The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1908-05-07
Ths Rev. W. w. Stevens Left TO.
day To Attend QuadrenniaI
Meeting Of Methodists
SOME CHANGES PROPOSED
Conference is Expected to Take Some
Action in Regard to the Time
Limit For Pastors-To Elect
Eight New Bishops
(From Mondays Daily.y


The Rev. w. w. Stevens, pastor of
Park avenue M E. Church left this
morning for Baltimore where he will act
as one of the delegates of the Wisconsin
Conference in the deliberations of the
general conference of the Methodist
Episcopal church which opens on We'd
nesday. Every part of the world will
be represented at the conference which
will continue in session for the next six
weeks and it is expected that it will be
the most important gathering of Metho-
dists ever held.
Before leaving for the conference Mr..
Stevens said: "The general conference
will consider many matter of greatest
Importance to the church and Kenosha
Methodists in common with Methodists
in all parts of the world will be greatly
interested in it, One of the most inn
portant matters to come before the gem
eraI conference is the discussion of the
time limit in regard to the service of
pastors. A large number of the dele
gates to the general conference have
been instructed to vote in favor of the
restoration of the five year time limit.
This is particularly true in the eastern
conferences and it is certain that the
fight to restore the time limit will be
a desperate one. The Methodists in
this conference do not seem to be in
favor of the time limit but in some Of
the conferences the younger men are in
sisting that the removal of the time
limit has made it impossible for them to
realize their ambition in getting into
the better pulpits
At the conference there will be at
least eight bishops elected. Among the
western men proposed are DR.. Samuel
Plantz, president of Lawrence Universe
ty and DR., E. H. Hughes, president of
DePaw University The Wisconsin del
egates will undoubtedly be very favora-
BILE to the candidacy Of these two men
and it is thought certain that DR..
Hughes will be elected and the chances
for DR.. Plantz are very fattering. An
amendment in regard to the election of
bishops is one of the interesting matters
to come before the conference. This
provides for the election of race bishops.
In the past few years the spread of
Methodists in foreign countries has been
very notable and in addition to this
many churches in this country are still
speaking their mother tongue. The de-
mand is felt for bishops who can go
to these churches, speak their language
and understand their conditions. Japan
is presenting an excellent man to be
elected as a bishop, but the plan pro-
posed is such a change that it will I'M
doubtedly meet with the greatest OPP
position among the older men of the
conference. Of course action on rule
PA which relates to worldly amusemen5r
is always before the general conference
but do not anticipate that any changes
will be made in the rule this year.
Methodists are pretty well settled in
their opinions in regard to dancing, card
playing and the so-called worldly amuse-
ments and while there is no doubt but
that there is a sentiment in the church
in favor of change in this rule, I do
not think that any action will be TAX
en-. +"
The first real fight for more liberal
Interpretation of this rule was brought
to the conference at Chicago several
years ago by the late Willis w. Cooper
of this city who was strongly in favor of
IL
pected to appear at the Baltimore con-
ference.
Rev. Stevens will be absent from Ken
osha for the next six weeks and during
his absence pastors from different parts
of the state will be heard at the Park
avenue Church.