The Washington herald., 1908-05-04

last conference, will be discussed.
The work of the deaconess will be the
subject of much debate. It is now car
rled on under two heads One is inde-
pendent and is under Miss Lucy Rider
Meyers. Of Chicago, The other is under
the control of the Home Missionary So
ciety.
The various plans for reducing the
ratio Of representation to the General
Conference Will be discussed. Tt is now
ore ministerial delegate TO every forty
I'VE ministers in the annual conference.
'rhe different schemes provide for one
seiegate TO every sixty, seventy-five, or
ninety members. There Is one lay dele
gate for each pastoral delegate.
The conference claimants is a matter
that will receive attention. A more
equitable plan for distributing the col
lections taken for this purpose will be
sought. Tt is now carried on by the
annual conferences, which also receive
certain amount of the profits of the
Book Concern. BY putting them all
under one management it is thought the
poorer conferences can take better care
Of their superannuated ministers and
their wives.
Church Union Discussed.
One problem that is of particular in
terest TO churchmen of other denomina-
tions IS the subject Of union with the
Methodist Episcopal Church South Now
that the feelings engendered by the
civil war and slavery question have
died out, it is pointed out that there is
no real reason why the TWO churches
should remain apart. They have the
same general belief and only minor diff
ferences are keeping them separate.
The loss Of effective church work due to
the rivalry of the two branches in the
mission field is great. The first step has
already been taken in the consolidation
Of the missions Of the TWO churches IN
Japan as one church. II IS almost Ger
tain an invitation viii be extended TO
the Methodist Protestant Church TO unite
with the Methodist Episcopal Church
Another radical step proposed is the
diocesan system for bishops. At present
different bishops preside over the annual
conferences every year. 1t is proposed
to assign a certain territory to each
bishop for term of years, prop-
ably four years. lie will conduct the an
nual conferences in the district year after
year. and be responsible for the church
work in that section during his term.
This means a decided change in the pol
icy in regard to the episcopacy, and viii
be bitterly fought
a number OF bishops Will be elected.
The general opinion is that there VIII be
eight new ones. Some predict that the
growth of the church during the past
four years will Justify the addition Of
twelve men TO the general superintend-
ency. No matter how many there are.
there will he great interest in their cleo
tion.
President Reed Is Candidate.
President George Edward Reed. Of
Dickinson College. one Of the best-known
divines In the church. and rated one of
the ten greatest orators in America. IS
urged to stand for election Of bishop AT
the conference.
President Reed IS sixty-two years old.
and has successfully been pastor OF Meth
odist churches at Willimantic, Conn
Fan River. Mass; Hanson place. Brook
lyn, y. Y; Stamford. Conn: Nostrand
avenue. Brooklyn. and New Haven. Conn.
President Reed. while State librarian OF
Pennsylvania, complied the famous Penn
sylvania Archives. well known for their
thoroughness in detail. Dr. Reed not only
ranks as one of the greatest scholars Of
his church, but has been a strong force
in public affairs for the past thirty years.
Great meetings in the interest OF mis-
sions. temperance. and education win be
held In the evenings. On Sunday after
noon. May 10. there viii be a temperance
TqfiE Harafzr Of
the chief speaker. Bishop Wilson viii
be the second speaker. William II. An
dersoa, State superintendent Of the Anti
Saloon League, VIII also make a short
address. The meeting Will be under the
direction Of Prof. Samuel Dickie. of Al
blon College.
The whole time viii not be given up to
serious work There viii be some play.
A course of lectures viii be given Bishop
Galloway Of the Southern Methodist
Church, VIII lecture on II. Q. c. Lamar.
the great pacificator," on next Friday
evening. Rev. DR. James Monroe Buck
ley, the floor leader of the conference,
viii preside.
senator Beveridge to Preside.
Senator Beveridge will go to Baltl-
more TO preside at the lecture to be
given by Rev. DIT William Alfred Quavle.
OF Chicago. on May 70. The lecture on
May Is by Rev. Robert Mcintyre. the
pOet-preacher of California. viii be pre-
sided over by Senator DoIiver.
Gov, Hanly and William Jennings Bryan
will occupy the same platform on May l9.
The great Commoner will be the lecturer.
Gov. Hanly VIII introduce him.
A musical event of great Importance
will be the singing of The Messiah" by
the Oratorio Society Of Baltimore on
May -
Several excursions have been arranged.
A whole day viii be given up to a trip
TO Washington The delegates will be the
guests Of the American University.
President Roosevelt will address them.
Another day will be spent in inspecting
the Naval Academy. Small parties will
visit Sans Creek, the site of the first
Methodist Episcopal church. and other
points Of historic interest.
Baltimore Is known as the cradle of
Methodism. The first Methodist society
or church was organized at Sans Creek.
Carroll County, IN 1860 by Robert Straw
bridge under the famous oak which
thereafter was known as the Straw
bridge tree. A year or two later the first
church. log meeting-house, was built.
It was succeeded by a stone meeting
house in 1884 In 176S John Street Churck
New York. was built, being the second
Methodist Episcopal church in this coun-
try.
In 1859 John Wesley, In response to re-
peated appeals, sent to America John
King He preached the first Methodist
sermon in Baltimore, in 1770 He was
afterward invited to preach at old st.
Paul's Episcopal Church. where it is
said ''he made the dust fly from the old
velvet cushion of the pulpit He asked
to be allowed to preach in St Pauls a
second time, but was refused. He then
preached to the people as they came out
of church,