Morning journal and courier., 1888-05-01
THE METHonIsr oUAnRRNNIAI.


 Great Conference of Representatives of the Church i'm New York the Ist of May-Many Questions of Religious In terest Likely to Provoke Considerable DiScussAon-The Election of Bishops And Other OmcerS.
 Elaborate preparations are making for the general conference of the Methodist Episco- pal church in New York, these conferences quadrennially. The four hundred and fifty delegates expected to be in attendr ance at the conference, which is to be held in the Metropolitan Opera House on Broadway, will be from all parts of this country, some coming from abroad. In this denomination there are annual conferences to the number of one hundred and eleven. Fash of these will be represented in the general conference by from one to six ministers and by one or two individuals from the laity. The confer ence which sends two or more elergymen sends two laymen-never more than that number, while if only one minister goes, but one layman can be sent. Among the minis ters the ratio of representation is one delegate for every forty~five members of each annual conference, and one for every fraction of two thirds that number.
 At this conference women will for the first time be allowed to take part in the proceed ings and it is expected that much interest will be felt in the question as to whether women should be licensed to preach.
 The general conference is the only body in the M. E.. church possessing the power to make or change any of it's laws, and consid- erine the numerical strength of the church this one fact accounts abundantly both for the honor inhering in an Election to that body and for the widespread interest felt in :G- oHa pIooo fha yphnIa number of travelling ministers at over IA 900, with nearly 13, 900 local preachers, while the total membership falls but little below two millions. It controls also g, 900 or more Sunday schools, in which there is grand aggregate of people, young and old, amount ing to 2,160, ,244. Add to these items the additional facts that this church is raising annually for various purposes over SIC, ,OOO,> GOO; that it's Book Concerns did business last year amounting to two millions, and that it touches the masses of the people to an extent to which perhaps no other Protest ant church does, and one sees at once not only the greatness of the church itself, but the great importance also of the body which has the sole right to 1egislate for it.
 Many suggestions have been made recom- mending various changes in the rules and methods of organization, but it is not likely that this will be less conservative regarding change than have been preceding confer- ences. Some changes will, however, be made. Action will probably be decisively taken upon the resolution introduced by Rev. George E. Reed of Trinity Methodist church in this city at the recent session of the New York East conference in Middletown, this State, asking the general conference to amend the rules that prohibit dancing and card playing so that the discipline will sim ply advise members not to en- gage in these amusements. The reverend gentleman contends that dancing is allowed by Congregational, Presbyterian and Episcopal churches, but his resolution was tabled at the time of it's presentation. With regard to the rule concerning popular amuse- ments, it has been claimed that the Methodist practice is not in harmony with it's precepts, and that to retain disciplinary rule which is 30 often disregarded is bad policy, espe- cially since, while it remains, it places Meth~ odism at disadvantage with other denomi- nations. Requests for changes in the itinerant system of the church are very numerous, among those which are unlikely to prevail being the demand for the extension of the pastoral limit, either uniformly or so as to meet special cases, and provision by which presiding elders, instead of being appointed as now by the bishops, shall be elected by their brethren. Possibly, too, Tn the same connection something may be done by way of conferring more power upon the bishops cabinet of which the presiding elders form the component parts.
 The elections will, of course, be an inter esting feature of the conference. Although the conference does not have in it's gift a sufficient number of offices to allow of one or more being conferred upon each of the 45O delegates, it is true that, if service on boards and committees be counted, it will have nearly enough to allow of such distribu- tion. It is also true, and some think very unfortunately so, that the delegates are, as 8 general thing, quite anxious to see them selves properly provided for. Charges of wire-pulling and log-rolling have been brought against former conferences often times, doubtless without warrant of truth. Each bishop of the church controls an aver age of thousand preachers and as many churches The bishops make the SD pointnents. Three have died since the last general conference = Bishops Simpson in 1884; Wiley, who was buried in China, and Bishop Harris, who died in New York By these losses the Episcopal force of the church has been reduced to twelve men, and some of these are not active in work It is inevitable, therefore, that oth- CT men will be needed in the Episcopal board. Precisely how many new bishops shall be elected the conference itself will de- termine. Some think that the time has come for an NJ. E. bishop to reside in Europe, with another in China and still another in India. Such propositions as these were be- fore the last conference and it was the com mon remark that, but for the influence of the bishops themselves, effectualized in the votes of the laity, they would have been adopted. A reasonable prediction would place the number of new bishops at not more than five, as more than that would in volve radical departure from all recent precedents. Among those prominently men, toned as candidates for the office are1Wil- liam Taylor, now missionary bishop to Africa, Dr.. John H. Vincent, Dr. James M. King of New York and Dr. D. A. GoodseI of this city. Dr. B. A. Buttz of Drew seminary is also sup posed to be in the line of promotion. For the last two named preference has been ex- pressed by some of the present bishops. In the West Dr. Charles H. Payne of Ohio Wes- leyan university is e favorite man, Earl Cranston of the Cincinnati Book Concern having also a good support. In New England Drs. J. W. Hamilton and s. F. Upham are strong candidates, as is Daniel Dorchester. Other names prominent are Dr. A. B. Leon ard of Ohio, Dr. T. B. Neely of Pennsylvania, Dr. Bayliss, Dr. Joyce, Dr. o. 0. McCabe and Dr. Buckley. Who will be chosen for the exalted positions cannot of course be foretold. There is some demand for larger number of bishops and fewer elders.
 A Friendly Trial.