New-York tribune., 1891-03-06
METHODIST GOVERNMENT.
ARE THE RULES VIRTUALLY CHANGED
THE LAY VOTE ON THE QUESTION OF ADMIT
TING WOMEN TO THE GENERAL CONFER
ENCE-ITS INFLUENCE on THE MINIS
TEEIAL VOTES THAT ARE TO FOL-
LONESOME OF THE CLAIMS
ON BOTH SIDES OF THE
ON BOTH SIDES OF THE
QUESTION.


QUESTION.
The ministers and members of the Methodist Epis
copll Church. who interested in the question OF
the admission OF women lay delegates 10 tho Gen
eral Conference having now a breathing space. The
Of the lay members was taken an october ana
November of last year. and the result is ascertaned
with sufficient accuracy. The vote OF the preachers
in the annual conferences will be taken before the
session OF the next General Conference in May loO2
and the final decision will be made by that body. II
the voice Of the annual conferences shau DrlDg the
question before il. The agitation in the Church now
or among the comparatively few who appear to take
a deem interest in the mater-is over the real Sig
nfcance of the vote Of the laymen and laywomen: !:
and there to have been just enough partisan
ship di,played in much of the discussion to render
this somewhat obscure to the casual reader.
1t is claimed by some that, the question having
been submitted by the General Conference to the Law
members, the decision of majority must have a
binding influence on the preachers whose action In
the annual ard general conferences is thereby set
tied for it is certain that Of the lay members who
took the trouble TO vote nearly twOthirds favor the
change. This claim is not conceded and the form
in which the question OF woman representation was
submitted to the churches. the history OF the move
and records of previous lay votes are cited TO
refute 1t. All these are used however. by both
advocates and opponents Of the change: that much
depends upon the method OF their presentation. The
following are believed to be simple statements OF
historic facts:
From the organization Of the Methodist Episcopal
Church in America the sole legislative power was.
until 1872 in the hands of the ordained preachers.
first in conferences In which all eligible as mem
bers. and later in General Conferences composed OF
delegates representing the annual conferences. Moth
ing was more firmly settled in the early history Of
tho Church as a matter Of ecclesiastical polty than
that Church government should rest exclusively In
the ministry. Many ago. as the financial inter
e>ts Of the Church. its publishing houses. missionary
sOclety etc. became large, there laymen who did
hesitate say that they ought to have voice In
Church legislation and administration. There was
long and heated discussion, resulting in expusons from
the ministry and secessons OF large numbers OF
preachers and members. This the chief cause OF
the organization Of the Methodist Protestant Church
In 1880. The contest kept up. and many OF the
most finished scholars in the ministry eminent
preachers and influential bishops came to the side OK
the laymen, and supported their cause effectively by
spoken and written words.
The General Conference OF 1860 convinced that
some action In the premises was necessary for the
peace and the well being of the Church, and took
measures accordingly But the powers OF the General
Conference are restricted by rules which can be no
more easily changed than can the Constitution of the
United States. To remove restriction, there must
be the concurrent recommendation OF threequarers OF
voting and twothrds OF the members Of the next
following General Conference; IL the General Con
ference shall begin BY recommending an alteration by
two thirds vote, such recommendation may become
effective by three quarters vote Of the members OF
the annual conferences There was not, and Is not any
legal requirement calling for the vote Of the laity
But tile General Conference Of 1860 after there had
been a public discussion OF lay delegation, extending
over more than thirty years, expressed desire 10
have an expression Of opinion from the aymen OF the
Church over the age OF twenty and adopted the
following resolution committing that body to the
change whenever it should he popularity desired
Resolved. That We the delegates of the Annual Con;
ferences Of the Methodist Episcopal Church IN General
Conference assembled. hereby approve Of the intro
ductlOn Of lay represent alton Into this Dody wheh IL
shall be asceltalned that the Church desires IL.
The vote was small when taken In 1S62-the Civil
War made all other things seem unimporant-and was
against the admission OF lay delegates. The next
General Conference reafrmed its approval Of Law rep
rsentation whenever it shall be asceraned that the
Church desires it," bus added 1--WE see no such dcc
laratlon Of tho popular will as to justify us IN
taking advanced action upon IT, The agitation still
ntinucd and I'm 1868 the General Conference pro-
posed plan for the election Of lay delegates TO the
next General Conference and presented IT, by vote
Of 23I to 3. with the following:
Whereas. The General Conference of 1860 expressed
its willuG admit lay delegates to the General
Conference whenever the people should desire II and
whereas General Conference of 1854 concurred in
Resolved That we also concur In The same. and
recommend the following plan to the godly consider
alton OF our ministers ana people.
The plan was submitted to the members OF the
Church. men and women, above twenty-one wears OF
age They decided in its favor in 1869 by more than
a two.thids vote something more than "a per cent
OF the eligible members voting. Tho plan was adopted
by the annual conferences by tho requisite voie: Law
delegates were elected in accordance with the plan
and were seated in the General Conference Of lS12.
An expression Of the Views Of the laity had never
been called for by a General Conference until in 1855.
except a. above stated I'm 1850 and 1868; and these
instances used In estimating the effect Of the vote
recently taken upon the action Of tho preachers.
The advocates OF the new change intimate that the
are nearly analogous that the preachers have
option in the annual conferences and the General
Conference but are morally bound simply To
record the decision that has been reached by
the people This is not conceded. Indeed, 1t Is re-
piled that even il large vote and large majority
could have Influenced the action Of the preachers. the
recent vote would not do so for when not two-thirds
out of less than 20 per cent Of those who might have
voted favor change the voice OF the llty Is not SD
loud or emphatic to produce Il strong enect upon
he class in the Church upon which rests the ultimate
responsibility Of maintaining or altering Its rules
The smallness of the is especially suggestive when
il is considered that women constitute fully 90 per
cent OF the membership. The advocates OF the change
claim that the proportion is greater.
1t IS argued that the question OF the eligibility OF
women to membership in the General Conference Is
ono that touches the Interpretation OF the Bible: that
many in the Church believe that Gods Word eNplcl'y
forbds the investing of women with such fuhctiohs'
that they derive their convictions from the bie ana
in them are supported by the almost unanimous opion
of Christian scholarship. As one writer says;
large part OF the Church believes that uie III
vestmeut Of women with legislative power In The
Church is forbidden In the Bible, therefore IL Deie.c
that il this should prevail ana women s.U %
be elected TO the General Conference ana st theIo
IL would be "a Isurpatiou Of authority whch no nierc
could vndicate IN the Ishl oi I1 St,p Up
tureS Nor Is IL now when lay representation was
enacted No one argued that allowing ayineh W
participate IN Church government Is lorpuueh py .v
the Church was not organized WIN H. anu tIa, . " |
would be ncx pedient Another element OF sra'Ity
X the sanction which the success OF TINS movement
..-,iL 80 1nnthnds inierprcatlOn which, |