The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-01-24
VNi0nS&NCADuNv
THE METHODIST BISHOPS.
Eighteen Men Who Have Spiritual
WuIe over Many Millions.

The Methodist Church is one of the
most highly organized, or rather is the
most highly organized, of all the Pro-
testant denominations. But without
going into minute 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 the vacancies by death or deposition
"a bishop cannot resign. 1t is within
the power of the general conference to
enlarge this number If, in it's opinion.
the needs of the church require. The
new bishop is ordained with elaborate
ceremonies, and. Methodists claim, with
true apostolic succession through the
Wesleys.
OF these twenty-one men. eighteen
have supreme and wellnigh arbitrary
jurisdiction over worldwide Method
ism, and two of these are practically
retired, thus reducing the active force
to sixteen. How this supervision shapes
itself into routine may be indicated
TO show the extent and character of
this authority. There are in the Meth
odst church 124 conferences, 1903 of
which are in this country, while II are
distributed through India, China, South
America Mexico and Europe. These
conferences may be called the grand
divisions of Methodism. They are
always subdivded into two or
more districts, and represent from
from so to 800 or more Charges"
or churches. Each of these confer
ences holds an annual session, at
which a bishop must preside. He has
associated with him in authority on
such occasion what is known as the
cabinet" a body composed of the
bishop and the presiding elders of the
conference. The presiding elder, it
should be said, is the chief executive
of each district conference, and is him
self a person of great authority. At
each conference the bishop, in consul
tation with his ca abinet. decides upon,
appoints and announces the pastorates
for the coming year, and from this de-
cision there is no appeal A Methodist
minister must either take his assign
ment or disobey orders and practically
quit the ministry. Only very few ex-
ceptional reasons Justify such disobed-
icnce in the eyes of his felow-min-
listers and the public opinion of the
church.
Thus, theoretically at least. these
tWenty-one bishops have in their ar
hitrary power the location and work of
the 10000 ministers of the Methodist
church-a power which cannot find a
parallel outside of the Roman Catholic
church, if indeed it be equaled .there.
1t will be observed that the Metho-
dist bishops are not confined to a do
cese. The bishop, however, has an
episcopal residence, though he may not
be much at home. The residences are
fixed by the general conference and
the choice is then made by the bishOLs
themselves in the order of their senior
ity. Thus it happens that a bishop Of
ten officially resides at great distance
from the scene of the work with which
he is most prominently identified
Bishop Vincents home for example. is
at Kansas City, though he is common.
ly associated with Chautauqua inter.
ests.
In addition to these varied and i'm.
portant tasks within the bounds of oul
country, two or more of the twenty
one bishops are chosen to visit the for.
cign conferences. These men should bt
carefully distinguished from what ar,
known as missionary bishops, the only
Methodist bishop corresponding to tn,
Anglican bishop-that is, with a well
defined and permanent diocese, anC
who therefore corresponds pretty close
ly TO a presiding elder, though he ha
presiding elders under him. These visit
ing bishops travel throughout the worlC
and are effective everywhere.
1t will be seen from this cursor,
sketch that the group of Methods
bishops are vested with more powe
than any body Of ecclesiastics in tn
Protestant church. As Bishop Fallow
of the Reformed Episcopal church ono
remarked "A Methodist bishop ha
more power in his little finger than
have in my whole body" 1t only re
mains to be said that this group of me-
exercise their enormous powers wit
rare wisdom, moderation and fidelity