Methodism

Missions.

The British Foreign Missionary Societies working under the direction of the three Methodist Conferences have a record of expansion and success. The Wesleyan Missionary Soci ety has erected and equipped 12 colleges with 5,031 students, and also 36 high schools with 6,o68 scholars, in addition to 16 theo logical and normal training institutions for native preachers. Im portant medical, agricultural and industrial hospitals and schools have also been established in West Africa, South India and China.

These societies work in close co-operation with other branches of Christendom by adopting the apportionment of regions of mis sionary enterprise. They develop a missionary spirit among the native Christians and the creation of a native ministry.

Educational and Social.

The decline in the number of Sun day school teachers and scholars has given serious concern to the conferences. Efforts have therefore been made to increase the efficiency and the attractiveness of the Sunday schools, the work of which is not limited to Sunday, nor to school methods. The boy scouts, girl guides and life brigade movements, summer schools and Bible study circles supplement the work of the Sunday schools. The Wesley Guild and Christian Endeavour societies in British Methodism and the Epworth League in America are doing much to consolidate the work among young people.

In addition to a number of important educational institutions, the three British Methodist Churches have six theological colleges for training candidates for the ministry, which are being more and more brought into line with the curriculum of the various univer sities. In 1926 Oxford celebrated the bi-centenary of the election of John Wesley to a fellowship of Lincoln College, and to honour the occasion, conferred the degree of Doctor of Divinity upon the Rev. John H. Ritson, the president of the mother conference, a scholar and graduate of Balliol College, and the first Oxford man elected to the chair of John Wesley.

Another department of British Methodism is its home mission ary work in the villages and city centres. Wesleyan Methodism has its connectional and lay evangelists. Open air evangelistic

services are regularly held, and in many places the theatres and public halls are utilised for extra services. New central halls take the place of down-town churches.

The British Methodist churches have been impressed with the economic and social results which have followed prohibition (q.v.) in the United States. Each of the sections has an active temper ance and social welfare department. The three Churches have adopted a progressive temperance policy—first of local option, secondly, the complete extension of magisterial licensing authority to all political and social clubs, rich and poor alike ; and, thirdly, the entire Sunday closing of all drinking bars.

The Methodist Brotherhood works in unison with the Dominion agents in London, who assist emigrants to the United States, Canada, Australia and South Africa, arrange their passages, and secure them employment. The Brotherhood embraces all Method ist churches, and it has met with success in bringing the emigrant into touch with Methodism overseas.

Methodist Union.

Methodist union transcends in importance all other movements in Methodism at the present time, and it is probably fraught with more momentous issues to the churches con cerned than anything since the death of Wesley. A great impetus was given to this movement by the decennial gatherings of the Methodist Oecumenical Conference, which, instituted in 1881, meets alternately in London and America. It consists of delegates from all parts of the world, half of whom are ministers and half laymen. In 1913 the Wesleyan Methodist Conference appointed a committee to collect information on the subject of union. A final scheme of union was submitted to the yearly conference of the three Churches in 1925 and was adopted by a large majority.

When, on Sept. 20, 1932, the Wesleyan Methodists, Primitive Methodists, and the United Methodist Church combined to form the Methodist Church, all British Methodism was united except Calvinist Methodist or Presbyterian Church of Wales, The Count ess of Huntingdon's Connexion, The Independent Methodists, and The Wesleyan Reform Union.