The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-02-10
I1,-rit+en for The rTimeso

lavmen are so dissatisfied with the acton
OF the General Conference in Chicago last
Nav i'm removing the pastoral tiIne-llmlt
that an effort is making to have spring
conferences now beginning to meet put
the dissatisfaction into official form. 1t
is said that if three or four large con-
ferenccs. like the New England, the New
York. the Baltimore. the Philadelphia. or
ST T o11is adopt resolutions antagonistc
TO the change the matter will be reOpened
by the next General Conference, and per-
haps the limit restored. Speaking on the
matter a member of the last General Con-
ference and one of the best-informed lay
men in American alcoholism says:
THAT there is, general dissatisfaction
over the removal of the pastoral time
limit admits of 10 sort of doubt. Through
out the entire East complaints are heard,
and thew come not more from minister's
than from laymen. A movement to
restore the limit is now taking shape, and.
while personally I have no feeling in the
matter. not being affected one way or the
other, I feel sure that. We're the vote to
be taken after even this brief experience,
the limit would be fastened upon Method
ism so strongly that it could never be
again removed II is true that the fall
conferences were held after the General
Conference took its action. but so many
arrangements had heen entered into in
advance that the new rule was unable
to effect much.
Now the spring conferences are coming
on, the first to be held under the new
order of things, and the effects of the
rule are bginning to be felt. 1t is to be
noted that last FAIL in conferences where
st was strictly legal to return men for
the sixth year, only a very small propor-
ton were so returned. In the Genesee
Conference last autumn Of three men
appointed for the sixth year. two of them
preferred not to be returned. and SO
irformd the presiding Bishop. The latter
sent them back. however, feeling that he
was CARRYING out the spirit of the new
regulation
UNREST DEVELOPING
1T is a question whether a majority
of IIethodistl5 really desire that there be
no limit to the pastoral relation. I am
not saying that the General Conference
of last May was not a representative
body 1 believe it to have been. But
it was a radical body, and Iethodism may
have been i'm a radical mood L do not
say whether it was or was not. The fact
is. however, that the last conference did
more than most Methodists: expected it
to do. The agitation for the removal OF
the limit had been on for some years. but
it was not very persistent. and had not
stirred NIethod.sm as some other questions
have done
There was in that conference no clear
distinction among those who favored and
those who opposed the removal. 1t can
not now be said that ministers favored
it more than laymen, or layrlen more
than ministers. 1t IS true, though. that
the General Conference is made up of
well-to-do laymen and prominent minis
ters The highest body in any communion
must contain the leaders of that COM
munion Such well-to-do and successful
men naturally favor the permanent-pas-
torate idea. Hence, the vote, very close
one, which removed the t-me-limit. Now
the men of less note, minister and lay,
are making themselves felt There is
pressure from the rank and file. Inc
medium grade congregation Is speaking.
And the spring conferences are, unless all
signs fail. more than likely to voice what
these middle men have to sly. General
unrest obtains. It is confined to the East
now, but that is because the spring con-
ferences are mostly in the East. Next
fall, when the western conferences meet,
the same unrest will be observed. l look
to see organized effort to secure the res
toration OF the pastoral tlme-llmlt, ana
that to three years. OF course, the
present arrangement must continue until
1901"
BROTHERHOOD MEETING.
St. Andrew is to try this year a mid
summer convention. The place selected
is Detroit, a city whose Mayor is a Bro
therhood man and whose influence did
much to secure the convention Tor That
city. Interest even at this early date is
considerable, and prospects Indicate an
attendance twice as large as ever attended
q Brotherhood convention before. The
Detroit committee has undertaken the
of; has
already begun issue, and is to be sent to
thousands of individual members through
out the country until the very day OF
meeting. An exceptional railroad rate has
been secured. An important matter to
come before the convention will be that
OF broadening out the letter and spirit
Of the Rule Of Service, so as to include
several forms of religious effort by young
men aside from the mere endeavor to
bring other young men to church services
and to Bible classes.
The ninth conference of Episcopal
Church Clubs is to meet in Philadelphia,
beginning on the 18th instant. Every
principal city in the country has an Epis-
copal social organization, which serves as
a lay centre of church influence and activ-
ity. Four years ago a new impetus was
given to these clubs when the national
conference of them, started five years
before. began to attract general notice.
The chairman of the Forthcoming confer
cree is Secretary Osborne, Of the Mime
sofa Club, and papers to be read include
the following: The Influence of Church.
men in the Formation of Our Govern
ment," by Arthur Ryerson, OF the Chi
cago Club; Growth of the American
Church During the Nineteenth Century,
by Hon. j. NJ. Woolworth, Chancellor of
the Diocese of Nebraska; The Conser-
vative Influenza of the Church in Our
National Affairs by Professor ]. II. Dill
lard, of Tulane University. New Orleans.
and Mountaineering Opportunities for
American Churchmen," by Hon Robert
Treat Paine. of the Episcopalian Club OF.
NIassa chusetts. Discussion always fol-
lows each paper.
EPWORTH LEAGUES TROUBLES.
The Epworth League is said to be find
ing the plan of making its official editor
also its general secretary Il very poor
one, in that it is laying upon the Rev.
DR.. ]. F. Berry, of Chicago. burden
heavier than any one man, however
strong, is physically able to bear. and at
the same time is lending what is declared
by I,eaglrers to be far from satisfactory
service to the organization The change
came about through the troubles of the
old secretary, the Rev. Dr. Schel, who
retired, and is now the financial agent
Of a Methodist stitution located at South
Bend, Ind.