METHODISTS. 



491 



trichina to unite with us, tber shall be received on 

 giving Hatifctory eridence of belief in our articles 



. mi. I 'willingness to cuufunn to our di.t- 

 oiplin.-, r. misters CUM- .me grade an they 



lu I<1 in thi'ir own chun-li, according to the mode pre- 

 oribcii I'v their discipline. 



Tli. i<liii si'rivtary of tlio Mu-ioii 



!>on, gave tho following account 

 ot'tlic condition of tho missions of tlie Church. 



At tho commencement of the late rebellion this de- 

 nomination had 257 domestic missions, with 210 niin- 

 , and a membership of 43,376; also 248 colored 

 ;n, supplied by 'Ji>7 ministers, and a member- 

 ship t-l" 7''./J'U; also 25 Indian missions, with 80 

 native preachers, and 3 manual labor schools, with 

 uaenta ; also a large Gorman mission, number- 

 ini,' in membership 1,178, and u flourishing mission 

 ma. The effects of the war have paralyzed and 

 scattered nil tho.se institutions, and to-day they are 

 rocks. The secretary, however, took a hopeful 

 view of tho future, and recommended earnest effort 

 upon the part of the conference to resuscitate and 

 rebuild their waste places. 



I If. Methodist Protestants, American Wesley- 

 ans, and Primitive Methodists. A convention 

 of delegates from non-episcopal Methodist 

 bodies, called with reference to the question of 

 union, met in the Union Chapel, Cincinnati, on 

 May 9th. A large number of delegates were 

 present, representing the following ecclesias- 

 tical bodies: Muskingum, Pittsburg, Michigan, 

 Genesee, Ohio, North Illinois, North Iowa, 

 "\\Vteni Michigan, Pennsylvania, "West Vir- 

 ginia, Onondaga, Illinois, New York, Boston, 

 Wabash, and South Illinois Conferences of the 

 Methodist Protestant Church; Central Ohio, 

 New York, Iowa , Indiana, Miami, Michigan, 

 Rochester, Alleghany, and Syracuse Conferen- 

 ces of the Wesleyan Methodist Church ; Union 

 Chapel, (Cincinnati,) Independent Methodist 

 Church ; Union Church, Mount Vernon, Ohio; 

 I'nion Chapel Church, Livonia, Michigan ; In- 

 dependent Church, Sumpter, Michigan ; Church 

 of the New Testament, (Dn Stockton's,) Phil- 

 adelphia. The convention organized by elect- 

 ing Rev. S. A. Baker, of New York, president. 

 The following was adopted as a part of the con- 

 stitution : 



Sec. 1. The conditions required of those who ap- 

 ply for probationary membership in church are : 

 a desire to flee the wrath to come and be saved by 

 grace, through our Lord Jesus Christ, with an 

 avowed determination to walk in all the command- 

 ments otiiod blameless. 



Sec. 2. The churches shall have power to receive 

 members on profession of faith, or on certificate of 

 good standing in any other Christian church, pro- 

 vided that they are satisfied with the Christian ex- 

 perience of the candidate. 



Sec. 3. Every church shall have the right to hold 

 and control its own property, and manage its own 

 financial affairs, independent of all associated rela- 

 r bodies. 



See. 4. Any church agreeing to conform to our 

 book of discipline and means of grace may, on ap- 

 plication to the president of a yearly conference, to 

 mi older or pastor, or to a quarterly conference, be 

 d as a member of this oody. 



See. 5. It is expected of all churches, as a condi- 

 Hon of remaining connected with the general body, 

 that they continue to conform with the constitution 

 and tho essential regulations contained in its book 

 of discipline. 



Tho Convention, by a vote of 109 yea* to 21 

 nays, adopted for the now organization the 

 name "Methodist Church." A resolution re- 

 ing secret societies condemning the same 

 presented in behalf of two members from tho 

 \\.-leyan Alleghany Conference, was laid on 

 the table by 46 to 29 votes. 



The General Conference of the MethodNt 

 Protestant Church met at Alleghany city, 

 Pennsylvania, on Wednesday, November 14th, 

 and adjourned on the evening of the twenty- 

 second. Rev. John Scott, D. D., presided. 

 The important action of the session was the 

 adoption of the constitution as adopted by tho 

 convention in Cincinnati, and of the discipline 

 prepared by the committee there appointed, as 

 amended by this convention, to take effect im- 

 mediately upon its adjournment, and the change 

 of name of the denomination from Methodist 

 Protestant to "The Methodist Church," by 

 which it will hereafter be known. This action 

 is an important step toward the union of non- 

 episcopal Methodist bodies, and a resolution 

 was passed that all independent churches, who 

 were such at the time of the Cincinnati Con- 

 vention, numbering fifty members, and also all 

 union members of churches in conferences 

 which have taken action adverse to union, who 

 may associate themselves together to the num- 

 pf three hundred, shall be entitled to one min- 

 ister and one layman as representatives of said 

 church or association in the General Convention 

 in Cleveland in May next. The Methodist Pro- 

 testant, published at Springfield, Ohio, as the 

 organ of the Church of the same name, has, 

 since the union of the Methodist Protestants 

 with the "Wesleyans and Independent Metho- 

 dists, under the simple name of " The Methodist 

 Church," changed its title to " The Methodist 

 Recorder." The several general Church boards, 

 elected by the General Conference, are located 

 as follows: the Board of Publication and the 

 Board of Missions are located in Springfield, 

 Ohio. The Board of Ministerial Education is 

 located at Pittsburg. The Board of Trustees 

 of the Collegiate Association has its executive 

 committee located at Adrian, Michigan. 



The " American Wesleyans " were greatly di- 

 vided on the question of a union with the Meth- 

 odist Protestants. A majority of tho conference* 

 declared against the union. Of those who op- 

 posed this union, many, including some of tho 

 most prominent men of the Church, declared in 

 favor of a return to the Methodist Episcopal 

 Church. The southern branch of the Methodist 

 Protestant Church is tending toward the Meth- 

 odist Episcopal Church South. 



The 22d annual conference of the " Primi- 

 tive Methodist Church " of the United States was 

 held in New Diggings, Lafayette County, "\Vk. 

 on the 17th of June. Thomas Leckley pre- 

 sided, and Rev. J. Sharp officiated as secretary. 

 The subject of union with other non-episco- 

 pal Methodists was considered, and the follow- 

 ing resolution adopted : 



That we favor all means and measures to consult* 



