RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 99 



number of members than any other church. According to the 

 statistical table, contained in the minutes of their Convention 

 held in 1849, there were in Georgia: 



Associations, 56 



Churches, 1,105 



Church Members, 67,068 



Baptized last year, 5,732 



Gain of Convention Associations, 3,187 



Gain to Convention, 5,239 



Loss of Anti-Mission Associations, 322 



Gain of Neutral Associations, 1,183 



Gain of United Baptist Associations, 111 



Total gain in the State, 4,159 



Number of ordained Ministers, 583 



Number of Licentiates, 292 



Methodist Episcopal Church. — At the Conference of Vir- 

 ginia, held in 1786, a proposal was made for some preachers 

 to volunteer their services for the State of Georgia, and several 

 otfered themselves for this new field of labour. Two of those 

 who offered, Thomas Humphries and John Major, were ac- 

 cepted, and they went to their work and were made a blessing 

 to many. They formed a Circuit along the settlements on 

 the banks of the Savannah river, around by Little river, in- 

 cluding Washington. During this year they formed several 

 societies, containing upwards of 400 members. John Major, from 

 the plaintive style of his preaching, was called the " Weeping 

 Prophet." In 1799, George Clarke was sent to St. Mary's, in 

 Georgia. He did not, however, confine his labours to St. Mary's, 

 but travelled extensively in Glynn and Camden counties. In 

 this year, the first Methodist society was formed in Augusta, 

 under the direction of Stith Mead. In 1803, the number of 

 members in Georgia was greatly increased. Methodism was 

 established in Savannah in 1807. It is true, that as early as 

 1790, Hope Hull was sent to Savannah, and he preached a 

 few times in a chairmaker's shop belonging to Mr. Lowry ; 

 but such was the opposition manifested towards him, thai he 

 was assailed with mob violence, and his success was small. 

 He was followed in 1796 by Jonathan Jackson and Josiah 

 Randle, but they left the place without making any permanent 



