Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1896-05-09
NEWS FOR METHoDIsTs.

items of Interest Touching Church Sta
tistics and Church Government.
CLEVELAND, o.. May 4.-Methodists
are tired OF collections-nos of the
principle, but of the number There
are six or seven church funds, each Of
Ehich 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 .heir benevo-
lences This Is not a new complaint,
but this general conference has taken
The first step in an effort to consolidate
it's various missionary and other benev-
client funds The conference de-
termined to appoint committee to
devise a plan for the CONSOLE
dalton of the church's benevolenees,
one minister and one 1ayman to be
chosen by each of the IA general dis
tricts and the 29th memke- 20 be APP
pointed by the bishops. The address
of the bishops was read by Bishop
Warren and required two hours in it's
delivery. 1t was silent on the admis-
sion of women and on the demand of
the 1aymen for equal representation.
1t 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 a mem bership of 2,796. $50, a gain
of $50. 600 in four years The Sunday
schools last year numbered 80, 352, a
gain in four years of 276, and the
teachers and pupils mum bered 2, 93S, $50,
a gain of $50. 900. The conversions in
the Sunday schools in four years were
So, 436. The church has added 81. 6OO,-
900 worth of property to the S113, 600, :
900 owned in 1892. The gain in pas
toral support has been $500, 900, partly
because of 1, 400 more pastors The
missionary funds show substantial
gains. The church has 81 deaconess'
homes, hospitals and orphanages, of
which is are in foreign lands.
There are 574 deaconesses, of
whom 30 are in foreign work. One
hundred are trained nurses. The or
ganization has S63I, $50 worth of prop
erty, which has been mostly given dur
ing the last four years. The Epworth
league has $1,000 chapels, with 1850, :
900 members. On this subject the ad-
dress says: "We are impressed with
the Importance of encouraging our
pastors and young people to esta blish
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 a 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-
ton 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-
hibition 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 a national divorce
law, denounces the Armenian atroci-
ties, favors arbitration in labor and in
in terna tional disputes, and urges profit
sharing.