Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-05-07
n, |. BISHOPS STAND
PAT ON ADJUSTMENTS
Combined Address. to General
Conference Urges No Back
ward Step to Be Taken
GREAT GROWTH IN CHURCH
GREAT GROWTH IN CHURCH
Past Four Years Shows Largest In
ereass in Members in Sixteen Years
Bishops Go on Record in Favor of
Uniform Divorce Laws in All
States - Membership Over $500, 900.

0SaI00 NtOIU0Os StnH SSSs
Baltimore, May 7.-The feature of to-
days sitting of the quadrennial general
conference Of the Methodist Episcopal
church was the presentation of the
Episcopal address prepared by the
bishops.
The address of the bishops notes
gain in the number of communicates
during the past four years of 27S,S61,
the greatest gain during any similar
period for sixteen years. The total
gain in church property for the four
years last past is $32,678,000, while
the total valuation of churches and
iparsonages is $1sS,924,000. The mem
sbership in the whole world is S,SO7,-
275.
As to amusements and book of dis
cipline, the address says:
1--WE recommend not that paragraph
248 be stricken out, but that it be
amended by striking out the confessed
ily partial list Of worldly amusements
found therein, leaving as the ground
for church trial, in case such trial
becomes necessary, that portion of the
paragraph which reads: Taking such
amusements as are obviously OF mis-
leading or questionable moral tend
ency, or disobedience to the order and
discipline Of the church, and especially
our original rule to taking such di-
versions as cannot be used in the name
OF the Lord jesus Grave injustice
will be done if this recommendation
is interpreted as an abandonment of
our early opposition to worldly amuse-
ments. Indeed it is a return to the
principles, and to the exact words fur
nished by John Wesley"
AS to divorce the address says:
Consecutive polygamy permitted by
the divorce laws Of some of our states
Is disgrace to our country. We great
~ rejoice that the conscience of the
nation is being quickened on this sub
ject and that the demand for uniform
divorce laws increases"
A Great Demonstration.
Reading Of the address by the ven
lerable Bishop Goodsell was frequently
interrupted by applause. When he had
read the scathing denunciation of the
'liquor traffic contained therein, he
called upon the delegates to rise here
and now, and with the bishops pledge
ternal enmity to this foe of man and
God" The entire assemblage sprang
to its feet uttering cheer after cheer.
One of the delegates started to sing
""America" and the great throng caught
up the hymn and the hall resounded
with its strains. AS the last refrain
ceased some one began the hymn,
aGlory, Glory, Halleujah, Our God is
Marching On" This new outlet for en-
thusiasm, which seemed to grow, was
seized upon and to the tune of "John
Browns Body" the verse was repeated
several times.
Vigorous handclapping greeted the
announcement of the positions Of the
bishops on the subject of anusements.
Reports Of various boards and special
commissions appointed by the last gen.
eral conference were made thru the
general conference handbook, copies Of
which were distributed to the delegates
at the opening of today's sssion.
Church Extension and Home Missions.
The following reports of the board
Of church extension and the board of
home missions was submitted to the
general conference:
IAN unusual mortality prevailed
among the members of the board dur
ing the quadrennium Six bishops
have passed from labor to reward
Eight laymen and four ministers were
called from the church militant to the
church triumphant.
I'VE think that the present general
conference should order that the Sun
day school collections during the COM
ing quadrennium should be evenly di-
vided between the board of home mis-
sions and church extension and the
board of foreign missions. The COM
mission ordered that the property
should be divided equally, that bequests
and legacies be divided equally, and why
should the Sunday school collections
have been divided unequally during the
six months Just closing May 6, 1902"
The report refers to an effort which
has been made on recommendation of
the general committee to consolidate
the principal publications of the two
boards, and quotes resolution adopt
ed by a joint meeting of representa-
tives of the two boards at Philadel-
phia last March. 1t was the sense of
those who took part in this meeting
that the consolidation of these pub'i-
cations at the present time is unde-
sirable and impracticable. Continuing
the report says:
Our Methodist city problems no
one has yet comprehensively grasped.
We have been forced out as pioneers,
not only in the method OF our litera-
ture, but In its matter. What we have
printed represents conditions almost as
new TO literature as if from another
world Gladly would we have availed
ourselves of any publications, but none
covering our field were In print.
] eve expect our book publications to