The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-01
A METHODIST CONTROVERSY.

BY the late General Conference of the |
Methodist Episcopal Church proposition
was submitted to the annual conferences,
by a vote of six to one, to amend the |
constitution of the church TO permit |
an equal representation of laymen and min
listers in the General Conference To be-
come effective it must receive the approval
of three-fourths of the members of the sew
eral annual conferences. The Journals
readers will remember that this papers
special General Conference correspondent
predicted at the time that that was the end
of it: that it would never receive the reoui-
site three-fourths. The result OF the vote
in the several fall conferences. so far as
heard from, foresnadows the failure pre-
dicted In nearly every conference the vote
is less favorable than it was four years
ago To make matters easier. some of the
conferences nave resorted to the secret bal
lot instead of calling the roll standing
till counted. usual, and in late Chris
tian Advocate DIR. Buckley commends this
method But this promises to be only the
beginning of the end. Already the iaymen
of the Baltimore Conference at work
organize the laymen for another effort to
secure this and with it now other conces-
sicns to the laymen of the church. They
will ask for representa- ton. in the annual
conferences and for some voice in the
management of local churches, which is
rev wholly in the hands of the pastor. or,
at furthest in a local board or quarterly
conference of the pastors creation. What
may be the result cannot now be predicted
further than to predict that this quadren-
MUM is likely to be one of unusual agitation
in Methodist circles. These Baltimore lay
men begin with sending out pamphlet OF
thirty pages, entitled More Democracy in
nv r.. Townsend
D. D.. and another of eighty-six pages on
THE Poity OF the Methodist Episcopal
Church." by Rev. G.. C. Barcon. These
authors are both members of the Baltimore
Conference. but they are in hearty sympa-
| thy with the laymen's contention, though
in the minority. for there is no conference
| more welded TO the dead past than this
| one.
/ But ii seeras that the contention is not
TO be in word only, nor 10 be confined to
| any one locality. 1t seems that there is to
/ be. a bit of rebellion in this immediate To-
oalitv. which may be bigger than il now
/ appears to be before it is over. The dis
ruption of the Broadway Methodist Church
1 a year or two ago by the arbitrary exer-
| ciss. of authority within the provisions of
/ the Discipline by the pastor and presiding
| elder had hardly been healed when an oc-
| casion for something far more serious has
/ arisen. For fifty years the laymen of that
j church had protested against the citys be-
ing divided by conference lines. 1t was
first made to their surprise and without
their being consulted. Whether correct or
not. they have felt that such division
initiated against proper union OF the
churches In aggressive church work A
quarter of a century ago they succeeded In
reducing the number of conferences from
four to two when they asked for but one,
hut this only iessening. not removing. the
diffcuity thy began. at once 70 agltate for
The one. which they secured. after much ef-