The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-11
Methodist Ministers and Laymen.

To the Editor of the indianapolis Journal:
Some of your correspondents are threat
ening the ministry of the Methodist Episco-
pal Church with a convention of laymen
at Indianapolis next September to protest
against the inequality of representation in
the General Conference. They charge the
ministry with oppressive tyranny, because
there are more ministerial delegates than
lay. There are less members of the United
States Senate than there are of the House,
but the potency and power of the Senate
is being seen and felt just now. 1t would
be no stronger if it had as many members
as has the House. New York has thirty
four congressman and only two senators,
but the two may defeat a measure sus-
tanned by the thirty-four In the General
Conference one-third of either order may
call Tor a division, and, whenever such
separate vote shall be demanded the con-
current vote of both orders shall be neces-
Sary to complete action. In the General
Conference OF 1896 the vote was taken by
orders That is, there were two houses
the ministerial and the lay-each agree
ing to submit the question of equal num-
berS of ministerial and lay delegates to
the annual and general conferences know
ing at the time that 1t would require three
fourthS of all the members OF the annual
conference present and voting and two
thirds of the members of the General Con-
ference present and voting to change the
restrictive rule. The question submit
ted to the autumn conferences OF 1896 and
the spring conferences of 1897, and failed
of the three-fourths majority. Your corre-
spondents seem to threaten either the con-
Stitution or the ministers who acted under
il. Well rebellion is not religious or polite.
There seems to be no contention for power,
but only for numbers They want more
preachers to stay at home and more lay
men to go to General Conference 1t is a
struggle for political preferment This I'M
rest is not general. But few of the mem
bers care anything about the matter. If
the question were submitted to the laymen
not one in ten would take the trouble to
vote One of your correspondents, signing
himself or herself "Layman," complains
about the great burdens that are imposed
upon the laymen for foreign missions. If
he will take time to investigate he will find
that the rich presiding elders district i'm
which Indianapolis is, pays the enormous
sum of As cents per member annually for
eight benevolent collections, which, divided
equally, gives cents per member to con-
vert the whole world. But, worse still
nearly one-half of this sum is for home
missions. 1t is wonder that this dear
burdened brother has not called a conven-
ton to revoke the great commission: Go
We. therefore, into all the world and preach
my gospel to every creature. 1t does not
need Roentgen rays TO see clear through this
layman. He complains that the laymen nav
the bills. Well who should pay them?
When laymen want to build q church edi-
flee, they solicit persons not members of
the church to help. The argument by which
they urge their claim is that it will in
crease the value of all the property in that
vicinity. The Sunday school, with ali its
expenses is for the children of laymen
The funerals and weddings are for the Law
men. Ministers give all their time TO lay
all the churches, priests and preachers
from the city and in ten years grass and
weeds would grow in its streets and all of
its realty would decrease 30 per cent in
value. 5. II. COLVIN,
Pastor nj. L. Church.
Rockville, Ind, June ..