Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1908-05-05
METHODIST CONFERENCE
Great Gathering 70 Take Place I'm
baltimore This Month.

baltimore This Month.
BALTIMORE, May 5.-From all
part OF America and from foreign
lands, clergymen and laymen of the
Methodist Episcopal church are
thronging into Baltimore today, and
during the remainder of the month
Methodist eyes In all sections of the
world will be turned toward this city.
The fuadrennial general conference,
which will be opened tomorrow, is
one of the most important religious
institutions in existence. 1t holds the
keys to all the important Offices Of the
church, including the bishoprics, the
editorships and the secretaryships,
and is the supreme and only law
making body of the denomination.
One OF the most important sub
jects to come before the conference
will be that of restoring a time limit
to pastorates. Several of the largest
conferences, including New York and
Baltimore, have declared in favcc of
the restoration of time IiIn't. and
there Is strong sentiment in other
parts Of the country in favor OF such
action. The present plan has not in
ured to the permanence OF the pas
toral relation, or to the stability Of
the ministry; indeed In some cases
congregations have been more FESTIVE
than they were under the Swear or
Swear limit. Then, IL there were
dissatisfaction with the minister. they
had only to walt definite time be-
fore a change would come automat-
ically. Now they have to give con-
crete expression to their desire for a
change at the quarterly conference,
when the question of continuing the
various pastoral relations come up.
Moreover, the very agitation Of the
possibility Of change as a part Of
the routine program OF the quarterly
conferences sometimes helps to beget
dissatisfaction and SO the local min
lister In some cases comes to dread
the meeting at which he knows the
question is to be raised.
The practical outcome often Is that
men stay less than five years and
aften less than three years, and so
the general restlessness of the
churches and the uncertainty OF the
ministry are not to any extent allayed
by the absence OF all limitation. OF
course where relations between pastor
and people are mutually satisfying
and there are many such instances In
Methodist as well as in other
churches--any time limitation what
ever imposed by the general confer
ence is resented and heretofore the
strong city churches, thus situated,
usually found a way OF retaining
their ministers from perior to period.
Another important question IL the
proposed repeal of the discipline stat
ute which forbids dancing. card-play-
Ing and theater-going, on penalty OF
excommunication Such action has
been demanded by the New York con-
ference.
Doubtless the sentiment in the,east
generally would favor such action;
while In the west and even in rural
districts OF New England, 1t would
be viewed with considerable alarm, as
being concession to worldliness
foreign to the spirit of the Methodist
church. In the large cities the rule
Is already practically disregarded and
the New York conference delegates
simply want to make the rule tally
with accepted usage, thinking that In
this day of ethical awakening, the
church ought to square It's profess
sions to its actual behavior. II 1t ID
not able to regulate its behavior by
It's profession,
It is cheering showing which the
official statistics for the last -four
years make. The increase In mem
bers is S74.33S, or an average oil
nearly 10000 a year. while 4s2 new
churches have been added 10 the list
this last year This quite sustains
the reputation of the church acquired
through that famous remark of ths
late Chaplain MeCabe to the effect
that the Methodist church built {
new edlfice every day in the year.
ENGINES FOR MINIATURES