Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-11-30
Meeting of Methodist Ministers
Results in Emphatic Resolu-
tions Which Were Immedi- I
ately Forwarded.
BIGHAM's APPOINTMENT
RESULTS IN A PROTEST
First Meeting Was at Trinity and
Second Meeting Was Held at
First Methodist Behind
Closed Doors.

The Methodist ministers OF Atlanta have
! taken formal action TO stay the order Of
Bishop E. r. Hendrix transferring DR.. ].
T. Dawes, presiding elder of the Atlanta
district. to st. Johns church, Augusta.
and Rev. r. ]. Bigham, from the pastor
ate Of that church to the presiding elders
ONCE Of the Atlanta district.
A resolution addressed to Bishop Hen
Dirk, said to have been telegraphed to
him Immediately after its adoption, was
adopted by the ministers Monday morn
ing at the First Methodist church, at a
secret meeting in the Sunday school room
of the church
This resolution, said to have mentioned
no names. is reported to have taken the
form of request to the bishop that there
be no change in the presiding elders
ONCE OF the Atlanta district.
The meeting at which this resolution
was passed. was held behind closed
doors. II followed the regular Monday
morning meeting OF the Atlanta minis
tiers in Trinity church. From Trinity the
ministers composing the regular meeting
dispersed, to gather again a half an hour
or so later at the First Methodist, across
town
Some Is OF 20 ministers attended the
First Methodist church meeting. There
is said to have been much discussion OF
the resolutions before their adoption.
some Of it acrid. Names were mention
ed then, though the resolution omitted
them.
ACTION WITHOUT PRECEDENT.
This action by the Atlanta ministers
is said to be almost without prece-
dent in the annals OF the ministry.
The bishops assignments have hereto
fore been looked upon as closed to
comment after their announcement, par
ticularly comment from the clergy OF |
the conference.
Recently the Officers Of ST. Johns
church. Augusta, met and drafted a pro-
test to Bishop HENDRIX against the
assignment Of Rev. r. J. Bigham to
their pulpit, asking that some other
minister be appointed. This action |
stirred a furore In the Methodist
church OF the North Georgia confer |
ence. 1t precipitated a strenuous dis
cussion the echoes or which had hardly
begun to die when came the announce
ment, Sunday, that Bishop Hendrix /
nd0 dCNtuGQ ~ TIC BAOANoA VI
dered the transfer Of Dr. Dawes with |
Rev. Bigham.
Now for the first time the voice or !,
brother ministers OF Rev. Brigham is |
heard in the matter.
What the result of their action will |
be is a matter open to conjecture.
FACTIONS ARE INVOLVED.
Apparently the resolution adopted !
monday morning by the ministers at |
their secret meeting is prompted solely |
by friendliness to Dr. Dawes and a
wish for the continuance Of the pres /
ent regime.
1t is known, however, that there is !
an element in IL which relates directly /
to Rev Bigham. who was presiding .
elder OF the Atlanta district several /
years ago. and during whose incum-
bency here there arose in the North /
Georgia conference what is occasionally /
referred to as the Brigham regime"
which had pronounced opposition.
1t is known. too. that though the reso-
luton Of Monday morning may have been
adopted by clerical friends OF DR.. Dawes,
their action is directly in conflict with /
the attitude Of DR.. Dawes stanchest lay
friends, whose influence was largely rel
sponsIble according to excellent author
ity) for the transfer of DR.. Dawes and /
Rev. Bigham. It is known that more i
than one OF two prominent members OF
the Atlanta Methodist laity were in COM
municatiou with Bishop Hendrix during
the interval between tn e Augusta !
church's protest and the announcement
OF the transfer. and that they urged the
transfer upo nthe bishop as offering the
best solution OF two embarrassed situa-
tions-one Of them the situation at st.
Johns. Augusta, and the other entirely !,
distinct as shown below.
1t was believed by these lay friends of
DR.. Dawes that the charitable preachings
OF their church could be best upheld be-
fore the world by giving Rev. Bigham
an even better assignment than the st.
Johns pulpit, rather than to send him
to some smaller church.
ANOTHER SITUATION.
The other situation lay IN the Atlanta