The Coconino weekly sun., 1896-05-07
NEWS FOR METHoDIsTs.
Items of Interest Touching on Church Sta
 tistics and Church Government,

Atems of Interest Touching on Church Sta. tistics and Church Government.
 CLEVELAND, O., May 4.-Methodists
 are tired of collections-not of the
 principle, but of the number. There
 are six or seven church funds, each of
 which has separate set of officers.
 The brethren, who foot the bills, want
 less confusion and more economy.
 They want one collection and one or
 ganization to administer their benevo.
 fences. This is not new complaint,
 but this general conference has taken
 the first step in an effort to consolidate
 its various missionary and other benev-
 olent funds. The conference de-
 termined to appoint committee to
 devise plan for the consoli.
 dation of the church's benevolences, one minister and one layman to be chosen by each of the IA general dis
 tricts and the 29th mem Der to be ap. pointed by the bishops The address of the bishops was read by Bishop
 Warren and required two hours in it's delivery. It was silent on the admis. sion of women and on the demand of the laymen for equal representation. It opposed the removal of the time limit on pastorates, except in rare cases, and insisted on the rule against frivolous amusements.
 The address shows that the church has membership of 2,796, 656, a gain of 3S6,O 900 in four years. The Sunday schools last year umbered 30, 352, a gain in four years of 276, and the teachers and pupils numbered 2, ,9Ss, $50, a gain of 2sO,O00 The conversions in the Sunday schools in four years were 53,436. The church has added sll, ,6OO.- 900 worth of property to the Sll3, ,OOO,- 900 owned in 1892. The gain in pas toral support has been $500. 900, partly because of 1,4OO more pastors. The missionary funds show substantial gains. The church has 5l deaconess' homes, hospitals and orphanages, of which IS are in foreign lands. There are 574 deaconesses, of whom 90 are in foreign work. One hundred are trained nurses The or ganization has S64l, $50 worth of prop erty, which has been mostly given dur ing the last four years. The Epworth league has 2l,OOO chapels, with 1,35O,. 900 members. On this subject the ad- dress says: "We are impressed with the importance of encouraging our pastors and young people to establish and maintain Epworth leagues rather than other societies in order that they may have the benefit of our literature and be trained to be loyal and intelli- gent Methodists."
 The bishops propose a semi-annual conference to take the place of the quarterly. They suggest court for the trial of charges against ministers by each local conference of a circuit electing trial judges to be members of that court. This is to avoid the objec. tion of trying cases before mixed bodies, of old and young, male and fe. male. The bishops recommend that students of the theological schools who apply for admission to the ministry shall be credited with studies pursued in school. They suggest providing for superannuated ministers and their families according to their need in- stead of the length of service. They are opposed to removing the ban of the church from dancing, card playing and theater-going. They favor total pro- and want the United States to refuse government licenses in pro- hibition states The various denomi- national schools are indorsed. The ad- dress declares for national divorce law, denounces the Armenian atroci- ties, favors arbitration in labor and in international disputes, and urges profit sharing.