Methodist Episcopal Church, South

Methodist Episcopal Church, South
Name	Methodist Episcopal Church, South
Main classification	Methodist
Orientation	Protestantism
Polity	Episcopal polity
Founded date	1844
Founded place	Louisville, Kentucky
Separated from	Methodist Episcopal Church
Merged into	The Methodist Church (1939)
Area	Southern United States

Methodist Episcopal Church, South. It was a major Protestant denomination in the Southern United States formed in 1844 following a split with the northern Methodist Episcopal Church over the issue of slavery. The church maintained a distinct regional identity, supporting the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War and later enforcing racial segregation within its structures. It existed as a separate entity until 1939, when it reunited with the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Methodist Protestant Church to form The Methodist Church.

History

The immediate cause of the 1844 Methodist Episcopal Church split was the trial of James O. Andrew, a bishop who owned slaves through marriage. Following contentious debates at the General Conference in New York City, the Plan of Separation was adopted, leading to the formal organization of the new denomination at the Louisville, Kentucky convention in 1845. During the American Civil War, the church provided strong moral and material support to the Confederate States of America, with bishops like Holland N. McTyeire and George F. Pierce being vocal proponents. The post-Reconstruction era saw significant growth, with the church expanding its missionary work, notably in China and Brazil, and founding influential institutions like Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

Beliefs and practices

The church adhered to the core doctrines of Wesleyan-Arminian theology, as outlined in the Articles of Religion and the standard Sermons of John Wesley. It used the Discipline for governance and practice, which was nearly identical to that of the northern church except on matters pertaining to slavery. Worship services typically followed a formal pattern including hymn singing from the Methodist Hymnal, scripture readings, prayer, and preaching. The church emphasized Christian perfection and personal holiness, maintained the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, and held strongly to episcopal polity with a connectional system of annual conferences presided over by bishops.

Organization and structure

The highest legislative body was the General Conference, which met quadrennially and was composed of elected delegates from annual conferences across the South. The church was led by its bishops, including notable figures such as John C. Keener and Atticus G. Haygood, who were elected for life and assigned to oversee specific episcopal areas. Below the General Conference, the connectional structure included annual conferences, district conferences, and local charge conferences overseeing individual congregations or circuits. This system facilitated the administration of a vast network of churches, publishing houses like the Publishing House of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South in Nashville, Tennessee, and educational institutions such as Emory College in Georgia.

Separation and reunification

The Plan of Separation of 1844 legally divided the assets, including the Book Concern publishing operation, and the missionary societies of the original Methodist Episcopal Church. For nearly a century, the southern church operated independently, developing its own publishing, missionary, and educational enterprises. Movements toward reconciliation began in the late 19th century, culminating in the 1939 Uniting Conference held in Kansas City, Missouri. At this conference, delegates from the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, the Methodist Episcopal Church, and the Methodist Protestant Church adopted a Plan of Union, forming The Methodist Church. This reunion created the segregated Central Jurisdiction for African American congregations, a compromise demanded by the southern church.

Social and political stances

From its inception, the denomination defended the institution of slavery, citing biblical interpretations and principles of states' rights. After the Civil War, it became a primary defender of the Lost Cause of the Confederacy mythology and a proponent of racial segregation and Jim Crow laws. While promoting evangelism and temperance, its leadership, including bishops like Warren A. Candler, often opposed social gospel movements and labor union activism. The church's official publications, such as the Christian Advocate, consistently reflected and shaped conservative Southern social and political viewpoints well into the 20th century.

Legacy and influence

The church's institutional legacy is evident in numerous universities it founded, including Duke University, Southern Methodist University, and Emory University. Its insistence on the Central Jurisdiction during the 1939 merger institutionalized segregation within American Methodism for decades, a division not fully dismantled until the formation of the United Methodist Church in 1968. The denomination's history and theologies significantly shaped the conservative evangelical culture of the Sun Belt, influencing later denominations like the Southern Baptist Convention. Its archives and historical records are primarily held at institutions such as the Pitts Theology Library at Emory University and the United Methodist Archives Center in Madison, New Jersey.

Category:Methodist denominations in the United States Category:Christian organizations established in 1844 Category:Christian organizations disestablished in 1939