The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-05-10
TO WORK IN UNION
Joint WORK of Methodists,
North and South.
IN THE FOREIGN FIELD
RECOMMENDED TO THE TWO
GENERAL CONFERENCES.
The EPWORTH LEAGUE IS ENDORSED
Provisions For Plan TO Admit travelling Preach
ers from one to the Other Annual Con-
ference Without Present Formal
lie, Articles Of Religion,

Baltimore, Md. May .9.-CheerfuI
weather and bright skies greeted the
members of the General Conference o
the Methodist Episcopal Church, South,
this morning for the first time since their
advent into this city.
The most important features of to-
day 5 business session was the presenta
ton of the report of the committee ap-
pointed on behalf of this conference to
discuss with il similar committee from
the church in the North the ACCESSIBILITY
and practicabiity of n federation of the
two sections. The report consisted solely
of the printed minutes of the joint SEES
sion of the committees on federation,
held in Washington on January 9TH, At
which resolutions were adopted recon-
mending co-opeTation to Il limited extent
in certain fields but nothing in the form
OF consolidation.
Bishop j. Il. Granbury presented the
report. the principal recommendations
of which are rs follows:
"Appreciating fully the Christian com
ity which prevails among our missions
in foreign lands and having given care
full consideration to the principle and
deSirability of cooperative administers
ton as Il means for leSsening the eX-
penditure of funds in the prosecution OF
the work; we, therefore, without at
tempting TO formulate any plan for such
cooperation. commend the subject to the
consideration of the two general confer
ences.
We recommend the respective general
conference to enact provisions to the
effect that where other churches arc do
ing the work expected of MethOdism,
the other church shall not organize Il
society nor erect Il church building I'M
til the bishop having jurisdiction in the
case Of the work proposed shall be con
suited and his approval obtained
I'VE have observed with much interest
the growth of the Epworth League in
our respective churches and rejoice in
the spirit OF fraternity manifested in
their biennial international conferences
and commend TO the several governing
bodies of the churches interested, the
question rs to whether official rccogni-
tion if these meetings can be given and
whether authoritative regulations arc
required to increase or promote their ef-
ficieney.
We recommend to our respective gen
eral conferences the provision Of n plan
by which a travelling preacher Of annual
conference in either church may be re-
ceived into an annual conference of the
other church. retaining his credentials.
without the formality of having his or
ders recognized"
Bishop Hargrove called the conference
to order and presided during the session
The Rev. DIR. ]. w. Hinton. of Macon
| Ca. offered the opening prayer.
The Western Virginia Conference in.
troduced q memorial to take Il small
slice off the Baltimore Conference IN
West Virginia in order to make the Al
legheny Mountain Ridge the dividing
line between the conferences. The me-
mortal was referred to the Committed
on Boundaries.
me Committee on EDwOrth League
presented recommendation that tllt
| Fpworth Era. the official organ Of The
Epworth League. published at Nash
ylle. he enlarged to twelve pages and
as soon as possible to sixteen pages. The
committee also recommended the an
| nointment of an Epworth League editor
| whose salary should he fixed by Tho
| Book Committee and paid by the pub
| fishing agents.
A lively discussion arose over the re
port Of the commission to revise ths
articles of religion Of the church. Some
members of the conference wanted i'm
| mediate action on the report and Others
wanted to wait until Wednesday in or
der to get time to read the revised ar
ticles which had been submitted in print
cd form by the committee. 1t was fin
decided to POSTPONE until Wednos
dav. The changes made in the articles
are mostly in correction Of Topographic
cal errors.