The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-05-05
Bishop D enies Their
Right to Representa-
tion in Conference.
NOT IN HARMONY
WITH CHURCH IDEA
Quadrennial Conference of Me-
thodist Episcopal c l1ur ch,
South, Meets in Asheville
With 325 Delegates and
Six Bishops Pres
sent.
.peeta, to The Times- pispa tch.

Especial to The Times Dispatch.l
Asheville. N C., May 4.-with S25
delegates, lay and clerical. and with six
bishops on the platform, the sixteenth
4 quadrennial conference of the Metho-
odist Episcopal Church, South. opened
here to-day.
The main feature of the program to-
! day was the episcopal address. This
address Is really the report of the
House of Bishops upon the condition
of the church, together with such rec
4 ommendations az the bishops may deem
advisable.
4 a committee on moral and social
reform was named in place of the one
| on temperance. and committee on
/ general church relations in place of
4 that on colportage. 1t was explained
that these changes were In name only.
\ Opposes Demands of Women.
Bishop f. r. Hendricks, of Kansas
/ City, in making the episcopal address,
| fatty opposed the demands of the wo-
i men of the church for laymen's rights
and representation in conference. He
said the demands were not in "har-
,nony with the cturch's idea of what
\ was worans place in the church. IN
4 the home and in society" The address
! complimented women for their devo-
ton TO the church.
The veto power in the bishops and
/ their election for life were strongly
supported, and any attempt to destroy
their power or limit their duties was
deprecated as dangerous innovation
Greater energy in foreign fields was
I recommended. and Africa was declared
4 the battle ground of the twentieth CEN
l tury. Il decided stand was taken
/ against innovations in worship, such
as silent invocation and chanting OF
/ the Lords prayer.
Time Limit Approyed.
4 The movement toEremove the four
I yeargsfne limit on, preachers service
) m q clinrsil ws senot approved. u
would destroy tie itinerant system
upon which the church is based. ac-
cording to the bishops.
Il Bishop Alpheus w. Wilson called the
conference to order at s:a0 o'clock
this morning, and called upon several
Of the other bishops TO take part ir
i the opening devotional service Bishop
4 e. E Hoss read the opening hymn
4 after which Bishop Henry C. Morrison
lead the first prayer Bishop Joseph s.
Key and Bishop James Atkins read the
Scripture lessen, and Bishop Warren
'iC Gambler, the second hymn
i The closing prayer was led by Rev
Frank Richardson. member of the
Holston Conference. and one of the
. Oldest delegates present at the Gen
eral Conference. All of the bishops
yet in active service were present on
the platform to-day, six in number
4 Bishop Oscar P Fitzgerald. who is su-
perannuated, was unable to be pres
ent.
Heavy LOSSES by Death.
4 Bishop Wilson in making his open
ing remarks 10 the conference referred
to the fact that during the past quad
rennium more of the leaders of the
church have died than during any four
years in the history of the church
Il During this time, one superannuated
bishop, j. C. Cranberry; five active
I bishops, John T. Tigert. a. Coke Smith
William W. Duncan, Chas. E. Galloway
and Seth Ward have passed away
Another man who was for many years
a familiar figure on the aacr of the
i General Conference, Rev. Paul White,
head. of the Virginia Conference. ha:
died since the session of the con
ference in 1906, and reference wa,
Il made to him, also, at to-days ses'
sion.
Most Of the delegates answered tt
their names at the calling of the rol
this morning. The secretary of the las
conference. Rev. A. F. Watkins. OF thu
Mississippi Conference, called the roll
The first business to come before th,
body was the election OF secretary
Revs. A. +. watkins, Gross Alexander
of the Louisville Conference, and j, NJ
Barkus were nominated as secretary
and Dr. Watkins was elected Min,
assistant secretaries We're elected a!
L.. - 4 Il r
Burrow. C. H. Briggs. Z. o. Watson
j. NJ. Barkus, J. Z. Harrison, r, a
Meek, j. III. MoKoy and &. \. Parker.
The rules of order OF the last gen
eral conference We're adopted for thi
session. A special committee of tiv
was appointed CT fraternal reception
and correspondence. A special com
mittee OF three was appointed on rule
OF order
On motion Of T. b. King, a laymal
of the Memphis Conference. specia
; committe was ordered, to consist o
one layman from each annual confer
ence to which shall be referred al
communications and correspondence
relative to the laymen's missionar
movement, unless otherwise ordered.
Most of the morning session was oc
cupied with the episcopal addres!
Bishop Hendrix, at the request Q
Bishop Wilson. read the address.
The Episcopal Address.
The episcopal address emphasize
: the following facts: The Methods
Episcopal Church, South, is now 'th
) second largest Methodist church in tn
world, and the third largest Protdstal
, church in America. The past quadren
{ mum has been marked by the creates
prosperity in tho history of the churcl
q Every year OF tho quadrennium ha
t shown net increase OF member
! larger than the Increase in! theSwhol
! ouadrennium from 1898 to 1902, Th
, not increase in members during tn
i four years just closed is a02.754.
The total membership OF the churc
! at present, not including the ISL
travelling preachers, aud the 4,952 lc
. cal preachers, Is l,s2a,4n2. and wit
!, the addition Of the a3a,o1l member
] OF the Colored Methodist Church, tn