New-York tribune., 1900-05-27
METHODIST PASTORS PLEASED.
SAY THE TIME LIMIT CHANGE WAS INEVI-
TABLE AND WILL WORK WONDERS
FOR CITY CHURCHES.


All the Methodist ministers seen yesterday in
this city said the removal of the time limit for pas
adopted at Chicago is a move in the right di-
rection. The Rev. DR.. George H Corey. former
pastor Of the Metropolitan Methodist Church, in
Washington, said:
regard the removal of the time limit hope
in American Methodism @ An An ar6itrary itnerancy
was practically necessity in the time of Wesley
ahd 5ae no saeP to keep qsn en @
six n and ab1a as o6aned e
eellent results The system was admirably adapt
tory class. Now it is different The cities are in
creasing in population and in number and with these
settled centres of wealth and people it is fact that
count OF its custom of Changing pastors at short
Intervals. In this day and age strong institutions
minister who has taken root in a city pastorate
growing stalk of corn and it IS likely to wither "a and
die, and it is a good deal the same way with
city pastorae @ ne B The rsmova "a i Of the time limit
N For on bn it W Essen en- m po%er
of the presiding elders very much and restore TO
to retain a man where he has been conspicuously
successful the same as in the Presbyterian Church
ship, either. The advantage will rest chiefly with
if church does not want t nan It need not keep
him. and that's right. We cannot run things Just
ability to build up successful church in the city
and see some of the results of his labors. l be-
Of Methodism inn5 and rejoice to see two such men
rs G Dr. &c John aamton Of BSsSn ana 9 Dr.
gressive and liberal men, and will do a great deal
for the denomination.
/, The Rev. George P. Eckrnan, pastor of st. Paurs
Methodist Church, at Eighty-sixth-st. and West
End-ave.. said:
The removal of the time limit is what we ell eX-
pected except that we expected to see the lay del
abolition Of the rule. this we were disappontsd
it. This church petitioned for the removal Of the
time limit at its last quarterly conference. Method
People in the country districts felt that they got bet
ter service ~ by having their ministers changed EYER
Gus success In city charge will have an incentive
Of the minister in his charge will be not to exceed
five years but it viii give the exceptional city
of 275 churches In this conference an average of
five year rule was adopted twelve years ago.
hal sdy think it viii decrease the power of the
win now be up at tie end Of each year. If his
oy & Of h @ a at the end Of aecS @
The mnsr nj a NV who ss is not invited to re return & will be
move. Then the presiding elder will have the task
paea 6 the meM an Who %h1 oTes W fo 0 m ad
be eminently successful in a new field
The Rev Dr. F. J. Eelcher of the Metropolitan
Temple. in seventh-ave. who has been presiding
elder, pastor IL country church and a city pas
tor. said
T'e change inevitable and it is absolute
necessity if city Methodism Is do well. The
time when preacher preached Calvinism
Arminiansm. and the people kept coming to hear
him right along. That time has gone by. Now
church waneS according to preachers
personality. Frequent changes in pastorate.
pecaliy in the city likely to work disastrously
So far the ethical aspect of the time limit is
cerned, it ought to 60 There is time limit the
bishops the secretaries, the editors and there
should be none for the pastors Originally there was
time limit. Bishop Asbury found it necessary to
establish IL. Without il he found that pastors in
the towns and cities were likely to have an easier
time than their brothers in the country and the
woods and he made them All evangelists, and fixed
the time limit at six months in both country and
city. That worked well, and the Methodist Church
has prospered wonderfully. But times and condi-
tions have changed. The time limit extended
successfully year and then to three years
and twelve years ago II was made five years. The
new order of things will be especially welcome
city Methodist pastors who want to make a success
of their work