BALTIMORE
April 21, 1966

Thank you, Bishop Garber, Bishop Lord, Bishop Kennedy, other dis-
tinguished members of the clergy, fellow Methodists, ladies and gentle-
men:

The people of Baltimore and of the State of Maryland are proud to
welcome and have as their guests the thousands of Methodists from all
parts of our country who are gathered here to attend these concluding
events in the celebration of the bicentennial of the founding of Meth-
odism in America. I greet you, one and all, not only in my official
capacity as Governor of your host State, Maryland, but also as a life-
long Methodist communicant, devoted to his church and pleased to have
this opportunity to celebrate the two centuries of its glorious history.
This is a momentous event in the annals of Methodism in the United
States. It also is an important milestone in the development of Chris-
tianity in our country.

It is most fitting, we Marylanders feel, that the climax of the ob-
servance of the 200th birthday of American Methodism be held here.
Because it was in Baltimore and Maryland, certainly as much as anywhere
else, that the foundations of Methodism were laid, and where so many
chapters of the rich history of our church were written. It was here
that Asbury, and Strawbridge and the other early Methodists preached
and laid the ground work for the vast structure of Methodism. It was
here that the celebrated "Christmas Conference" of 1784 was held—
where 60 preachers met to organize the Methodist Church in the United
States and to elect two bishops, the first bishops of American Methodism.
It was here that Asbury and Cole were ordained, taking unto themselves
the responsibility for the spiritual guidance of the thousands of Americans
who were uniting themselves behind the banners of this great spiritual
movement.

Yes, there are many places in America which lay claim to being
the "birthplace, " the "cradle, " the "fountain-head" of American
Methodism, but we believe here in Maryland, with no attempt to be in-
vidious, that we are justified in feeling that in no place is Methodism
more deeply rooted than right here. And so, we take pride—justifiable
pride—in the fact that these concluding events in the bicentennial
celebration have been staged for Baltimore and Maryland.

497