METHODISTS. 



456 



to ii|i[)niiit ii commission consisting of 8 

 bi>hops. ;! ministers, uiul 3 laymen, to have 

 in t i.nl'cr \vii li similiir commissions from 

 ntluT Methodist bodies upon the desirability of 

 fraternal eo-operation mid organic union. The, 

 bUhops were requested to invite other Methodist 

 to appoint similar commissions of con- 

 . A city evangelization union was pro- 

 vided for, to be composed of local organizations 

 doing evangelistic work in cities, tlie purpose of 

 wliidi is to promote harmony in their operations. 

 On the question of the course that should be 

 pursued toward converts in the foreign mission 

 lidds who have contracted polygamous mar- 

 riages previous to their conversion, the Confer- 

 resolved, 



That tlie Christian Church can in no case, directly or 



indirectly, make any compromise by tolerating the 



vile practice of polygamy [and that while missiona- 



to seek a peaceful and equitable adjustment 



of tlie complications of plural marriages], yet they 



are never to preach any other gospel than that which 



"lit every vice and implants every virtue, and 



then tore should never receive into pur communion 



any persons holding polygamous relations. 



The Conference advised all members of the 

 Church so to vote as to promote the rescue of 

 the country from the results of complicity with 

 the liquor traffic ; recorded its judgment that no 

 political party has a right to expect, or ought to 

 receive, the support of Christian men, 



"So long as it stands committed to the license policy, 

 or refuses to be put on record in an attitude of open hos- 

 tility to the saloon." While using this plain language, 

 tlie Conference resolved that its report should not De 

 construed as an indorsement of any political party. 



Provision was made for the formation of a per- 

 manent Committee on Temperance and Prohibi- 

 tion, and the organization of Christian Temper- 

 ance Leagues in the several churches. The 

 provisions of the Chinese Exclusion act were 

 condemned 



as inconsistent with international comity, in viola- 

 tion of the spirit, if not of the letter, of treaties be- 

 tivec-n China and the United States; unnecessary, if 

 not cruel ; contrary to the spirit of the genius of free 

 government ; at variance with the privileges accorded 

 to American citizens in China; and setting a prece- 

 dent that might prove inconvenient. 



A committee was appointed relative to participa- 

 tion in the contemplated religious exhibit at the 

 Columbian Exposition ; and Congress was urged 

 to make any grant of money to the Exposition 

 conditional on its being agreed in writing that 

 the same should be closed on Sunday. 



II. Methodist Episcopal Church, Smith. 

 The collections for the Board of Missions of this 

 Church, as reported at the annual meeting in 

 May, 1892, amounted to $129,507 for domestic 

 missions and $304,745 for foreign missions ; add- 

 ing to these sums the collections for the Woman's 

 Board, the whole amount would be brought up 

 to about $525,000. The obligations of the board 

 had been reduced by about $30,000, but it was 

 still embarrassed by its debt. The year had been 

 one of unusual success in all the mission fields. 

 Five new men had been sent to China, 5 to Japan, 

 3 to Brazil, and 2 to Mexico. The number of 

 missionaries and their wives in the foreign field 

 had increased in six years from 22 to 99. 



The Woman's Board of Missions, at its four- 

 teenth annual meeting, June 3. received reports 

 from 3,404 auxiliary and young people's and ju- 

 venile societies, having 30.1 1!) in* -mix-is. It had 

 received, in contributions made through the Con- 

 ference societies, $66,488, and had a balance of 

 $93,992. It supported 2!) nd-Monaries 9 in 

 China, 12 in Mexico, 8 in Bru/.il ; 3 teachers in 

 the Indian missions among the wild tribes, 10 

 assistant missionaries, and 7 native touchers in 

 Mexico; and 39 native mis.-ionari > and assist- 

 ants and 2 Bible women in China. Nine hun- 

 dred and thirty-five women and children were 

 under instruction in Mexico, 689 children in 

 China, and 215 pupils in 3 boarding schools in 

 Brazil. Many Chinese women had received 

 medical treatment in the hospital at Foo-Chau. 



The year's business in the Publishing House 

 at Nashville, Tenn., amounted to $339,884; $51,- 

 007 were added to the assets of the establishment, 

 while its total liabilities were $16,446, with cash 

 resources of $28,799. The assessments for the 

 support of the bishops and the wives of deceased 

 bishops amounted to $35,400, and $17,500 were 

 appropriated for Conference claimants. 



The number of Epworth Leagues returned in 

 May as connected with this Church was 524, 1 of 

 which was in Mexico and 1 in Japan. 



III. African Methodist Episcopal Church. 

 The nineteenth General Conference of the Af- 

 rican Methodist Episcopal Church met in Phila- 

 delphia, Pa., May 3, and was opened with an 

 address by Bishop Turner. The features in the 

 proceeding presenting the most interest were 

 those concerning the negotiations for union with 

 the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. 

 A preliminary consultation oh the subject had 

 already been had at a meeting of the bishops of 

 the two churches held in Washington, D. C., in 

 the fall of 1891. A joint commission, composed 

 of twelve members of each of the two bodies, met 

 in Harrisburg, Pa., during the session of the 

 Conference (May 20), and agreed upon a basis of 

 union. The chief point of difference related to 

 the name to be given to the united body. The 

 names " United Methodist Episcopal Church," 

 " African and Zion Methodist Episcopal Church," 

 " African Methodist Episcopal Church United," 

 " United African Zion Methodist Episcopal 

 Church," " Methodist Episcopal Church, United," 

 "African Zion Episcopal Methodist Church," 

 and " Negro Methodist Episcopal Church " were 

 proposed. The name " African Zion Methodist 

 Episcopal Church " was agreed upon, and incor- 

 porated in the plan adopted by the commission 

 to be presented to the two General Conferences. 

 This name was rejected by the African Metho- 

 dist Episcopal General Conference. The Con- 

 ference, however, in communicating its action to 

 the General Conference of the African Methodist 

 Episcopal Zion Church, intimated that it would 

 accept either the name "African MethodM Kpis- 

 copal and Zion Church," or "African Methodist 

 Episcopal and Methodist Episcopal Zion Church." 

 The bishops and General Conference of the Zion 

 Church replied, that while they preferred the 

 name proposed by the commission, they would 

 accept that of "African and Zion Methodist 

 Episcopal Church." This name was agreed to 

 by a nearly unanimous vote. Three new bishops 

 were elected, viz., the Rev. B. F. Lee, editor of 



