Evening journal., 1908-01-23
EQUAL VOICE AND
VOTE FOR LAYMEN
Radical Change in Methodist
Form Of Government is
Now Advocated
WASHINGTON HEIGHTS ACTS

A radical change designed to give the
laymen equal representation and equal
voice with the ministers in the annual
conferences of the Methodist Episco-
pal Church is TO be advocated at the
sessions Of Wilmington Conference in
Asbury Church in March.
The first step in this movement that
promises to be one of the greatest In
Methodism was taken last night in the
form Of a resolution adopted at the
fourth quarterly conference Of Wash
ington Heights M. E. Church last night.
The resolution will be presented to the
ministerial and lay conferences to be
held in this city and will ask the dis
trict conference to memorabilia the next
general conference at Baltimore in May
to act upon the request
The Methodist laity is not represent
ed in the annual conferences. The
elimination of the layman is not taken
kindly to by the Washington Heights
congregation, who intend to make a
fight for Home rule" before the next
general conference. The movement is
an innovation in Methodism and augurs
more active plane for the Methodist
layman. The resolution is as follows:
Laymen's Responsibility.
Whereas, In tile affairs OF the Church
Of God, the spiritual and the temporal
are coimportant and interdependent;
And whereas, We believe that the
doctrine Of the Methodist Episcopal
Church is easily assimilated by the
masses;
And whereas, We believe it's greatest
need in effectiveness is the support Of
the business community;
And whereas, After years OF careful
consideration, the highest legislative
branch Of the Church, accorded the
laity, equality-absolute;
And whereas, In the annual confer
ence, the operative branch Of the church
government, the Laity, who furnish ALI
the material to work with. and all the
material to work on, have no voice;
And whereas. We believe that in
order to more perfectly accomplish the
true purpose Of the Methodist Episcopal
Church IL is essential that the annual
conferences shall as thoroughly consid-
er the temporal as they do the spirit
ual affairs of the church,;
And Whereas The only feasible
method by which the temporal affairs
may receive proper consideration, is
through the medium of a personal rep
resentatinn In the annual conferences;
Therefore be II Resolved, BY the
Quarterly Conference Of Washington
Heights Methodist Episcopal Church, in
the city of Wilmington. Delaware, at
its fourth quarterly session, held in the
church, this twenty second day OF
January in the year Of our Lord, one
thousand nine hundred and eight;
THAT our pastor and our lay delegate,
be and they are hereby instructed to
petition the Ministerial and Lay Con-
ferences respectively, to be held in As
bury Methodist Episcopal Church, Ia
this city, commencing March is, next
to memorialize the General Conference
of the Methodist Episcopal Church, II
its next session, TO be held in the cit
of Baltimore in May next, TO grant Il.
the individual churches comprising the
Methodist Episcopal Church general,
local self government, by granting
representation in the several annual
conferences to the laity equal to that
enjoyed by the ministry.
Other Changes.
In addition to these resolutions, the
following suggestions. which will also
be urged upon the general conference,
were adopted
That section sc OF the constitution Of
the Methodist Episcopal Church, be
amended by inserting after the word,
preachers" the following, "and one
lay member from each pastoral charge"
make said section SO. read:
THE travelling preachers and one lay
members from each pastoral charge
shall be organized by the General Con-
ference into Annual Conferences, the
sessions Of which they are required
to attend"