The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-16
METHODISTS In COUNCIL
Great Quadrenn;al Meeting of Church
Leaders In May.
Neutrality-suspicious. to Be Discussed--May
Women Hold Church Offices.


ist Episcopal Church is held every four
years IN the month of May. Elaborate
preparations are being made for the con-
terence of 1896, which will be held at
Cleveland, o. An appropriation of $50, ,0oC
has been made to cover the expenses in
eident TO the great gathering, which W II
last month. About $50 delegates will
be in attendance. The Rev. A. j. Palm
er, ID. d., OF New York, Is chairman OF
the committee on entertainment, as he
wss In 1882. In 1883 he was secretary OF
the same committee, the business OF
which he has at his fingers ends.
Great interest in this quadrennial event
Oh the denomination Is being manifested
by Methodists everywhere. The general
conference Is tire only legislative body in
the Methodist Episcopal Church. Its de-
cisions govern ~ annual conferences and
the !, 1000, 900 Of members of perhaps the
most aggressive of religious bodies
Seventeen OF the conferences represented
belong to foreign nations-India, China,
Italy, Japan, Liberia, Mexico, Germany,
Norway, sweden, South America and
switzerland being among the lands send
ing dele saIes. The mission conferences
have. no direct representation at the Gen
raj Conference.
Delegates are both ministerial and lay.
The former are elected by vote of the
ministers Assem- bed in annual confer
ences, one delegate to each forty-fve min
isters The lay delegates are chosen by
what are known as electoral conferences
These are composed in each conference
| of one delegate from each quarterly con-
| ference. An electoral conference cannot
choose more than two lay delegates,
| which arrangement provides for the
dominance OF ministers In the councils
OF the church. III conference should
httt fot<. 10. ha( ftx,n-
ference it would also send but one lay
| delegate.
The bishops, or general superinten-
dents OF the church, are the presiding
officers at the sessions OF the general
| conference.-the and nothing more-for
| they are not members OF the conference.
They can neither debate, vote nor veto.
| They preside in tho otder OF their senior
| ity. At Cleveland Bishop Bowman will
preside on the first day, aud fifteen
bishops will succeed him on consecutive
days, after which his turn Will come
| aag In, and SO on.
| Important questions will come up for
consideration by this grave and reverend
body. Four women have been elected
| delegates-shall they be given seats or
noty The.question involved has been agi-
tated for years, and the time to settle II
has come. AS rule Western women In
general oppose IT.. Miss Frances Il. VIII
lard Is mead and front of the women who
clamor for equal rights with men in the
government OF the church. ana Bishop
Fitzgerald is her knight and champion
in the contest. In fact, Fitzgerald Is the
radical bishop of the denomination. The
leader on the conservative side is the Rev.
James NJ. buckley, ID. d., editor of the
"Christian Advocate" the official organ
OF the chucrh. In the debates on the
woman delegate question which took
place in the general conference eight
years ago, DIR. Buckley greatly distin-
guished himself. Among giants in de-
rate there is none more formidable than
Buckley, who IL always alert, energetic,
genial and full OF resources. In anticipa-
ton OF the great meeting at Cleveland,
the votes OF annual conferences are being
taken. Results point to a decided victory
for Miss Willard and Bishop Fitzgerald.
Even the cleverpess OF DIR. Buckley can
not successfully stem he tide of the in
evituble, and Methodists who hold con-
servative views on this interesting ques-
tion are consoling themselves with the re-
tiection that after all only few women
of the Miss Willard type are likely to be
elected delegates, while the vast majority
OF the sisterhood will concern them.
selves not bit about candidates and
votes, but will still be content to remain
"keepers at home"
The recent death Of the Rev. DR.. Sanford
Hunt, senior book agent of the church,
leaves an important Office vacant. Con-
lectures are entirely vain as to who will
be elected his successor. There are doubt
less many ministers who could fill the
Office with sufficient ability; and II Is ex-
pected that not few names will be pre-
sented, and an exciting and prolonged
contest follow. The same may be said OF
the election OF missionary secretary to
succeed the Rev. j. .. Peck, ID. d., de-
ceased. In short, fat offices are not al
together unsougnf, and seem as attrac-
tive to churchmen as to people In the de-
praved world outside.
This applies particularly In the election
OF bishops, of whom perhaps five or six
will.be chosen at the coming conference.
Their Office, as general superintendents
of the church, with the power of ap-
pointing ministers, is one OF great re-
sponsibility and honor; and, as lead
ing minister of the church remarked In
conversation with the writer, they are
little men only once In four years, at the
general conference, when their immedi-
ate function is nothing more than to ad-
minister the rules OF debate and to cit on
the platform.
A momentous practical question to be
decided at this meeting Is whether or
not the time limit OF the itinerancy
shall be changed or modified. At present
no minister can remain in charge of one
congregation or circuit longer than five
years. City pastors and congregations
are in many cases opposed to the mainten
ance of this as an imperative rule, con-
tending that 1t is prejudicisl to the in
terests of Methodism in the centers OF
population. Previously to the year 1858 the
limit was three years, but the victory OF
the city interest eight years ago will n OF
be followed, it 10 expected, by any radi-
cal change this year. Led by DIR. Buck
ley, the old-fsshioned Methodists who
contend that the frequent change OF pa
tors is desirable, giving to many congre-
cations instead Of a few the advantages
of the abiest ministry, and opening
many opportunities Tor raising merit in
the RANKS of the preachers, will fight a
winning battle. a few comparatively
unimportant concessions may be made In
d the case of city pastorates, but Il 10
probable that the five years rule will be
maintained. Ihe tendency, however,
with the rapid massing OF the population
in cities which IL now going on, Is un-
questionably toward the principle OF ex-
tending the limit OF the pastoral term.
The Mel hodist Review FOR March-April
contains two articles on "The Law as TO
Amusements, in both of which strong
ground IL taken against rules enacted by
fine yeneraI conference of 1S72 which