Evening journal., 1907-02-18
CONFERENCE TO
ELECT BISHOP
Dr.. Murray, Of This City, SpOk-
en- Of For High Place
in Church

The General Conference Of the NJ. r.
Church which Mil lbe held
in Baltimore commencing May 1, 1908.
is composed OF delegates elected by the
1876 local conferences Of this coun-
try and SO foreign conferences. The
number of delegates from each local
or foreign conference is proportionod
TO the numerical size OF the confer
ence and the number OF lay and clcr-
ical delegates from each conference Is
always equal in number Wilmington
Conference will be represented by i've
clergymen and five laymen. These
delegates win not be selected at the
coming meeting at Smyrna, but at the
Annual Conference, to be held next
year just prior to the General Com
ference meeting.
The General Conference Is the SUI
preme legislative body of the Method
list Episcopal Church II represents
about 3,25O,OO0 Communicates. OF whom
nearly 100000 are in the foreign field.
A number of important questions
are TO come up for consideration al
the meeting IN this city. Among them
are several matters considered at the
General Conference held four years
ago at Los Angeles. Cal, which will
become either null or effective by ac-
ton of the coming Conference. The
consolidation Of the missionary and
benevolent societies Of the church by
action OF the last Conference into three
general organizations-U the Foreign
Board. co the Home Missionary and
! Church Extension Board and CD tho
Sunday School and Education Board
win require action at an ecoming Con-
ference, when officers for these thre,
organizations. as newly constituted
will be elected.
Unifoation of Methodism.
The last Conference appointed a
commission ON the unifcation OF Meth.
odism, which will make a report al
the coming Conference. SO far nc
special action has been taken by thi.
commission. and it is probable. there
fore, that il will have little to report
Mention, Of course. will be made o.
the issuance recently Of the new Meth.
odist Hymnal. TO be used by both th'
Methodist Episcopal Church and thu
Methodist Episcopal Church South
which is calculated TO create a mucl
stronger bond OF fellowship betweei
the two branches.
A report viii be made at the com
ing Conference on the proposal to con
solidate the two large publishing
houses or the Methodist Church, on
in New York and the other in Gin
lcinnat, and If the Consolidation is af
, fected agents viii be elected to hav
charge Of the unified interests.
Although there were an unusua
number Of bishops elected at the 10
Angeles General Conference IL is ex
pected there will be a number to b
selected at the coming meeting. Thre
bishops have died in the past fou
years-Bishops c. G. McCabe l. "
Joyce and S. NJ. Merrill. These va
cancies will have TO be filled, and Il
, probable also that one or more of IN
present active bishops will ask to b
q retired to the superannuated list be
: cause Of age or an health. thereby Gre
; ating other vacancies. Ono Whining
tonian. DR.. w L. S. Murray has bee
p mentioned recently for the bishopric
Besides electing bishops, the Gen
, eral Conference elects all general off
GERS Of the church, such as secretarie
OF missionary boards. editors Of off
cial papers. book agents. etc Tn
bishops and all other general officer
are responsible to II for the admins
> tration Of the duties assigned then
and while the bishops are elected 70
life. the General Conference has tn
, power at any time it believes pro
per TO retire them.
The coming Conference Is the frs
= to he held IN Baltimore since 1876.