Bridgeton pioneer., 1900-10-25
ANNUAL M. P. CONFERENCE.
The Session Was Held i'm Cam
den.


New Jersey Methodist Protestants,
who are in annual Conference in the
Memorial Methodist Protestant
Church, Camden, Wednesday by a
unanimous vote expressed their dis
approval of the action of the Gen
eral Conference, relative to the fixing
of boundary lines, which, they claim,
robbed them of their rights, and in
strong terms denounced the represen-
tatives of the Maryland Conference,
who, it is claimed, by parliamentary
jugglery, obtained by deception,
brought about the General Conference
action. which the New Jersey Con-
ference ministers say, gives to Mary
land churches in New Jersey.
Yesterdays action, which was only
taken after a discussion lasting the
best part Of the day, was the result
of section of ie annual report OF
President Clarke. which reads as
follows:
"As is we'll known, there are a
number of churches in New Jersey
which are not affiliated with this
Conference, but receive their pastoral
supply from the New York and Mary
land Conferences. Concerning these
old established churches, it seems
good to me to note from the minutes
of 1893 part of the excellent report
of our Commissioners to the New
York Conference:
!" Your minds are no doubt
troubled about the appointments you
are holding in the New Jersey Dis
trict, but we do not desire that this
irregularity should be cause of i'll
feeling or strife. These churches are
IN the New Jersey Conference and
nowhere else. We are willing at any
time to acknowledge that right, and
should be glad to have them take
their proper places, but we
are forced to conclude that then the
wrong is righted. and the seeming
longer a source of repoach, the credit
of the restoration should be with
those who have done the work -
Continuing, Mr.. Clarke says: SIT
to do with the old established
churches, for the Commissioners did
not suspect that any Conference
would thereafter come within our
boundaries and organize churches.
While the New Jersey Conference
does not claim to own the State of
New Jersey nor the right to dictate
who shall live within the borders of
the State, nor how they shall worship
God. yet it must be manifest that we
should zealously guard the integrity
of our Jurisdiction and insist that
persons, churches or con nferences call
ing themselves Methodist Protestants
should obey the book of discipline of
our church and respect the sovereign
ty of the New Jersey Conference.
Certainly the first and all en-
bracing duty of the several annual
Conferences is to respect the sover-
eighty of each other; to inflict no
wrong, by way of physical aggression
or otherwise upon each other. This
principle has, in my opinion, been
fiagrantly violated by the Maryland
Conference at it's last session in re-
ceiving Clinton Avenue, Church, of
Newark, N. j., as charge, and by
VTT n
tor. The facts as stated are gathered
from the minutes of the Maryland
Conference. -
Rev. 9. d. SinnickSon and Jacob
Leuppie, who represented the New
Jersey Conference, which was held in
Atlantic City, stated that they had
endeavored to get the Conference to
take action to fix the Conference
boundaries TO include the whole
State, but claim that the Maryland
delegates by scheming secured the
passage of section whereby the
churches in Newark and Elizabeth
should be portion of the Maryland
District, President Clarke substan-
tiateu this, and said that, although
he had the assurance from the Presi-
dent of the Maryland Conference that
the Newark church would not be
confiscated without New Jerseys
consent, the Maryland Conference
did, without even communicating
with him place the church on It's
list of stations and assigned a pastor.
Such procedure, he said, was made
possible by General Conference ac-
tion, and accomplished by parliament
tary jugglery and deception by the
Maryland delegates. Several minis
ters made addresses denouncing such
action, and the Conference then by