January 17, 1916

Atlanta Constitution 17 January, 1916

Epworth League is Making Plans for Banner Year

Plans for arousing greater interest in the work of the organization and broadening its scope were discussed at considerable length yesterday afternoon at a conference of Epworth League officials of this city.

The leagues of practically all of the Methodist Churches of the Atlanta district were represented at the gathering, the attendance being in excess of 100 in spite of the inclement weather.

President Jack Hayes presided and told of the plans for doing a greater work during the coming year than at any previous time in the history of the movement. A number of other short talks were heard and great interest was manifested in the plans for the work of the coming year.

Many pledges of support were received in the determination to make 1916 a banner year in the history of the league movement.

Note: A youth order of the Methodist Episcopal Church (Now the United Methodist Church) founded in 1889 in Cleveland, Ohio. For over half a century the Epworth League, the Methodist youth organization, was especially strong. The group was authorized in 1890 by the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and local churches soon began organizing their youth in Epworth leagues. The purpose of the leagues was to develop young church members in their religious life and to provide training in churchmanship. It was parallel to the Sunday school and typically met on Sunday nights. The name Epworth came from the boyhood home in England of John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement.