Founded in 1889, the Epworth League is a Methodist young adult association for people aged 18 to 35. It had its beginning in Cleveland, Ohio, at its Central Methodist Church on May 14 and 15, 1889. There was also a Colored Epworth League.[1]
Before then, as many as five young people's organizations existed in the Methodist Episcopal church, such as the Methodist Alliance, claiming 20,000 members in 1883; the Oxford League, organized at the Methodist Centennial Conference with a large chapter at Central Methodist Church; and the Young People's Christian League.[2]
After discussions of a merger into a single body, 27 persons gathered at Central Methodist to form the Epworth League and adopted a modified version of the constitution of the Oxford League and the motto of the Young People's Christian League, "Look Up, Lift Up." The league, which soon spread worldwide, divided its social service into six departments: Spiritual Life, Social Work, Literary Work, Correspondence, Mercy and Help, and Finance. Local chapters organized Fresh Air Work (day camps for city children), literary events, lecture series, and fellowship gatherings.[2]
At its conception, the purpose of the League was the promotion of intelligent and vital piety among the young people of the Church:
To encourage and cultivate Christ-centered character in young adults around the world through community building, missions, and spiritual growth.
Within 10 years of its founding, the League claimed over 1.75 million members in 19,500 chapters internationally.[2] The League existed in both the Northern and Southern branches of the Methodist Episcopal denomination and also in the Methodist Church of Canada. The headquarters of the Northern League was in Chicago and its organ was the Epworth Herald. The organ of the Southern branch was the Epworth Era, published monthly at Nashville, Tenn.[3]
The membership of the Senior branch in the Methodist Episcopal Church North in 1913 was 593,465, and of the junior branch 218,509.[4] In the Methodist Episcopal Church, South there were 3846 chapters of the league, with 133,797 members.
Modern era
The original Epworth League existed from 1889 to 1939. After denominational mergers among Methodists in the 1930s, the Epworth League became known as the Methodist Youth Fellowship; it survived in 1994 as the United Methodist Youth Fellowship.[2]
Publications
Bacon and Northrup, Young People's Societies (New York, 1900)
The Methodist Year Book
Dan B. Brummett, Epworth League Methods (New York, 1906)
In popular culture
In The Music Man, set in 1912 Iowa, teenager Zaneeta Shinn declines a date because "it's Epworth League night".
In All the King's Men, by Robert Penn Warren, the protagonist describes the blandness of the column he is hired to write by reference to the Epworth League.
In Against the Day by Thomas Pynchon, a saucy secretary tells St. Cosmo, who has entered the office after-hours, that "'this [place] ain't the Epworth League.'"
In Sherwood Anderson's short story/Winesburg, Ohio piece titled "Adventure," the self-stifled heroine Alice, "who could not have understood the growing modern idea of a woman's owning herself and giving and taking for her own ends in life," joins the Winesburg Methodist Church and every "Sunday evening attended a meeting of an organization called The Epworth League."
In Dawn Powell's 1944 novel, My Home is Far Away, Epworth League meetings are one of the few social gatherings deemed acceptable for the main character, an adolescent girl, and her two sisters.
In the 1934 W. C. Fields movie It's a Gift, when Amelia Bissonette tells her husband Harold that his Uncle Bean has died, she says, "It seemed he was getting better, but he attended the Epworth League picnic, and he choked to death eating an orange."
In The Chill by Ross Macdonald, drunken Bridget Perrine bids farewell to Lew Archer with "See you at the Epworth League."
"That remark of yours was pos'tively Epworth Leaguish." Philo Vance, in The Benson Murder Case, by S. S. VanDine.
In The League of Frightened Men, by Rex Stout, Archie Goodwin remarks "I’m just waiting to see you and Nero Wolfe and the Epworth League prove it on him."
