The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-20
M.E.CHURCH CONFERENCE
THE INDIANA METHODISTs TO GATH
ERR HERE THIS WEEK.
Questions to Come Up-Rev. DIR. Sims
Does Not Think Much of Lay
mems Movement.

The annual session of the indiana Con-
ference of the NJ. E. Church is to be held
in Roberts Park NJ. E. Church this week,
beginning Wednesday morning at o'clock,
and continuing until Monday or Tuesday OF
next week. Bishop Charles H. Fowler is to
preside. Among the notable divines of the
Methodist Church of Indiana who will be
in attendance are DR.. Leonard. general
missionary secretary, DR.. Kynett, of the
church extension work, Drs. Goblin and
Hickman, of De PAW University, and
Bishop Bowman, of st. Louis.
About $50 ministers will be in attendance,
besides many men prominent in the various
benevolent, educational and missionary So
cietieS of the church. The annual session
of the conference will open with the admin
istration of the sacrament of the Lords
supper The body is not legislative, and
most of the work will be of a routine char
acter, although there will be many inter-
esting discussions of sociological and moral
questions. The business of the session in
cludes review of the years work in the
various charges, the reception of benevo-
lent contributions to the various works of
the church, reports from ministers con-
corning the condition of the various
charges and formal declarations concerning
great questions of the day. One of the
most important things the session will have
before it is the reviewing of all charges
| and the changing of pastors where it is
| considered advisable or where their terms
| have expired by the five-year limit.
Temperance, the Sunday question, mis-
sionary work, foreign and domestic, the
| advancement of the educational institu-
! tons and church extension work will be
| some of the important topics that will be
- Il.
| lecture on Abraham Lincoln Friday even
| ing. Saturday forenoon the bishop will de-
| liver his charge to the young men about
| to be received into the full Fellowship of
! the conference, in which he will place be-
| fore them the duties they are about to as
| sumo in entering upon the ministry, and
| will charge them concerning moral and
| spiritual obligations they assume in becom-
| ing ministers of the gospel. Bishop Fowler
ciate at the ordination of ministerial dea-
| cons and elders Sunday afternoon. Among
| the important events of the conference will
| be the anniversary meetings of the various
| societies of the church.
The members of the conference are to be
| entertained in the homes of the church peo
| pie of the city
The closing business of the session, the
| formal announcement of the appointments
4 of ministers to the various charges for the
ensuing year, is matter of much moment
| to the ministers in attendance upon the
| annual session, and it is feature that is
| always looked forward to with more or less
| anxiety.
DIR. SIMS ON THE LAYMEN.
Rev. DR.. c. N. Sims, pastor of the Me-
ridian-street NJ. E. Church. says that he
does not suppose the conference will pay
any attention to the so-called laymen's
movement. He says that there is really no
| issue involved in that movement, as the
| laymen now have equal power in the Cen
eral Conference of the church-the highest
| judicial and the sole legislative body. Dr.
| Sims says that instead of increasing the
number of laymen there is growing senti-
ment in favor of reducing the number of
ministerial delegates to the General Con-
| ference, as the expense is now very great
| 1t costs the church something like $500 900
| year to hold it's General Conferences
and if the number of lay delegates were
| increased the expenses would also be in
| creased proportionately. The General Con-
| ference, he explains, is made up of two
| lay delegates from each conference and one
| ministerial delegate for each forty-five
members of the conference. Thus, if there
| are less than fifty ministers in the con-
| ference the laymen have more representa-
| ton than the ministers. He says while
| the number of lay delesares is smaller,
| they exercise veto power and that there
| can be no legislation without their sane
! ton. If the ministers desire to adopt new
| legislation, for instance, and the laynen
| oppose it, the latter can block action by
| calling for vote by orders. Then the min
| isterial and lay delegates separate and I'M
| less majority of both bodies favor the
| legislation it cannot be made. For this
reason DR.. Sims contends that there is no
| issue and says that the whole subject SIM
| ply displays desire on the part of the
| laymen of the church to go on a junket
| to the General Conference ana have their
| expenses borne by the church. DR.. Sims
said that the ministers care so little about
| the subject that they have given it very
| little thought. For one he did not attend
| the laynen'S conference last week
There is one thing the conferences of
our church do" said Dr. Sims, that is
| done by no other church. Each year the
| moral character and fitness foT Ia In
| istry of each minister passes in review be-
| fore the session. If any charges are made
| against any minister they are Immediately
| referred to an investigating committee.
| do not know of any other church that has
| this rule
Dr. Sims said that he knew of no charges
| that were to be investigated at this time
Indeed that cannot be known until the ses-
| sion begins.