Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-29
EXTENSION OF THE CHURCH
BOARDS CONSTITUTION THEME
FOR ANIMATED DISCUSSION.
General M. E. Conference at Balti-
more Agrees to Certain Features
for Home Mission Work.

BALTIMORE. Nd May 2a.-The gen
eral conference OF the Methodist Epis-
copal Church today continued discussion
of a constitution for the beard of church
extension and home missions organized
during the next quadrennium. This sub
ject was under discussion at adjournment
yesterday. Practically all of the MORN
ing session today was devoted to the
presentment OF the report OF the COM
mittee on the subject. and for while the
the parliamentary status of some OF
them.
Among the important features agreed to
were the following: The general confer
ence committee on home missions and
church extension was ordered to be com
posed OF seventy -one members. who Will
include the entire board of bishops; a
corresponding secretary and his assist
ants president. treasurer and recording
secretary OF the board OF managers. two
repre- sentatlveS-one lay ana one clerical
from each general conference district
elected by tbs conference ana nlteei
representatives elected by the poara OF
man ayers. 10 more than live OF whom
shall be from any one annual conference
Field Agents Limited.
A motion was also passed limiting the
number of field agents To two, there being
a general sentiment i'll favor OF retrench-
ment The conference did away with the
district boards of home missions ana
church extension.
Adverse action yesterday by the con-
ference on an apparently unimportant mo-
ton is said to have back of 1t deter
mination on the part of a large number OF
the delegates to bury the whole question
of whether or not paragraph 24S OF the
Book of Discipline which deals with
amusements. shall be changed.
The motion IN question was that time
he set for the consideration q III" report
of the committee which has had the Gues-
ton under considerat ion. The motion
was lost by a decisive vote. Nothing was
said in explanation other than that the
report should not be given precedence
over other important matters
Discussion of Amusements.
1t is said. however. that there is de-
termined purpose not to permit the mat
ter Of amusemenis to be d. cussed on the
floor o the conference at all if it Is pos
sible to prevent It. \ change would be in
line with the suggestion contained in the
episcopal address and while it is desired
not to run counter to the bishops. there is
very strong sentiment against any
change in paragraph PAS. which will sim
ply remain in force "a il now stands. If
the matter can be kept from the confer
ence during its rena ming business ses-
sions.
Rev Dr. r. \. Chase has prepared
new paragraph which will be offered the
conference |or insertion in the Book of
Discipline relative to divorce. 1t calls
upon the proper national autholit es to
make a special study of divorce. and is
intended to create sentiment in favor of
uni orm divorce laws in all the states of
the Union such laws to be in harmony
with the findings of the intercnurch con-
ference of Protestant churches on this
subject and the paragraph also sugg ests
that in the proposed uniform laws a pro-
vision be included requiring. as a pre-
requisite to the filing of suit .or di-
vorce by any one coming to such state for
the purpose of filing such a suit. stay
of the same length of time would be
necessary to secure legal residence in
that state.