Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-06
CONFERENCE CLOSED
Bishop Foss Announces Some
Surprises in Appointments.
ARE FEW CHANGES HERE
RESOLUTIONS FAvoRINa UNION
WITH THE PROTESTANT BRANCH.
Protest Against slim Crow Law-New
Order Of Worship is Approved
List Of Assignments.
ARE FEW CHANGES HERE

conference of the Methodist Episcopal
Church came to a close shortly after noon
yesterday, when Bishop Foss announced
the appointments for the year. A number
OF changes were made and the bishop
sprang some surprises. None of these &C.
Cured for the Washington district, most
of them falling to the Baltimore churches
Only one of the three transfers which were
scheduled to take place was confirmed and
1T was that of Rev. Wilbur Fletcher Sheri-
dan of Louisville, KY, to become pastor of
Mount Vernon Place Church, Baltimore, to
succeed Rev. L. A. Ferris, who was released
to join the Newark IN. j. conference.
The biggest surprise of the appointments
was the sending of Rev. J. St. Clair Neal,
who has been pastor of Wesley Chapel to
Madison Avenue Church to succeed Rev. E.
Il. Patterson. This church recently invited
Rev. S. l.. Bieler of Buffalo to become it's
pastor, but the transfer was not approved.
The transfer of Rev. H. Frank Rail of New
Haven, Conn.,, to this conference to enable
him to become pastor of First Church has
not been approved by Bishop Foss. First
Church is to be supplied.
Soon after the conference opened yeSter-
day morning Bishop Bowman took the
chair, while Bishop Foss held last consul
tation with the presiding elders regarding
the appointments.
Approved Move for Church Union.
The question of union with the Metho-
dist Protestant Church which was brought
up and introduced at Monday afternoons
session, was taken up, and the following
resolution, looking to the ultimate union,
was unanimously adopted
Whereas Providence evidently plans the
union of MethodiSm, and negotiations are
now progressing between the Methodist
Protestant and other communions; there
fore, be it
Resolved, That the Baltimore annual con-
ference of the Methodist Episcopal Church
invite the Maryland annual conference of
the Methodist Protestant Church to join
with US in requesting their delegations to
their respective general conferences to
memorabilia to appoint commissioners to
confer upon the terms of union.
Resolved, second, That this conference
appoint committee of three to present
these resolutions to the approaching session
of the Maryland conference of the Metho-
dist Protestant Church.
The resolution caused little discussion.
Rev. DR.. Watson spoke iIf it's favor, saying
that he believed that united Methodism is
the only safeguard against united Roman
ISM. Rev. S. Reese Murray, who was for
merly a member of the Maryland confer
ence of the Methodist Protestant Church,
also spoke in favor of the union.
A resolution was also adopted recon-
mending to the pastors the use of the man
ual for church worship prepared by the
joint commission on the federation of the
Methodist Church, the action of the COM
mission in preparing the publication being
hailed las expressive of growing fraternity
and increasing cooperation in Christian
work between these kindred churches
Protest Against "Jim-Crow" Law.
The fo flowing resolution, offered by Revs.
DR.. c. v. Baldwin. j. H. Price and G. E.
Bacon, was unanimously adopted:
LAS this is a body of Christian men whose
duty it is to teach men the Golden Rule. we
enter formal protest against the legislation
known as the Jim Crow law, and further
against all legislation passed in race dis
elimination that tends to impair the just
and equal right of all our citizens to free
and unobstructed expression of their views
through the ballot box"
Rev, Mr.. Bacon, in defense of the meas
ure, said that he was SOutherner, DEM
ocrat and southern in sympathy, but that
his heart went out to the dOwntrOdden.
Thousands of dollars were being sent to
Africa to convert the race there, he said,
while legislation was being enacted here
that would result in dragging the negroes
down and in making them lose their self
respect, and he thought the time had come
for the Christian ministers to show the
brother in black that they were ready to
lend a helping hand.
DIR. Wilson objected to the use of the
term Jim Crow as undgnified and un-
christian, but DIR. Baldwin contended that
the phrase was not of the conferences
making, and that 1t was the trade mark
of the legislation"
No1,, nrder of WorShip