Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-05-02

Preparations for the general conference of
the Methodist Episcopal church, which will
convene here, in Association hall May 1st,
month are now so far advanced as to make
It certain, not only that the delegations will
be well provided for but that the press and
people of this city of brotherly love will give
the body a fitting reception. The statement
that has gone abroad, to the effect that the
Mcthodsts here were wanting in hospitality,
was premature. AT this writing the difficult
ty is not to get homes for the visitors, but to
find delegations enough to fill the many
openings. Still, ii is felt here no less than
at Cincinnati, tour years ago, that the en-
tertainment Of a body of the size and i'm
portancc of u Methodist general conference
ought to be paid for out of the general funds
Of the church, and doubtless the conference
itself, at its coming session will see the mat
ter in the same light. Under such an ar
rangemcnt as that, It's meetings could be
held anywhere, whereas now they are ncCes-
sarily restricted TO to a few of the very
largest cities Philadelphia, however, can
well stand the strain. NIcthodism is very
strong here. There are within the city
limits ninety four churches of the Methodist
Episcopal persuasion, having an aggregate
membership of nearly 30, 600 and an esimat-
ed Methodist constituency of not less than
10000.
The approaching conference will consist
of about $50 members. These will come
from all parts of the United States, and
some of them from mission stations abroad.
The ninety-niDe annual conferences of the
church will all be represented in the ratio of
one ministerial delegate for every forty-ive
members, and one for every fraction Of
forty-ive. The basis on which the lay dele
gates are elected is as follows: Where the
annual conference sends only one minister 10
the general conference, it can send only one
laymau, but where more than one minister Is
sent, two laymen are sent, the number OF
laymen however, never exceeding two, even
though the ministerial delegati n consist, as
it frequently does, of rs many rs four or
five. The proportion of lay delegates at the
coming gathering will be about one-third of
the whole number.
The general conference meets quadrennial-
ly. 1t has nothing to do with the appoint
ments of pastors. Its functions are largely,
though not entirely, legislative. 1t is the
only body competent to revise the laws of
the church and originate changes. 1t is also
the only body to which the Bishops are
amendabe, and no small part of its work
cOnslts in reviewing the administration of
these high officials. The business done in the
annual conference is also reviewed by this
general body, and indeed it exercises, as its
name indicates, a general supervision over
all the affairs of the denomination,
censurinG and rectifying what may
have been wrong in the past, and deYising
ways and means for the church's advance
ment in the future. When it is remembered
that the Methodist Episcopal church has
yearly two million members, that over twelve
thousand itinerant ministers are enrolled in
its conferences, AID that in addition to the
capital invested in its immense publishing
house, it owns church and parsonage propci-
ty to the value of nearly S0,000,000, your
readers will see how much responsibility
rests upon the supreme tribunal of this great
church and will understand why the quad
rennial sessions of its general conference are
looked forward to with such dep and wide
spread interest The church represented by
this gathering is the largest of the Methodist
bodies. In all, however, there are fully
three million Methodis,s on the American
continent, ard in America and England to-
gether, withtheir mission stations, over four
millions. There are actual members, the
Methodist constituency throughout the world,
including Sunday-sChool scholars, and those
who attend Methodist services but are not
members, being estimated at over twenty
millions.
The elections are always the most Inter.
csilng feature of a Methodist general confer
ence. 1t is provclbal that when these arc
over the attendance wanes and the delegates
get anxious to go home. This may in.
dictate the prevalence of the office
seeking fever among Methodist MIN
listers or it may be merely the devel
opIcnt, under our peculiar system Of gov
Crnment, which makes elections so frequent
of one of the weak points in our fral hu
man nature. The reader can take his choice
of these two views, and your correspondent
will keep his own counsel in the matter, a
least for the present. This conference vii
have to elect book agents for New York ant
Cincinnati, secretaries for all the great churcl
societies, such as Missionary, Church ESten
sion, Freeman's Aid, Sunday School Union
Nc, amt editors for the many publication
of the church. These are all fat offices
giving the incumbent no end of influence
and glory, besides putting into his pocket
handsome salary. 1t is too early to venture
INTO the realms o. prophecy, though On
runs no risk IN saying that, should any O
the present incumbeuts be requested TO ste
down and out, or have the call to highe
post, there will be 10 scarcity of brrthre
who Will be willing to sacrifice themselve
upon these various positions. 1t is cv,
said, that some are anxious for such in
notation. Such as these, however are doom
ed to disappointment, for the general CO.
terence seldom gives an office to man VIII
wants it badly, and besides in the prescr
case 1t is absolutely certain that most of III
men now in will I've given another tern
But more of these anon.
Since the last general conference thrt
bishops have passed away--Levi ScNt, h. {
Haven and Jesse 4. Peek - a
grand men, as Methodist bshoI
almost invariably arc. These deaths ha,
reduced the Episcopal force to eleven, whiC
makes 1t certain that the coming COnferent
VIII elect several new ones. Not more tina
SIX VIII be chosen, nor less than three. I'll
last conference elected four, and for son
months pior to the conference it was ge
orally known throughout the church wi
three OF that number would be. This Tin
there is IA painful degree of uncertainty su
rounding the maItcr-painful at least
those particularly interested. reserve n
forecasts tol future letter. merely uiyii
IN THIS the nanes of those who have be
men'lopcd 70 me as gentlemen who have be
lalk' : n T., The Epscopacy nv atmri
INC - These are j. IL. Vr.cc t, the gre
Sundty school man and CuatauquG hc'o,
NJ. walden, book agent at Cincinnati, w.
Nlrde, president Of Garrett Biblical las
tdte, Evanston, ILL.,, j. NJ. Buckicy, edil
New York 1dCOcato, &. H. Payne, pre-
dent Ohio Wesleyan University, A. S. HUI
agent American Bible socIety, F. S. Ho,
editor Western Adyocate, q. n. Sims, cha
cellor Syracuse University, c. H. Fowl,
secretary missionary society, A. j. Kyne
secretary church extension society, w.
Malalieu Of Boston, ii. A. ButIz, preside
of Drew Theological Seminary, o. II. T
fanny of New York, and Jacob Todd
Newark, N. j, From all / can hear, t
Western candidates have the best chan
this year owing to the fact that the Episco,
plums four years ago all went
Eastern men. To give the nan.
of all who would like TO
made bishops would occupy maj