Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-04-21
WOMEN DELEGATES
SsQUADRENNlAL GENERAL CON
FERENCE OF METHoDIsTs
AT LOS ANGELES.
Women to Attend as Delegates for the
First Time in History of the Church
Election of New Bishops = I'M
portant Changes Proposed.

j. W. Neasham of this city is lay
delegate and Rev. J. w. Lambert a
regular delegate to the general con-
ference of the Methodist Episcopal
church to be held at Los Angeles, Cal,
beginning May and continuing about
one month. The general conference is
the only legislative body of the Meth
odist church and convenes once in
four years.
Delegates from all parts OF the
world will be in attendance and among
them will be Lo Ching Ming, the ma
tive Chinaman who guided the relief
expedition from Tien Sien to Pekin.
For the first time in the 120 years his
tory Of the church. women will hold
seats in the body as delegates. This
revolution is the result of the action
taken at the session of the general con-
ference held in Chicago four years ago.
When the Methodist Episcopal
church was organized at Baltimore
December "a, 1854 every minister in
the church was member of the con-
ference. The number of ministers in
creased SO rapidly that it was found
necessary to limit the number Of men,
bers and in 1872 the general confer
ence became delegate body. In 1872
laymen were admitted to the general
conference as members anG at the
meeting of the conference in 1900 a
rule was adopted providing for an
equal lay and ministerial representa-
ton. z
Women as Delegates.
Ia ~
membership in the general conference
in 1872 women were not admitted un.
til 1904. The word "layman' was in,
tseeffRPsetted by pany to mean male mem,
Der only, ana when in 1888 five women
were eIested, objections were made to
their being seated as delegates on the
ground that the law of the church did
not provide for women delegates. The
objections were sustained and for
twelve years, the woman question was
subject Of agitation. 1t was finally
settled by changing the word "laymen"
to LAY member" and women are now
eligible. About twenty-five have
been selected as delegates to the gen
eral conference this year.
May Restore Time Limit
One of the important questions to be
considered by the conference will be
regarding the restoration of the time
limit. In 1904 two years was fixed as
the limit Methodist pastor might re-
main with church. In 1864 this was
extended to three years and in 1883 to
five years. This limitation was OBJ
jected to by some and in 1900 it was
removed altogether. 1t has not worked
as advantag eously as was expected
and many who voted for it think it
should be restored An effort may be
made to repeal the present law and
again fix a limit. A number of annu.
al conferences have adopted resolu.
tons urging such action.
To Elect New Bishops.
Seldom nave public men retained ac-
tive leadership so long as the present
bishops of the Methodist Episcopal
church. Two of them. S. NJ Merrill and
e. G. Andrews. are over rs years old
One is over rs and four others arc
over 10. These men have retained their
vigor in remarkable degree but theil
ages. taken in connection with the
death of Two active bishops during the
last four years, and the increasing
work of the church, render it desirable
that number of new bishops be elect
ed. Several facts will enter into the
determination Of the number. 1t will
not be less than three and may be six
Bishop Merrill, who has stated that
there is no foundation for the rumol
that he intends to resign, was elected
bishop at the general conference held
in Brooklyn in 1872. He was born il
1926 and united With the Methodist
church in 1912. He began studying
while working at the shoemakers
bench and almost from the beginning
of his public life made the impression
of a profund thinker.
Bishop Merrill is called the John