the Methodist Book Concern and distributed them at their meetings. This distribution process is one of the reasons why Cokesbury traces its lineage back to the earliest efforts of the Concern. From Methodist Episcopal Book Concern to Cokesbury In 1844, a split occurred in the Methodist Episcopal Church over the issue of slavery. What resulted was the formation of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Concerning the name which the Southern states adopted, the Advocate and Journal of New York stated, "Not exactly English, but we shall be glad if the title is the worst of it...". And since the Methodist Episcopal Church officially owned the Methodist Book Concern, there existed significant tensions concerning publications and finances. Eventually, in 1854 the Supreme Court ruled that the Methodist Episcopal Church, South had as much right to the funds of the Methodist Book Concern as the Northern states did. No longer were the Southern states dependent on the publishing decisions of the North. It was at this time that the Methodist Episcopal Church, South agreed to set up their publishing and distribution center in Nashville, Tennessee, which is where the current UMPH headquarters are. The effects of this split between the church and the two book concerns would outlast the Civil War. In the early twentieth century, both the North and the South saw need to organize strict publishing bodies within their houses. This was, in part, to broaden the appeal of ecumenical distribution and in other part due to the growing need to simplify publishing and distribution processes. On April 23, 1914, the North adopted the name 'Abingdon Press' for its general ecumenical publishing endeavors. Its name was historically significant for Abingdon was the name of the town in Maryland where the first American Methodist college, Cokesbury College, was opened in 1787. The Methodist Episcopal Church, South in 1923 chose 'Cokesbury Press', a name which was passed over by the Northern church. It wasn't until 1939 that the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Methodist Episcopal Church, South reunited, along with it the Methodist Protestant Church. The merger resulted in the creation of The Methodist Church (which would later merge in 1968 with the Evangelical United Brethren to become The United Methodist Church). Along with the 1939 merger came the union of the two book concerns. Abingdon-Cokesbury became the official trade name. Cokesbury stores and beyond It was inevitable that as the publishing