The Penn's Grove record., 1908-05-08
The General Methodist Episcopal Con.
ference Now In Session
In Baltimore, Md.

uuCA W UAC oOllC1ol OOhlOAOiNO
Methodist Episcopal Church, which
opened its sessions in Baltimore on
May 6. While the Methodist Episco-
pal Church was organized in 1854 at
what is termed in its annals as the
"Christmas Conference" in Lovely
Lane Meeting House, the General Con-
ference, the law-making body OF the
Church, was formally organized in the
"Light Street Parsonage" 100 years ago,
the coming sessions thus marking the
cetennial of the body.
More than 800 delegates, coming from
all parts of the world, will compose the
conference, which will meet in Lyric
Hall. AS many of the delegates
will bring their wives and
families the Entertainment Committee
has made provision for 1000 persons,
while it is expected that fully 10000
visitors will attend during the sessions,
which will continue one month.
There is great expense attached to the
General Conference and much of this
will be borne by the Baltimore Metho-
dists. An effort was made to bring the
body to Philadelphia, where the first
annual conference wa organized, but
the centennial feature and the fact that
the formal organization of the Church
took place in Baltimore initiated in
favor of the Maryland metropolis. The
travelling and hotel expenses of the del
egales are paid, but to reduce the ex-
penses a special rate has been obtained
from all the leading hotels.
Although great questions are to come
before the general Conference, making
it one of the most notable in the history
of the denomination, nothing will ex-
| coed in interest and Importance the
election of bishops, eight of whom are
to be chosen. Since the last quadren-
ial four effective bishops and two on the
retired list have died and the growth
of the Church will require at least two
addional members of the episcopal
Office.
In electing a bishop no nominations
are made and a two-thirds vote is re-
quired for a choice. Among those
whose names are most prominently as
ISOLATED with the %episcopacy are the
Rev. DR.. William Alfred Quayle, of St
James's Church, Chicago, one of the
most eloquent men in MethOdism; thu
Rev. DR.. j. Cooke, book editor of thu
Methodist Episcopal Church; The Rev
William F. Anderson corresponding
secretary of the Board of Education
the Rev. DR.. David G., Downey, New
York; the Rev. DR.. d. Bovard, Sal
Francisco; the Rev. DR.. Homer G
Shintz, recently of the Philippine
Islands; the Rev. DR.. George F. Reed
president of Dickinson College, Car
Isle, Pa; the Rev. DR.. George P. Eek
man, New York; the Rev. Dr.. E. H
Hughes, president of De Paw Univer
sity; the Rev. DR.. G. B. Spencer, O
Kansas City.
1t is not probable that a bishop fOl
traces and languages" will be elected
Much opposition has been shown t.
such a proposal by the annual con
~ferences of which there are 131, whil'
the negro conferences associated will
the Methodist Episcopal Church have
been foremost in opposing ace bishops
There is not likely to be any change
in the editorial chairs of thechurch pub
LEGATIONS, as general satisfaction is ex
pressed with the conduct of the church
periodicals and work shown in the lit
erature.
While Bishop Warren, the senior
member of the active body of the epis
copacy, opened the General Confer
ence, all of the Bishops will take turns
in occupying the chair. To Bishop
Goodsell has been assigned the duty Of
reading the duty of reading the Episco.
pal address, which will not only RECORD
the progress of the Church during the
attitude of the bishops toward the CHIEF
problems which agitate the Church.
One of the foremost questions will be
the proposal to restore the time limit
to the p~astorate. Some of the annual
conferences and likewise some of the
lay electoral conferences have advised
"A year limit with a flexible, rule
which will permit of an extended pas
tOral term; but it is the belief of the
Philadelphia delegation that no change
will be made. This opinion is based
partly upon the fact that IS per cent. of
the delegates are men who have never
attended a General Conference, and
such ecclesiastical bodies are said to be
conservative in action and Judgment.
Further efforts will be made for the
union of the Church North and South.
One of the first steps was the adoption
OF a common hymnal, the joint product
of committees of bishops, but it is be-