Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-04-17
nETHoDIsT coNFERENCE
PROPOSED Change Of Name-Entere.ting
Report,

On Wednesday, a committee oferet
the following important report 10 tn
General Conference, sitting in New Or
leans
The Committee on Changes of Econ
omy beg leave TO offer Report No. 1, a
follows:
The subject Of q change in the stylr
and title Of the Methodist Episcopa
Church South, has been brought betorl
the committee by a memorial from seye
raj preachers Of the Kansas Conference
and by paper presented BY DR.. A. L. p
Green, first 10 the Tennessee Conference
and afterwards presented to the Georgia
Montgomery and Mobile Conferences
and by them all referred to this body
Both memorials ask for a change in the
name OF our Church. The latter paper
argues for it on the ground e" that there
! is no longer any constitutional or conven-
ti0naI difficulty IN the way Of the NJ. Z,
Church South forming churches Wher-
I ever an opening may be found in any
part of the United States; y and that the
/ word g. South is not appropriate TO 9
F. church whose field is the world.
The committee has given the memorial
/ careful consideration, and with very gen.
/ eral unanimity agree that the prayer OF
( the memOrialists should be granted.
! When The Church was divided it was
/ expected that because Of the peaceful
! separation Of the original Methodist
| Episcopal Church, one portion should
/ represent Methodism in the Northern
/ States-the other part represent 1t in the
[ Southern States. In this view the Dis
/ ciphne recites part I, chap. II, sec. >,
/ pp. I ( and l5) that our organization was
established for the South and South
west, and in another paragraph for the
/ "slavehOldingStates ~ The word south
/ was appended to the name Of our Church
1 TO distinguish US from the other branch
I Of MethOdism, as indicating what the
/ Plan Of Separation provided for, that We
should be the Church Of section. So
/ the Northern Church, which did not
I change It's name, was Just as truly the
/ Church of q section. But the Plan of
I Separation no longer confines US TO the
/ " south and Southwest" Hence the
( term g South, +" that indicated that we
/ were localized as being the Church of q
! section, is no longer appropriate to our
/ Church.
! Yet the word has not lost its geograph-
/ ical significance, whenever applied to q
| portion Of the States Of this Union.
/ What was the South in ls45, is the South
. III Il
/ connected with our organization would
not be happily designated by a term
| which seems to identify il with the South
I ern States alone, a. il was designed that
/ the word "South" " should do for our
I Church when il was organized.
Besides this, we are assured by bTeth-
reu who are in circumstances to know
! the facts, that beyond our border a great
and efficient door is opening to Us, but
the word South ~ remains a source Of
embarrassment, and positive hindranCe
10 our progress. Those who stretch forth
their hands 20 Us tell US, that to unite
! with Us, unless we viii adopt name that
indicates that We are holding church re-
lauons to the nation, rather than 70 a
part Of it-and thatpart outside their linn
lts-will place them in relations to each
other that win greatly increase their diff
ticulties. We believe, that for their
sakes, We should, like st. Paul, " be made
all things TO all men, y that we may, by
al! means, save some, where no principle
j. involved in such course Of action,
None, we believe, pretend that principle
lorbids change Of name. Some prefer
the change, but oppose il now thinking
il would be better TO def8r it for few
years. The change itself is not opposed
rule applies here. Ought we not, how
ever, - once, to eliminate q term which
makes US seem sectional church, hedged
IN by real or implied geographical linnl-
tations, if by so doing we can carry the
Gospel TO mulutudes whom we could not
otherwise reach
Your committee are fully aware that
IN many faithful and jealous member Of
the church, there is a natural repugnance
% any change Of name. Many have suf-
iered grievOusly for their adherence 10
our communion, and the title has been
the occasion Of theig suffering. They
have been found faithful at the risk of
the loss OF all things. The name is now
a h3lloWed name 10 them. We deeply
sympathizc with these noble brethren,
and would 90 as far toward conciliating
them as is possible, and yet remain true
TO the interests OF Christ's Kingdom in
all sections and for all time. We beg
them to study our position before they
judge US hastily. Let them reflect that
If they are agrieved by a change, Others,
perhaps thousands, will be kept from our
communion if We change not. II the
Gospel is due TO them, is It not also due
10 those others? Would cur beloved
brethren tie our hands so that We cannot
carry to those asking it the bread Of life ?
We think too well Of them to suppose
tnat they viii feel aggrieved with this
Conference for making a change now,
which tney would prefer postponed be-
cause we keep in view for the whole
country and for years to come, the in
terests OF that Church for which they
have suffered so much.
We are fully persuaded that if their
representatives. here viii tell them bow
this Conference honors them for their
sacrifices, and loves them for their
constancy, and yet withal has felt COM
pelledi for tho sake Of the work which
the Master has committed 70 It, to do
what they would not have preferred,
these brethren can convince them that
tins body y actuated by the purest mo-
llVes-lhst -, the advancement Of the
Kingdom Of Christ.
If any suppose that the Conference hss
been impelied to a hasty act by elrcurn-
stances that have recently grown up
around US, they may be met by the fact
that as early as 1851, and again ia 1858, the
subject OF change Of name was brought
before the General Conference. There is
now lying upon the table, under the rule,
a resolution offered toward the close of
the session Of 1858, journal, D. 5l4). prc-
posing 70 change the title 10 that of q The
Methodist Church IN the press of b,,si-
iness it wss not reached. Had il been. it
is highly probable that the Conferences
would have done then what 1t is proposed
to do now aad this committee believe
that the resolution should be called up
and acted upon, at this session of this
Conference. We offer, therefore, the fol-
lowing resolution for adoption:
ResolUed, By the General Conference
OF the Methodist Episcopal Church South,
inConterenee assembled, Thatwe change
the style and title Of our Church.
We further recommend that this body
cali up and act upon the resolution last
offered IN this General Conference IN
1858, viz; That the style and title OF the
Methodist Episcopal Church South be
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