Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-05-08
Presented by Bishops at
the General Conference
Delivered by Bishop Goodse||
..-liquor Traffic Denounced.
Reports Of Various Boards Show
Prosperous Conditions.

of today's sitting of the quadrennial
general conference of the Methodist
E,niscopal church was the presentation
Of the Episcopal address prepared by
the bishops. Before it's reading was be-
gun message of greeting was ordered
cont to the Pennsylvania Bible Society
at Philadelphia. which today begins the
1rst centennial of it's existence. Bishop
DANIEL A. Goodsell of Boston then took
the rostrum and commenced the de-
livery of the address.
When the venerable bishop had read
the denunciation Of the liquor traffic
contained in the address he called upon
the delegates to rise and with the
bishops pledge 1.-The eternal cnmity to
this foe of man and God" the entire
assemblage sprang to it's feet with
cheers.
Bishop Goodsell closed with q fervent
peroratiOn.
Reports of the various boards fol-
lowed Among them were the report of
the publishing agents of the Methodist
Book Concern, the Board of Church
Extension, the Board of Home Mis-
sions and Church Extension and the
Sunday school department.
The report of the Sunday school de-
partment sets forth that there are now
within the Methodist Episcopal church
34,1.6 Sunday schools. $685. 7Z9 Sunday
school officers and 2,9S7,677 scholars.
The report discussed Sunday school
work both at home and abroad
The liquor question came before tho
body this time in the form of a resclu-
Of Indiana
chairman of the temperance committee,
demanding that Congress enact the Lit
tlefield interstate liquor shipment bill
now pending in the judiciary committee
for the protection of those states in which
the traffic in intoxicants is wholly or in
part inhabited. A committee was ap-
pointed to wait upon Speaker Cannon
and present the resolution to him.
Baltimore. Md, May THE address
of the bishops. after recalling genera
conferences hitherto held in this
city, and historical events OF
the Methodist church which had
Baltimore for their scenes, notes
Il gain in the number of COM
launicants during the past four years
of 27S,357, the greatest gain during
any similar period for 16 years Other
figures show the number of ministers
i'm the annual conferences mot includ-
inc local rrcachcrs) to be 1888. an
Increase Of III; subject to appoint
nent as pastors on trial and in full
membership 15,722; local preachers
serving as pastors 4439. The total "paS-
toral armyH numbers 20,l61. These. ac-
cording to the address. preach the
Gospel in 1870 languages and dialects
The address continues:
'"rhe gain in the value of churches
is s2S.149.624; the gain in parsonages
IS $i.52S.S11. The total gain in church
property for the four years last pas
is S32G7S.43l, while the total valua-
,tipn of our churches and parsonage!
is $1S6, 1921, ,O24. The increase since thu
last general conference averages al
most $S.200,000 each year. GU" mem
bcrship in the United States is nov
2,O36 900, while in the whole world til,
number is 3.307.215 at the close of 190,
Our foreign communicates n@nbo
267 .000''
Figures are given showing that sim
the last general conference the ''alu'
of educational grounds and but ling.
IS, .541; total endowment S23. $50. .4S6. AZ
increase Of $5.S603S4;. and the value
of educational property and en1ow
ment. exclusive of debt, has increaset
$1l141. 1872 and is now s47. 7.569.53 Since
1904 there have been gains of ~
teachers and professors. 2644 profes
sional students and 2763 college stu
dents
Relative to investigation of charge:
of hercsy by the bishops the addres:
SAYS:
I'VE are unanimously of the opin
ion that the bishops ought not to b'
charged with any functions of inves
ti.,ation. these being foreign to thu
work to which they are appointed
They believe that the functions of pre-
liminary Investigations in these cases
should be confined to the annual con