Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-04-03
Davis w. Clark Writes of the APP
preaching Methodist Parliament.
MAGNITUDE OF METHODIST CHURCH
There Are in Round Numbers Three
Million Communicates and Twelve
Million Acknowledgement Con.
ference an Uncommon Affair.

correspondence of the Courier) -
Aside from sectarianism, and even
religion itself, the assembling of the
governing conference of the Metho-
dist Episcopal church will be current
event of general public interest. The
great constituency represented and
the large monetary interests involved,
together with the personnel of the
body, give it an unusual Importance.
The somewhat bewildering statistics
can be put in a nutshell. In round
numbers there are three million COM.
lnunicants, and on a moderate estimate
twelve million adherents. Three mil
lion are enrolled in the Sunday schools
and two million more in the Epworth
League. There are $4,000 ordained and
IA 600 local ministers. The value of
church and parsonage property is.
Sl34, oo0, 900. The publishing house..
quaintly called the Book Concern"
has had unique history. Starting
with a borrowed capital of 5000, it now
has assets of $s,5oo,ooo, and has paid
out OF its earnings to account of sala-
ries of bishops and the support of SUI
sperannuated preachers the aggregate
OF s., 100000. Since 1S4S, when, under
q decision of the supreme court, the
assets were divided between the church
North and the church South, the gross
sales have been $6O,0O0,OOO. In its va
91ious educational plants the church
has $50, 100000 invested. In the last
'quaarennium SIS, 100000 were raised for,
missions, besides large sums for other
benevolence. Meditating on figures
like these Thomas X. Beecher once
exclaimed in his characteristic style:
feel the earth tremble as the char
aiotssand horsemen of this great Chris
fian army go laundering by. / know.
where they came from; and the camps
they have left and the victories they
have won.'
The general conference having pie
nary power over these great interests is
most uncommon affair. 1t is fellow
less among ecclesiastical bodies. 1t is
an evolution. The germ-cell was the
informal meeting of the pioneer itin>
Grants in the days of colony and revo-
s4aation, to ssconfer" about their work.
utsofsthis slowly, and by almost inn
perceptible degrees, has grown this
most unique body. 1t is supreme court,
electoral college, and legislature all in
one. For many years it was the last
could appeal. But as the conference
met only once il four years, delay of
hearing was felt to be grievance, and
when cases finally came to trial they
were found to consume time needed
for other interests. TO obviate this, a
system Of appellate courts was. provid-
ed for, which has proved altogether.
satisfactory. The right of trial on APP
peal. however, really inheres in the
general conference, which could abol-
slSh the appellate courts at its own dis
erection.
The general conference is the only
Legislative body of the church. 1t has
practically carte blanche to make
rules and regulations, except in mat
Gters of faith. 1t is inhibited from al
tering the articles of religion and in
producing new standards of doctrine.
The other restrictive rules" limiting
the power Of the general conference
can be set aside by ree-fourths
vote Of the annual conferences and a
two-thirds vote of the general confer
4 ence. These rules relate to the ratio
OF presentation, episcopacy, general
rules, rights of trial and appeal, and
disposition of the proceeds of the pub
fishing house.
This great ecclesiastical parliament
has been the scene of some famous de-
S 5sA1<htSS, SOutiHueu UnTu Gays ana even
4 weeks of it's sessions. Before the war
at We'd with the national congress as
an arena for the forensic eloquence of
anti and pro-slayery advocates. The at
tempted division of the state was fore
Swallowed by a real disruption of, the
church, which occurred in 1914. An
other but much smaller bone of con-
tention was the presiding eldership.
he effort was to make the office an
elective one, and thus limit the power
6of the Episcopacy in the interest of
democracy. Tho introduced in success
sive general conferences and advocated
q with ability, the measure failed, and
its failure caused the first secession
from the church, which, however. was
comparatively insignificant This fail
snre is more than offset by the success
of lay delegation. Tho repeatedly af-
firmed inexpedient by the general con-
ference, it was finally adopted in 1872,
after protracted agitation. The com
ing conference will witness for the
first time the seating of lay delegates
IN equal number with the clericals.
The Legislative, however, suffers in
public interest in comparison with the
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