Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-05-12
THE METHODIST GENERAL
CONFERENCE.

The quadrennial general conference
of the Methodist Episcopal church,
is being held at Philadelphia, and
consists of about $50 members, re-
presenting ninety-nine annual confer
ences. About one-third of tie whole
number are lay-delegates. This great
religious denomination has nearly two
million members and twelve thousand
itinerant ministers, and in addition to
the large capital invested in its pub
fishing houses it owns church and
parsonage property to the value of
about S60,000,000. A Methodist cor
respondent states that the church re-
presented by this general conference
is the largest of all Methodist bodies
but that in all there are 100000
Methodists on the American conti- 4
nent, and in England and America,
together with their mission stations,
over 100000. These are actual
members-the Methodist constituent
cy throughout the world, including
Sunday school scholars and those who
attend Methodist services, but are
not members, being estimated at over
twenty millions.
The functions of the general con-
ference are largely Legislative, and it
the only body in the church compe-
tent to revise its laws and to origin
ate changes, while it is also the only
body to which the bishops are amen
able. Since the last general confer
ence three of the fourteen bishops
have dled-Scott, Haven and Peck
these vacancies will now be filled,
and it is thought probable that three
additional bishops will be chosen
Among the names mentioned for
these high positions are those of Rev.
DR.. J. M. Buckley of the New York
| Christian Adu0cdte, Rev. DR.. Fowler,
President Butts of the Drew theolog-
ical seminary, Rev. DR.. Mallalieu of
Boston, President Payne of the Ohio
Wesleyan university, Rev. j. M.
Walden of Cincinnati, J. H. Vincent
A. S. Hoyt, o. II. Tiffany, and F.
S. Hoyt of the western Christian Id
vOcdte. The conference will also
have to elect or re-elect book agents
for New York and Cincinnati, secre-
taries for all the great church socie-
ties, and editors for many publica-
tions of the church.
One feature of the occasion will be
the exercises commemorating the one
hundredtn anniversary of the estab-
lishment of Methodism in this coun-
try. Certainly the Methodists have
abundant reason to rejoice over the
remarkable growth and prosperity of
their denomination in the United
States. AS an example Of its prog
ress, it is stated that the Methodist
board of extension, which has been
20 years in existence, has passed
through its treasury 81, $780, 900, help
ed to erect forty-five hundred church
edifces. and has about 81 900, 900
now available. Among the import
ant questions to be considered by the
general conference is that of the
''time limit" by which the pastorate
is restricted to q term of three years.
There is quite a large party in the
church that favors the abolition of
this time limit, so that pastor may
be returned to the same place for any
number of years in succession; but
some would extend the three years
limit to four or five. The leading
Methodist journal, the Neao York
Christian Adrocate, strongly opposes
any change in the present system.
The Philadelphia correspondent of
the Hartford Times says; sit is not
likely the conference will make any
radical changes of church law. Des-
pite all the agitation that has been
going on, it looks as if three years
would still stand as the pastoral linn
it, and the Presiding Eldership be
left unimpaired. Probably, however
provision will be made for the ad
mission of laymen TO voice and vote
in the annual conference, and some
) minor clauses in the discipline may
be revised" One of the matters tc
be brought up in the general confer
ence, of particular interest to Yer
mont Methodists, will be the retro
cesslon of the Burlington district te
the Troy Conference. The history
of this controversy is quite familiar
to our readers, and the result will b,
:. awaited with much interest.