Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1896-05-09
NEWS FOR MErHoDlsTs.
Items OF Interest Touching on Church Sta
tistics and Church Government.


tistics and Church 0overbment
CLEVELAND. o., May <-Methodists
are tired of eoliecticns-not Of. the
Principle, but Oh tho 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 moro economy.
They want one collection and one or.
ganisation TO administer their benevd'
lences, This IA iict 4 new tofiplaint;
but this general conference has taken
the first step In an effort TO consolidate
its various missionary and other bepev.
olent funds This espferenes de.
termined to appoint committee to
devise q plan for the CONSOLE.
dalton OF the church's benevolenccs,
one minister and one lnyman to be
chosen by each Of tho IA general dis.
tslets aid the Nth member to bss DIP:
pointed BY the bishops The address
OF tho bishops was read by Bishop
warrsn and REQUIRED two iiours III III
delivery. 1t was silent on the admis-
sion Of women and on the demand Of
tho laymen for equal representation.
II opposed the removal OF the time
limit on pastorates, except In raro
easen and inslstrA Oh tho fulc tgtirist
frivolous nmusements.
The address shows that the church
has n mem bership Of 2,79G. $50, q gain
OF $3.50, 600 in four years Tho Sunday
schools last year numbered no, asa, q
gain Ia fouf years OF 2I0. and the
teachers and pupils numbered 2,0as, $50,
q gain of ESQ., 900 The conversions in
the Sunday schools In four years were
50, la0, The church has added sii ,B0d,-
900 worth OF property to tho ella, OOO,-
600 owned In 1892. The gain In pas.
toral support has teeh sbOd, ZOO, PARTLY
because Of 400 more PASTORS The
missionary funds show substantial
gains. The church has 81 deaconess'
homes, hospitals and orphahages, OF
which 10 are in foreign lands.
There are ga deaconesses, of
whom 90 are in foreign work. One
hundred are trained nurses The Or
ganization has s6il, $50 worth of prop.
erty, which has been wostly given dur
ing the last foilr yedfs The Epw5rtH
league has $1,000 chapels, with 1850,
900 members. On this subject the nd
dress says: "Wc are impressed with
tho Importance of encouraging our
pastors aud young people to establish
and maintain Epworth leagues rather
than other societies In order that they
may have the benefit OF our literature
and 10 trimmed 10 be loyal and intelll'
gent Methodists."
Tho bishops propose seini;annual
conference TO take the place OF the
quarterly. They suggest n court for
the trial Of charges against ministers
by each local conference of q circuit
clccting trial judges to be members oil
that court This is to avoid the obiee,
ton Of trying cases before mixed
bodies, OF old and young, male and f.
male. The bishops recommend that
students Of the theological schools who
apply for admission to the ministry
shall be credited with studies pursucd
In school. They suggest providing for
supernnnuated ministers and thcir
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
theatcr-going. They favor total pro-
hibition and want the United State:
to refuse government licenses III pro
hibition states The various denomi
national schools are Endorsed. The ad
dress declares for n national divorce
law, denounces the Armenian atroci
ties, favors arbitration in labor and in
international disputes, and urges profit
shnrinr.