The new body had in 1846 upward of 455,000 members, including 125,000 negroes. It suffered much in common with other churches in the South during the Civil War, which was fought on territory occupied by it, its losses in mem bers, white, being 112,000 in the period 1860-66; but by 1869 these had more than been made Small separations (see CONGREGATIONAL ETHODISTS infra) have occurred since, but growth has been continuous and large, reaching 100 per cent in the 30 years ending with 1917, when there were 2,172,628 members, 7,530 itiner ant ministers, 1,745,233 scholars in Sunday school, 131,129 members of the Epworth League, 17,376 churches, valued at $63,824,000. It has prosperous home and foreign missions, a full equipment of educational institutions and. benevolent organizations. Since Vanderbilt University ceased to be accepted as an institu tion of the Church, two universities have been established, Emory, at Atlanta and Southwest ern, at Dallas, Texas. There are also numer ous colleges and other institutions for both sexes. The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, expended in 1917 a total of $1,336,000 on its home and foreign missions which are under one administration. Its foreign missions are in Mexico, Cuba, South America, China, Japan, Korea and Africa.
In doctrine, discipline and government the Church, South, does not differ, except in a few particulars, from the body from which it sepa rated. It gives its bishops a qualified veto over legislation they may deem unconstitutional, there is a limited lay representation in the annual conference, and probation for membership is not required. Appointments of ministers to the same charges is subject to limitation to a term of years, a restriction which the Northern body removed in 1896. A joint commission of 25 from each Church is endeavoring to agree (1918) upon a plan for a reunion of the two Churches, which promises ultimate success. The feeling in the Southern General Confer ence (Atlanta Ga., May 1918) resulted in a nearly unanimous vote to, continue the commis sion, but there was nothing in the action to remove the deadlock on the race question be tween the two Churches. The reunited Church would have nearly five and a half million mem bers. with more than 28,000 ministers and 48,000 churches. The plan also provides for a merging of colored bodies in a sectional con ference, with representation in the General Con ference, which is to unite all the sectional or regional conferences.
3. Methodist Protestant Church.— This body was created by a general convention held in No vember 1830, in Baltimore, of Methodist re formers, most of whom had been expelled or had withdrawn from the Methodist Episcopal Church. They had advocated reduction of the
power of bishops; the election of presiding elders, instead of appointment by the bishops; the admission of laymen to all conferences, and various other reforms. They had distinguished leaders, including Nicholas Snethen and Asa Shinn. The new body began its existence with 83 ministers and about 5,000 members, and grew for a time quite rapidly. It admitted laymen to the general and annual conferences, and sub stituted presidents, elected annually, for bishops, and arranged for the appointment of pastors by a stationing committee. The anti-slavery agita tion resulted in a division of this Church (1858) and the creation by the Northern con ferences of the Methodist Church. After the close of the war the two Churches were re united under the original title, which the South ern branch had retained. At the reunion in 1877 there were 116,542 members. The gains in the last 25 years have not been very large. There were in 1915 about 200,000 members, with 1,410 itinerant ministers, including women, and 2,400 churches. There are publishing houses at Baltimore and Pittsburgh, missionary and other denominational societies and educa tional institutions. Its foreign missions are in Japan, India and China, on which upward of $59,000 was expended in 1917.
4. Wesleyan Methodist Church.— Methodist ministers and members, mostly in the State of New York, who demanded the abolition of slavery and were opposed to secret societies, organized this body tit 1843. It refused to ad mit to membership persons connected with slavery or secret societies, and rejected the episcopacy. Within two years after its organi zation it had 15,000 members; but has grown little since, having in 1916 about 20,000, with 600 ministers and about as many churches. It has a publishing house at Syracuse, N. Y.
5. Free Methodist Church.—This body was organized in 1860 by a convention of ministers and laymen, some of whom had been expelled from the Genesee conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church as the result of agitation on subjects of doctrine and practice. Free Metho dists insist on non-conformity to the world, plain and simple living, oppose costly churches and emphasize the doctrine of sanctification. They have bishops, elected every four years. Their publishing house is in Chicago. The Church had in 1917 nearly 35,000 with 1,250 itinerant ministers and 1,17 churches. It has missions, home and foreign, and educational institutions. It raises nearly $125,000 a year for its foreign missions in China, India, Japan, Africa, the West Indies and Panama.