The Penn's Grove record., 1900-04-27
THE GENERAL CONFERENCE

THE GENERAL CoNFERENCB
Of the Methodist Episcopal Church
will meet in Chicago, on next Wednes.
day, May I'd.
Every four years during the month
Of May the General Conference OF the
Methodist Episcopal Church meets 20
review the work done by the church.
elect general officers and make laws for
the whole church. 1t is the highest
court of appeal and SO has judicial as
well as legislative powers.
This year it meets in Chicago in the
Auditorium, said to be the finest au-
dience hall in the world. The member
ship is composed of delegates elected Dy
the annual conferences of ministers
and laymen elected by bodies OF laymen
in each conference appointed for the
purpose by local churches. No laymen
were delegates until 1872. Since then
the ministers have been in a majority,
but it is proposed that the number OF
ministers and laymen shall be equal.
and if this plan is adopted the body
will consist of about 800 members. The
vote will be formal, it is said, ana the
provisional delegates will be admitted
to this Conference. Complicated with
the lay representation is the question OF
admitting women to the Conference.
Their admission has been voted down
three times, but an Illinois conference
has chosen a woman as a delegate, and
the General Conference will have to
take the question up.
Some Of the most distinguished mel
of the nation are among the delegates.
Chief Justice Charles B. Lore, OF VIII
mington; and Ex-Governor Robert e.
Pattison, of Philadelphia, will he lay
delegates. There will also be repre-.
sentatives present from various coun'
tries of Europe, South America. Africa,
India, Japan, China, Korea and Mexico
The bishops take turns in presiding.
SIZE OF METHODIsM.
These 800 delegates will represent
nearly 5000. 900 Methodists. A century
ago the church had but 2SS ministers,
and most of them spent their time rid
ing horseback over bill and plain and
through forests to preach to scattered
aocks. To-day the Methodist church
has II. 5S3 ministers and 1929 locaI
preachers. The number of churches is
1000 and their estimated value more
than SIG, 000, 900. Besides this, the
church has the largest religious pub
fishing interests of any denomination
in the world, and its 225 educational
societies are attended by nearly $4,000
students.
The bishops quadrennial address.
usually presented the first week of the
conference, is n of the most impor-
tant, if not the most important, docu.
ment that will come before The dele.
gates. 1t is a comprehensive survey OF
the state Of the church as to its doc.
trines, discipline and varied activities.
1t is carefully prepared and considered
and revised by all of the Is bishops, SO
that when completed it receives the in.
dorsement of them all.
The twentieth century thank offering
of 500, 000, 600 and 1900, 900 souls for
Christ. recommended by the bishops,
will doubtless receive the unanimous
Endorsement of the conference and adj
ditional action taken to make it sue
cessful.
Perhaps that part Of the conference
about which the largest interest is
gathering is the election Of new bishops,
four agents of the Book Concern, Is
editors and 10 corresponding secretar-
les of the benevolent societies.
Some members of the church believe
that Methodism suffers because there
are not enough bishops, and it is pro-
posed to increase the number by eight.
The following are those who it is ex.
pected will be chosen:
NEW prcunpc
Rev. DR.. Joseph F. Berry, editor of
the Epworth Herald, Chicago; Rev.
DR.. A. j. Palmer, of New York, one
of the secretaries of the Missionary
Society; Rev. DR.. j. F. Goucher, head
of the Woman's College, Baltimore;
Rev. DIR. w. V. Kelley, editor of the
Methodist Review; Rev. DR.. Charles j.
president of the Garrett Biblical
Institute, Evanston; Rev. DR.. j. w.
Hamilton, secretary of the Freedman's
Aid Society; Rev. DR.. D. H. Moore.
editor of the Christian Advocate, Gin
.cinnati, and Rev. DR.. Henry w. Spell.
meyer, pastor of Rosevile Church.
Newark.
ADJUSTMENTS,
The question of amusements is likely
come up again. Four years ago an
effort was made to change the rule
against dancing, theaters, horse races.
circuses or playing at games of chance,u
but the effort failed. There is a senti.
ment in favor of not naming a list of
Objectionable amusements, but favors
emphasizing the general rule on the
question. which says the members shall
avoid taking such diversions as can
not be used in the name of the Lord
Jesus" 1t seems to be .he general
opinion that the rules will not be
changed.
TINE LIMIT.
The time limit of Dastorates will ha