Wallamet University Salem, Oregon. 



Baker Theological Institute... Charleston, S. C. 



Garrett Biblical Institute Evanston, Illinois. 



Methodist General Bib. Inst. . .Concord, N. H. 

 Mission Theological Institute. Bremen, Germany. 

 Thomson Biblical Institute. . . .New Orleans, La. 



The year 1866, the centenary of American 

 Methodism, was celebrated throughout the Uni- 

 ted States by special services, by largely atten- 

 ded special meetings, and by contributions for 

 the general centenary funds. As far as re- 

 turned up to the close of the year, the contri- 

 butions reached the sum of about four million 

 dollars. The marvellous progress of the Church 

 during the first century of its existence in the 

 United States from decade to decade, is exhib- 

 ited by the following table : 



II. Methodist Episcopal Church South. This 

 Church, which at the beginning of the late civil 

 war numbered about 700,000, lost during the 

 war, and in consequence of the abolition of 

 slavery, at least one-half of the colored mem- 

 bers. The first general conference since the 

 beginning of the war, was opened at New Or- 

 leans on the 4th of April and lasted one month. 

 The conference made numerous changes in the 

 discipline, some of them merely verbal. The 

 most important action was the following : the 

 election of four additional bishops, making ten 

 in all. Three of these, Bishops Soul6, Andrew, 

 and Early, were made supernumerary. The 

 work was divided into seven episcopal districts, 

 each bishop to be supported by the churches in 

 the district over which he has supervision. The 

 name of the Church was changed from u Metho- 

 dist Episcopal Church South," to "Episcopal 

 Methodist Church." This change, to be effective, 

 must obtain the concurrence of a majority of 

 all the members of the annual conferences .pres- 

 ent and voting on the question. The attendance 

 upon class-meetings was made a privilege in- 

 stead of a duty. The rule on the reception of 

 members was changed, so as to do away with 

 the preliminary relation of probation. The 

 stewards of churches were allowed to estimate 

 the pastors' salaries without any reference to 



* By the withdrawal and separation of Southern Confer- 

 ences in 1844, organizing the Methodist Episcopal Church 

 South, the Methodist Episcopal Church lost 1,345 travelling 

 preachers, and 495,288 members, and yet so rapid was her 

 prowth during the decade, that at its close (two years after 

 the separation) there was a net gain of 654 preachers, and a 

 lack of only 5,874 members of making up the number lost. 



amounts named in the discipline. Provisior 

 was made for monthly inquiry meetings, de- 

 signed to examine the spiritual and financial 

 condition of the charges. The Missionary So- 

 ciety was divided into two boards, foreign and 

 domestic, and Baltimore designated as the head- 

 quarters of the former, and Nashville that of 

 the latter. Several new annual conferences 

 were organized (the whole number will now be 

 twenty- seven), and the organization of several 

 others authorized. The limit of the pastoral 

 term was extended to four instead of two years. 

 It was resolved to introduce lay representation 

 into the annual and general conferences, but 

 this change requires the concurrence of three- 

 fourths of all the members of the annual con- 

 ferences present and voting on the question. 



The next session of the General Conference 

 is to be held in Memphis, Tennessee, on the 

 first Wednesday of May, 1870. 



The chapter of the discipline regulating the 

 relation of the Church to colored people, was so 

 changed as to read as follows : 



Question. What shall be done to promote the inter- 

 ests of the colored people? 



Answer 1. Let our colored members be organized 

 as separate pastoral charges wherever they prefer it 

 and their number may justify it. 



Ans. 2. Let each pastoral charge of colored mem- 

 bers have its own quarterly conferences composed 

 of official members, as provided in the discipline . 



Ans. 3. Let colored persons be licensed to preach, 

 and ordained deacons and elders, according to the 

 discipline, when, in the judgment of the conferences 

 having jurisdiction in the case, they are deemed suit- 

 able persons for said office and orders in the min- 

 istry. 



Ans. 4. The bishop may form a district of colored 

 charges and appoint to it a colored presiding elder 

 when, in his judgment, the religious interests of the 

 colored people require it. 



Ans. 5. When it is judged advisable by the college 

 of bishops, an annual conference of colored persons 

 may be organized, to be presided over by some one 

 of our bishops. 



Ans. 6. When two or more annual conferences 

 shall be formed, let our bishops advise and assist 

 them in organizing a separate general conference 

 jurisdiction for themselves, if they do so desire it, 

 and the bishops deem it expedient, in accordance 

 with the doctrines and discipline of our Church, and 

 having the same relation to this general conference 

 as the annual conferences have to each other. 



Am,. 7. Let special attention be given to Sunday- 

 schools among the colored people. 



The committee on correspondence with other 

 churches submitted their report, which was 

 adopted as follows: 



Resolved, 1. That the Methodist Episcopal Church 

 South stands this day, as she always has stood, ready 

 and willing to consider with Christian candor any un- 

 equivocal and Scriptural overtures for sympathy and 

 fellowship which may be tendered her by any body 

 of Christians in their general representative ca- 

 pacity. 



2. That the General Conference most warmly re- 

 ciprocates the fraternal greetings and expressions of 

 Christian confidence from the Christian Union of 

 Illinois by their representative, J. Deitzler. 



3. That one bishop, and brother J. H. Lynn, be ap- 

 pointed fraternal messengers from this body to at- 

 tend the annual council of the Christian Union. 



4. That, should there be any Church or association 



