Show The Growth of Mehodism I am on my way to take up residence resi-dence in Chattanooga said Bishop Goodsell of the Methodist Episcopal church to a Washington Post reporter I was assigned there some time ago I but had to go to Europe in the Interest I Inter-est of the church and so during the i last two years my time has been spent I abroad I may interest your readers to know that the Methodist Episcopal church has nearly 60000 communicants in Europe 300 preachers and over 2 000000 worth of property We have congregations from Bulgaria to Ham merfest and support several churches beyond the arctic circle The church is strongest in membership in Germany Ger-many and Sweden comes next Its growth in Europe started about 30 years ago and in these 30 years the church has made a progress equal to its advancement in the first three decades dec-ades of its existence in the United States On the continent it began to grow chiefly through the efforts of those who had migrated to America learned to like the church here and believing in I returned to their old homes to establish es-tablish it over there I seems to meet the needs of our friends across the prospering water and is constantly growing and Is there any hope bishop for a reunion re-union of the two wings of the church in this country I sincerely believe that reunion will take place in time I know that the i Methodist Episcopal church will gladly I extend the welcoming hand to our Ii brethren in the south and that the daily prayer of must of us is that the coming together will speedily be effected ef-fected That there are numerous difficulties dif-ficulties in the way must be admitted ad-mitted but in time I think all obstacles ob-stacles will be removed One possible bar to this consummation is that the I united church will be such a colossal affair that single organization may be difficult Think of a church with a I membership of 5000000 and 25000 preachers I would be almost too huge for successful management I |