The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1896-05-06
GENERAL CONFERENCE.
Twenty eighth Quadrennial Session OF tn
Nj. Il, Church Held in Cleveland.

L
Church is now holding its twenty-eighth
ouadrennial session at Cleveland. The
body is composed Of about GOO members,
clerical and lay, and have come from
every field in which the Church is repre-
sented. The first general conference was
held in Lovely Lane Chapel, Baltimore, De-
cember "a, 1884, and is known in Metho-
dist history as the Christmas conference.
At that time the Church was finally Or
ganized, and Francis Asbury chosen
bishop, as colleague to Thomas Coke,
whom Wesley sent from England to be
the spiritual shepherd Of his followers in
this country. In 1912 the general con-
ference met in New York as delegated
body for the first time, previous to that
time all ministers Of the church having
been members of it. At present the con-
ference is composed of ministerial and
lay delegates on the basis of one minis
teral delegate for every forty-fve men,
bers of an annual conference, and the
lay delegates on the basis OF two for
each annual conference, except tor
such conferences as have but one minis
terial delegate, in which case but one
lavman is chosen. 1t takes twO-thirds
of the whole number Of ministerial and
lay delegates to mako quorum OF the
general conference. The ministerial
and lay delegates deliberate and vote as
one body land vote separately only when
separate vote is demanded by one-thlrd
Of either order. When separate vote IS
taken, the concurrent vote Of both orders
| is necessary to complete an action. Ihe
presiding officer is one Of the bishops,
who take the chair in the order OF SEN
iOrity.
: The general conference is the supreme
legislative, judicial, and executive body
: of the NJ. E. Church, and has full power
: to make rules and regulations, but exer-
cises the power under certain limitations
: contained in what are known as 1.-THE SIX
restrictive rules" which forbid the
) changing or revocation of the articles OF
religion, the changing of the basis OF
G representation, the doing away of epis'
y copacy or the plan Of general superin'
; tendency, the revocation Of the genera
: rules, the denial of the right of trial anC
T. appeal, and the diversion of the profits o.
II the book concern from certain specified
~ purposes. These six rules, excepting
le the first, can be changed only in certalI
Is constitutional ways. The body conducts
l. its business principally through commit
tees. and to one of these everyprCpOsitiol
t. isreferred. The bishops, who are the pres
+ idents of the body, occupy an anomalou
10 position. They are not members Of tn
III body though are amenable to it. The
Ell are present to preside, and if they diret
" the legislation at all, it is only by Ope
~ ating through others. They cannot pa
re- ticipate in the debate, and furnish info
10 nation only when requested to do SO.
ey' seems strange that the men who are
ng closest touch with the life of the chur'
es- should not have a voice in the shaping
rn' its legislation.
IN, Among the questions pending befO
lhe the general conference are several viii
get vitality affect the episcOpacy. For SOL
He time there has been good deal Of ia
not in the Methodist press relative to t
md districting of the bishops. The prese
by plan of general superintendency, invO
ent ing long journeys on the part OF
I'M bishops, and corresponding expense,
're- gether with certain other alleged e
barrassments, has led to the cOntentl
can that the bishops would be more effici'
one if each were given sefor four ye
osi- and then changed to another diocese
lent question of missionary bishops is conn
that to the front again. There are two mlssl
lbli- ary bishops now, Bishop Thoburn, OF
Nc dia and Malaysia, and Bishop Tay
It it of Africa. Some insist that there shO
cans be missionary bishops for Europe, So
,rise America, China and Japan. But
had missionary bishop is not a fulfilled
be- episcopos. According to the law OF
that Church he cannot exercise the funct1
then of his Office outside the particular
iOnal for which he was chosen. Therefore
eed's claim is advanced that what is needle
e en- not more missionary bishops, but
bishops who will be assigned to
various fields for four years each.
The "woman question: is recei
attention with strong probabllitle
her IL the admission of their delegates to
taKe general conference and the acknOwl
that ment that the word ''layman" in
alI discipline includes women.
espair The abolition Of the pastoral
eu 10 limit has been discussed with so l
arllla energy during the last few years
y ex- the general conference will be mem
lized to take some action. Orig
there was no time limit. Then the
Inner was placed at six months, then a
Onsti- year, then at two years, then at
and in 1883 1t was extended to hve }