The Washington herald., 1908-05-15
NUELSEN FOR BISHOP
Candidate of Germans, Who
Want Representation.
RACE QUESTION TO THE FORE
over ADpOintment of
Only one Negro Secretary to Freed
mems Aid SOciety-SeparatiOn of
African Membership Favored by
Many-ReuniOn Might Follow.

Special TO The Washington Herald.
Baltimore. Nd, May IA new phase,
of the problem Of selecting bishops arose
to-day in connection with the session Of
the General Conference Of the Methodist
Episcopal Church at the Lyric, when IL
was learned that the German Methodists
want a representative In the episeopacy
who can speak their language.
Rev. DR.. John l. Nuelsen. professor in
the Mast Theological Seminary, at Berea,
Ohio. a representative of the Chicago
ence, a native Of Germany. will be their
candidate. He Is one Of the most promi-
nent Methodists in the United States.
Reasons for representation.
It is represented that the Germans
should have some one of their number on
the episcopal board. in view of their
strength in the church. They claim
constituency OF not less than half a mill
lion. and have a number Of strong con-
ferenees. Many Of their preachers are
unable to speak the English language per-
fectly, so that the bishop presiding over
one of their conferences finds himself
embarrassed in the administration of the
work
The influential men OF the South who
have been prominent in the work among
the colored people are not satisfied with
the report of the education committee. in
so far as It refers to the Freedmen's Aid
Society. They do not like the idea of
having only one secretary for the new
board, and that a cOlOred man. stating
that that Is only an entering wedge which
will result In the separation Of the coll
ored part of the church from the main
body.
Prof J. S Hill. of MorristOwn. Tenn.
who has been for twenty-seven years at
the head of the educational work among
the coloTed people of that part Of the
State is one of the most strenuous oppo-
nents Of the move.
Advocates of Negro Separation.
This cry for coIored bishop" said
Prot. Hill, speaking for the colored men,
bers, is not so much that the colored
people want a bishop Of their own as that
they want episcopal supervision. Not
since the days when Bishop Warren. and
after that Bishop Mallalieu lived among
them have they had such a supervision.
What We need is some one among US 10
lead in this important work OF the South. 3"
1t appears there are not a few in the
denomination who would De glad to see
the black man withdraw and form a
church of his own. II is thought by
these that If this should be done. there
would be removed one of the barriers
that now exist between the Methodist
Episcopal Church and the Methodist Epis-
copal Church South. and soon the re-
union would take place
There are about 100000 colored mem
bers Of the Methodist Episcopal Church
The call for an extra secretary, who shall
be white, is also based on the plea that
if only colored man is elected. il will
look as If the white part of the church
was getting out from under the lead. and
intended to let the colored people shift
for themselves. As a result of this oppo-
sition, the matter viii have to be re.
opened.
Attack on CathoIicism.
The delegates heard a bitter attack
upon the Catholic Church to-day. made
by Bishop Thomas B. Neeley, who sub
mitted his report embracing the mis-
sionary work in South America for the
last quadrennium- With pointed refer,
ences the speaker warned his hearers
that the religious fight in the future
would be professionalism against Roman
ism, and that It would take all the COM
bined foTceSof all the protestants faiths
to make any sort Of telling stand
against the worldwide citadel of Catho-
Heism
The speaker based his remarks upon
conditions in South America and after
asserting with more than ordinary en-
phasis that the church of Rome had not