This Week in Texas Methodist History June 6

 

 

Joint Sessions of Annual Conferences Convened at SMU to Celebrate Bicentennial, June 6, 1966

 

 

Moody Auditorium at SMU was the site of joint sessions of Annual Conference to celebrate the bicentennial of American Methodism.  The Methodist movement had begun in Britain earlier, but 1966 was picked because in 1766 John Wesley commissioned preachers to come to the colonies.   It should be noted that the Methodist Episcopal Church was founded in Baltimore in 1784.  In April, 1966 Baltimore hosted a bicentennial celebration and was to do so again in 1984. 

 

Previous posts on this blog have highlighted how avidly Methodists celebrated centennials, bicentennial, etc.  Huge celebrations were held in 1884 for the founding of the denomination; 1919 for the centennial of missions, 1934-1936 for the centennial of Texas Methodism, 1938 for the bicentennial of the Aldersgate experience, and so on.

 

In 1966, as the annual conferences gathered for the bicentennial of American Methodism, there was a striking departure from previous celebrations.   In Texas, all the previous celebrations had been racially segregated, but in 1966, although the segregated Central Jurisdiction still existed, the conferences met together culminating in a joint ordination service.  A European-American Bishop, Paul Galloway presided over the African American Texas Conference of the Central Jurisdiction.  The Houston Area Central Jurisdiction Bishop, Noah Moore, had his schedule filled with the West Texas and Louisiana Conference of the Central Jurisdiction.  Bishop Galloway was bishop of the Arkansas area of the South Central Jurisdiction. 

 

Other bishops in attendance were Kenneth Pope, W. C. Martin, Paul Martin, Eugene Slater, and Ivan Holt.   Other dignitaries including Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, SMU President Willis Tate, and Governor John Connally, also spoke.  The Governor’s theme was “Methodism has stood in the front ranks of economic and social progress.”

 

The eight annual conferences held business sessions separately in SMU facilities and area church.  The Central Jurisdiction Texas Conference met in the auditorium of the Religious Music Department of the university and the South Central Jurisdiction Texas Conference met in Highland Park Methodist.