[Magdalen] Spiltsville.

[Michael Bishop]

Roger is right. In UK this still applied in the 1970's when I served as 
assistant curate in a large mining "village" in Nottinghamshire. One the 
High Street there were Methodist Chapels literally opposite each other. 
When one of the chapels was closed because of major building problems, 
some of the congregation took to meeting in each other's homes rather 
than go to the "other" chapel - and that was despite the fact that for 
years they had had the same minister and shared lay preachers.

God bless

.....
.....
Michael Bishop
rev at michaelbishop.name

On 06/01/2020 4:56 pm, Roger Stokes via Magdalen wrote:
> David,
>
> Do you know if there were any similarities in "churchmanship" between 
> the three strands of Methodism in the US and the three in the UK which 
> came together in 1932? Race and slavery were not such an issue over 
> here in the Old Country but it was not unusual to have two Methodist 
> chapels literally across the road from each other. I recall when 
> visiting Cornwall as a child that each village generally two chapels, 
> each capable of holding the entire population. Some villages also had 
> a (smaller) Church of England church.
>
> Over here the main branches were the Wesleyans, the Primitive and the 
> Bible Christians. I think neither of the others liked how "high" the 
> Wesleyans were and preferred a "hell fire and brimstone" approach with 
> more influence on lay ministry. There were also historic personal 
> links with the Calvinistic Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion and 
> there are still some Independent Methodist Churches. Christians can be 
> so fissiparous when they organize.
>
> Roger
>
> On 06/01/2020 15:25, cantor03--- via Magdalen wrote:
>> The three USA main divisions of Methodism joined together in 1939
>> to form the Methodist Church (USA).  They had split into the 
>> threegroups secondary to the slavery issue and the role of the laity, 
>> duringthe 19th century.
>>
>> My Aunt Lulu, a sort of "professional Methodist," was a delegate to 
>> theUniting Conference , and regarded the public signing of the 
>> articles of unionby a Methodist bishop from each uniting group as one 
>> of the formative eventsof her life.  I still have her special 
>> Conference Methodist Hymnal embossedwith her name as a delegate, in 
>> my library.
>>
>> Aunt Lulu would be unhappy that the Methodist denomination (USA) is 
>> beingrent asunder by the divisive issue of marriage and ordination of 
>> GLBT persons.The split is heavily geographic with the North USA being 
>> liberal and pro
>> inclusion of GLBT marriages and ordinations, and the South USA
>> conservative on those issues.
>>
>> I don't know any conservative Methodists, and those I do know are 
>> really quiteopen to complete acceptance of GLBT persons, so this 
>> division surprisesme.
>>
>> I have the feeling that the USA Methodists are setting themselves up 
>> for yet
>> another "Uniting Conference" (maybe in 2039?)
>>
>> David Strang.
>
>