Epworth League: A United Methodist Association for Young Adults
Epworth League Institute: 2011 Global Conference for the Epworth League
The Epworth League: its place in Methodism – a manual by Rev. J.B. Robinson, D.D., PhD
The Efficient Epworthian by Dan B. Brummitt
May 09, 2023
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Founded in 1889 the Epworth League is a Methodist young adult association for people aged 18 to 35 It had its beginning in Cleveland Ohio at its Central Methodist Church on May 14 and 15 1889 There was also a Colored Epworth League 1 Before then as many as five young people s organizations existed in the Methodist Episcopal church such as the Methodist Alliance claiming 20 000 members in 1883 the Oxford League organized at the Methodist Centennial Conference with a large chapter at Central Methodist Church and the Young People s Christian League 2 After discussions of a merger into a single body 27 persons gathered at Central Methodist to form the Epworth League and adopted a modified version of the constitution of the Oxford League and the motto of the Young People s Christian League Look Up Lift Up The league which soon spread worldwide divided its social service into six departments Spiritual Life Social Work Literary Work Correspondence Mercy and Help and Finance Local chapters organized Fresh Air Work day camps for city children literary events lecture series and fellowship gatherings 2 At its conception the purpose of the League was the promotion of intelligent and vital piety among the young people of the Church To encourage and cultivate Christ centered character in young adults around the world through community building missions and spiritual growth The League takes its name from the village of Epworth in Lincolnshire England the birthplace of John Wesley and Charles Wesley Its members are known as Epworthians Contents 1 Historical growth 2 Modern era 3 Publications 4 In popular culture 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksHistorical growth EditWithin 10 years of its founding the League claimed over 1 75 million members in 19 500 chapters internationally 2 The League existed in both the Northern and Southern branches of the Methodist Episcopal denomination and also in the Methodist Church of Canada The headquarters of the Northern League was in Chicago and its organ was the Epworth Herald The organ of the Southern branch was the Epworth Era published monthly at Nashville Tenn 3 The membership of the Senior branch in the Methodist Episcopal Church North in 1913 was 593 465 and of the junior branch 218 509 4 In the Methodist Episcopal Church South there were 3846 chapters of the league with 133 797 members Modern era EditThe original Epworth League existed from 1889 to 1939 After denominational mergers among Methodists in the 1930s the Epworth League became known as the Methodist Youth Fellowship it survived in 1994 as the United Methodist Youth Fellowship 2 Publications EditBacon and Northrup Young People s Societies New York 1900 The Methodist Year Book Dan B Brummett Epworth League Methods New York 1906 In popular culture EditThis article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Epworth League news newspapers books scholar JSTOR December 2013 Learn how and when to remove this template message In The Music Man set in 1912 Iowa teenager Zaneeta Shinn declines a date because it s Epworth League night In All the King s Men by Robert Penn Warren the protagonist describes the blandness of the column he is hired to write by reference to the Epworth League In Against the Day by Thomas Pynchon a saucy secretary tells St Cosmo who has entered the office after hours that this place ain t the Epworth League In Sherwood Anderson s short story Winesburg Ohio piece titled Adventure the self stifled heroine Alice who could not have understood the growing modern idea of a woman s owning herself and giving and taking for her own ends in life joins the Winesburg Methodist Church and every Sunday evening attended a meeting of an organization called The Epworth League In Dawn Powell s 1944 novel My Home is Far Away Epworth League meetings are one of the few social gatherings deemed acceptable for the main character an adolescent girl and her two sisters In the 1934 W C Fields movie It s a Gift when Amelia Bissonette tells her husband Harold that his Uncle Bean has died she says It seemed he was getting better but he attended the Epworth League picnic and he choked to death eating an orange In Across the River and into the Trees by Ernest Hemingway the colonel describes General Eisenhower as strictly the Epworth League In The Chill by Ross Macdonald drunken Bridget Perrine bids farewell to Lew Archer with See you at the Epworth League That remark of yours was pos tively Epworth Leaguish Philo Vance in The Benson Murder Case by S S VanDine In The League of Frightened Men by Rex Stout Archie Goodwin remarks I m just waiting to see you and Nero Wolfe and the Epworth League prove it on him See also EditWaukee United Methodist Church Hamilton v Regents of the University of CaliforniaReferences Edit https upload wikimedia org wikipedia commons c c1 An era of progress and promise 2C 1863 1910 the religious 2C moral 2C and educational development of the American Negro since his emancipation 28IA eraofprogresspro00hart 0 29 pdf bare URL PDF a b c d Epworth League Case Western Reserve University Retrieved September 5 2017 The Hathi Trust has page images available at http catalog hathitrust org Record 100076295 US access only New International Encyclopedia This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain Gilman D C Peck H T Colby F M eds 1905 New International Encyclopedia 1st ed New York Dodd Mead a href Template Cite encyclopedia html title Template Cite encyclopedia cite encyclopedia a Missing or empty title help External links EditEpworth League A United Methodist Association for Young Adults Epworth League Institute 2011 Global Conference for the Epworth League Epworth League Handbook 2011 The Epworth League its place in Methodism a manual by Rev J B Robinson D D PhD The Efficient Epworthian by Dan B Brummitt Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Epworth League amp oldid 1145168129, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
