The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-10
Consideration Of the Vexed Dues.
ton of Loans and Dona-
tons.
COLLECTIONS FALLING SHORT.
Various Plans for Improving the
Financial Condition of the
Congregations.

Chicago, ILL.,, NOV. 9.-Ihe closing
session of the church extension board of
the Methodist Episcopal church was held
to-day, when the report of the general
committee to the general conference which
will meet in Cleveland next May was con-
sidered. This was referred and brought
forth animated discussions, one being a
request to the conference to devise plan
for increasing the funds of the society, and
the other the much veXed subject of loans
and donations to churches costing over
$4,000.
The afternoon session was taken up in
considering the appointment of COM
mittee to meet just before the general con-
ference for the purpose of making recon-
mendations to that body on some minor
matters which the present board has not
found time to deal with. In the end no
action was taken, and the various mo-
tons made were ordered to be left out of
the records. The future meetings of the
board will be held in Philadelphia, as was
the custom until 1888.
The morning session was called to order
by Bishop Foss. DR.. Mcconnell proceeded
to read the document prepared by a special
committee as the report of the general
committee to the general conference next
year. The report spoke of the failure of
the conference to respond in full to the
call for church collections as the most
serious difficulty encountered in the work
of the board. Contributions to maintain
frontier church funds have given. the board
some means of relief, but they do not
supply the lack of sermon preached each
year in every Methodist church in the
country. The plan of asking a definite
amount from each conference and in turn
from each district and pastoral charge now
caused by the church discipline, together
with the injunction on pastors to diffuse
information on the work of church extern
sion and to preach one sermon every year
to endeavor to secure at least the amount
as asked, would seem to be adequate. 1t
would be adequate, the report stated, if
the plan was faithfully carried out, but no
means seemed to be provided to make
them adequate.
Then came the paragraph that excited a
larger discussion. 1t was as follows: ''If
| the general conference can devise some
means of securing the faithful application
of the plan in all its particulars, we would
not encounter the humiliating fact that
our collections for this cause only amount
to 4S cents on the dollar appropriation from
the conference"
DR.. Neeley of Philadelphia protested
against the clause as an implied reflection
on the general committee and moved to
strike it ont.
Bishop Merrill suggested that it might
be wise to lay the matter before the gen.
eral conference and ask for some relief
DR.. Neeley added an amendment to his
proposal that the general conference be
asked to take such action as may tend to
an increase in the collections for the con-
| ference. DR.. Neeley's amendment was
adopted by vote of % to IL.
| The next paragraph asked the general
conference to confne the granting of dona-
| tons to churches asking less than $4,000
and called forth lively debate.
DR.. Neeley moved that the paragraph be
stricken out, declaring that church could
not be built in a great town for less than
0,000, and such churches often deserved
as much help as the smaller ones.
Bishop Ninde, DR.. Cheffer and DR.. James
supported the amendment, although ad-
hitting that this policy of helping costly
churches had made the cause of church
extension very unpopular one.
The committee on general matters re
ported in favor of holding future meetings
of the general committee in Philadelphia
tDr. Neeley objected, but after short dis
cussion the report was adopted. Over ar
hour was spent in listening to various pro
posals for the holding of q meeting of the
| general committee at Cleveland next May
on the day preceding the day of the gen
eral conference. 1t was decided to take
no action on the subject, and the record
ing secretary was directed to omit al
mention of the matter from the journal
This concluded the business of the board
Special services will be held at the
various churches here tomorrow, and ser
mons preached by the Bishops and Other
members of the board.