Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-14
Government lpoud
Quotations reported by Corson & Macart-
rcy, bankers.
Eighteen Men Who Have Spiritual
Rule Over Many Millions.

From the Church Economist
The Methodist Church is one of the most
highly organized, or rather Is the most
highly organized. of all the Protestant de-
nominations. But without going into mi.
mute detail We may say briefly that the
board OF bishops is the highest order In the
Methodist system. 1t consists OF twenty
one persons who are elected by the general
conference to fill vacancies by death or
deposition-a bishop cannot resign II is
within the power Of the general conference
to enlarge this number if. in its opinion.
| the needs of the church require. The new
bishop is ordained with elaborate ceremon-
les, and, Methodists claim, with true apos-
tollc succession through the Wesleys.
VI these twenty-one men. eighteen have
supreme and wellnigh arbitrary Jurisdiction
over worldwide Methodsm, and two of
these are practically retired, thus reducing
the active force to sixteen. How this SUI
perv:sion shapes itself into routine may be
indicated to show the extent and character
of this authority. There are in the Meth
odist church 12i conferences, log of which
are In this country. while II are distributed
through India, China, South America. Mex
leo and Europe. These conferences may he
called the grand division of Methooism.
Ihey are always suhdivided into two or
more districts, and represent from ~ TO
800 or more Charges or churches Each
OF these conferences holds an annual ses-
sion, at which a bishop must preside He
mas dSSoclateu Win MN IN authority
sueh occasions what is known as the
cabinet, body composed of the bfshop
and the presiding elders of the conference.
The presiding elder, it should be said is
the Chief executive of each district confer
ence. and is himself person of great au-
thority. AT each conference the oishop, In
consultation with his cabinet decides upon
appoints and announces the pastorates for
the coming year, and from this decision
there is no appeal. A Methodist minister
must either take his assignment or disobey
orders and practically quit the ministry.
Only very few exceptional reasons Justify
such disobedience in the ewes of his fellow.
ministers and the public opinion of the
church.
Thus, theoretically at least, these twenty
one bishops have In their arbitrary power
the location and work of the 10000 minis
tiers of the Methodist Church-a power
winch cannot find parallel outside of the
Roman Catholic Church, If indeed II be
equaled there.
1t will be observed that the Methodist
bishops are not confined to a diocese They
much at home. These residences are fixed
range for the visitation of the conferences
taking pains to observe the itinerant prin-
ciple so that, roughly speaking each bishop
visits the whole church in from twelve TO
fifteen years. The bishop, however has an
episcopal residence. though he may not be
much at home. These residences are fixed
by the general conference, and the choice
is then made by the bishops themselves in
the order of their seniority. Thus it hap
p'hs thdl al piSfiOp often OrIc1ally resides
at great distance from the scene of the
work with which he is most prominently
identified. Bishop Vincents home, for ex-
ample, is at Kansas City, though he is
commonly associated with Chautauqua in.
terests.
In addition to these varied and important
tasks within the bounds of our country
two or more Of the twenty-on bishops are
chosen to visit the foreign conferences
These men should be carefully distinguish
ed from what are known as missionary
bishops, the only Methodist bishop cor
spending to the Anglican bishop-that is
with well-defned and permanent diocese
and who therefore corresponds pretty close
ly to presiding elder. though he has pre-
siding elders under him. These visiting
bishops travel throughout the world and
are effective everywhere.
1t will be seen from this cursory sketch
that the group of Methodist bishops are
vested with more power than any body of
ecclesiastics in the Protestant Church. As
Bishop Fallows of the Reformed Episcopal
Church once remarked: "A Methodist bishop
has more power in his little finger than l
have in my whole body" 1t only remains
to be said that this group of men exercise
their enormous powers with rare wisdom,
moderation and fidelity.