The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-05-16
NEW BISHOPS
 TO BE THREEI So Decided by Methodist
 Conference. TO BALLOT THURSDAY MORNING Protests Heard Against New State
 ment of Faith. Non Concurrence On Memerssis To Ins crease the Number of Ley Dele- sates--other Matters of Im-
 portance Are Copsidered.
TO BALLOT THURSDAY MORNING

Birmingham. Ala, May f5.--The gen- eral conference of the Methodist Epis- copal Church. South. today decided to elect three new bishops and set Thurs day morning at ten. o'clock as the time for the selection of these high dignf- taries of the Church and such other officers as are usually chosen by thei general conference
 There was considerable discussion as to the number of bishops to be chosen. , The matter came up when report num-l Der three of the committed on Episco-1 pacy was taken from the calendar. Dr.I q. H. Briggs. of Missouri moved thaei the word three he changed to read two, bishops. George N. Napor of GeorYfAl offered an amendment that provision! be made for four bishops: John R. Pef-t fer. of Memphis spoke in favor of fivAS bishops; F. c. B. Mann of Kentucxyl spoke for three bishops; Dr. !. o.t Wilson of South Carolina wanted fours bishops, W. B. Paimore. editor of The st Louis Christian Advocate. favored two bishops
 pr. Whitehead. chairman of the com 3m!ttee on Episcopacy. told why the com ! mittee recommended the election of' three bishops. He said that some o6 the bishops hardly had time to get a.-j ouainted with their families An aver~' age on requests was taken and three Dlshops were recommended.
 Rev. James Anderson of Arkansas made A statement that the laymen had organized a movement for more than two bishops and several members took exception to the statement. Dr. And- erson said he did not charge the laymen with an intrigue.
 Vote 1sf to n.
 vote was then taken on the ques. tions as to the number of bishops to be al ka stood 1sf to II.
 The attendance today at the eleventx business session of the general con- ference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. South. was as large as on the opening day. The devotional exercises were led by Rev. !. H. Weaver, of Lenoir. North Carolina. and the lesson of the day came from the forty-sixth psalm. Dr. Duncan was the presiding officer.
 Hardly had the minutes been read and the presiding btshop Introduced when there were calls for the floor. ". E. Williams of Northwest Texas was recognized and he announced that he desired to enter protest against the action of the conference yesterday in voting to appoint committee to draw up 8 new statement of faith.
 Charles M. Armstrong of Baltimore presented written protest in the mat ter
 At this point Bishop Hendrix an- nounced that the college of Bishops had agreed upon Bishop wilson to rep- resent the college on the committee. Tn the Armstrong protest 1t is asserted that members of the conference did not understand the purport of the motion and that the paper adopted authorizes the committee to draw up any states ment of faith whatsoever and to frame without limitation any expression of doctrfnal system which they may deem called for in our day"
 Complaint of Colonel Mann.
 The committee on Episcopacy report- ed in the matter of a complaint of Rev. Colenel F. D. Mann. of Eouth Carolfna concerning a decision made by Bishop wilson saying that the committee had no Jurisdiction and complainant had come before the wrong tribunal The same committee recommended non-con- :. curence on petition for Bishop in the foreign field and also non-concur- renee on the petition seeking a dIvis- ion of territory into Episcopal dis- tricts.
 The committee on education recon- uended that the corresponding secre- tary of the general board or education bring to the attention of every annual conference the importance of the home ss an institution of Christian nur- ture. enlsting as early ss possible that co operation "A
 The committee on Church Extension recommended that a district board may be organized in any presiding elders district with power to ~do and per- form such acts in said districts as city boards of church extension are author- lzed 10 do in the cities.
 Non concurrence was reported on memorials to increase tho lay repre- sentation in annual conferences. It was recommended that a preacher shals he eligible to ordination without fur ther examination. A non-concurrenee report was made on the request look ing to the removal of the headquarters of the church extension board from Louisville, Ky. to Oklahoma City.