The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-02
Quadrennia| Meeting Of Meth
0distS At AShevi||e
QUESTIONS TO COME UP
Many Matters of Importance to n IN
sidercd By the Boz
to Elect Bishops ta cpe-
cited Term

| Asheville, n. c., May f.-Interest in
Methodist church circles now centers In
the sixteenth general conference of the
Methodist Episcopal church. which con-
venes in this city Wednesday. the first
Wednesday in May. as by law provided.
This will be the largest denominational
gathering. to be held in the south this
year. The conference will continue in
session for at least three weeks.
The fact that the general conference
meets only quadrennially increases the in
terest attached to its sessions, and ow-
ing to the many questions of vital i'm
portance to the future of the church to
come before the meeting for discussion,
it will be more largely attended by non-
delegates than any of its predecessors
The membership of the general confer
ence will number little more than sOO
the delegates being composed of an equal
number of ministers and laymen. Each
annual conference in the church is en-
titled to one clerical and one lay delegate
| for every 4S ministers that compose the
| body.
| Among the questions that are being dis
| cussed most In the conference organs
anticipation of the general conference are
| the episcopacy, the time limit of pas
| torates, lay representation of the women
of the church. a change in the manner
| of appointing presiding elders and the
| order of worship.
| THE bishops In the Methodist Episcopal
church are elected for life, this having
| been the custom since the first bishops
were elected In the early days of the
church. The opinion now exists in the
| minds of some Of the ministers and lay
men of the church that from this time
/ on the bishops should be elected for only
a certain number of years, while others
favor the abolition OF the episcopacy in it's
present form.
Would Elect Presiding Elders
4 There js also a strofg sepiifrcsst of the
passing of law by the general confer
ence by which the presiding elders of the
| future shall be elected by the annual con-
| ferences. instead OF being appointed by
the bishop, as is now the case. 1t is not
unlikely that the time limit of the pastor
ate will be abolished at this meeting
| Should this be done such action Will not
AFFECT the meeting of the annual confer
ences, and the appointment OF the pastors !;
| II Is probable that they will continue to
| be appointed for one year a. time, but
| If the time limit should be removed pas
tors will not be compelled to move to an
other pastorate at the end OF four years.
A memorial from the womens board of
| home missions will be presented to the
general conference asking that the rights
of the laity be granted to the women of
| the church. This will be the first time
| that such a request has been made to
| the conference, and there Is a marked
and very decided diversion of opinion
among both the men and women of the
church on this subject.
| There are at present seven bishops In
| the active service of the church and the
opinion exists that at least six more VIII
be elected at the general conference A
number of prominent preachers of the
church are already being spoken of for
the episcopacy, and the election will be
an event of far more than ordinary in
terest to the entire church.
Order of Worship Unsatisfactory
The present order of worship does not
it is said. give general satisfaction to the
| church. and some changes in This direc-
| ton will doubtless be recommended to the
| conference.
| While the conference is in session a
plan will be presented for great chau-
| tauqua and assembly for southern
! Methodism. Three sites in the western
section of this state are being discussed
| Among other questions of extraordinary
Importance to be determined by the con-
| ference will be the ownership and con-
troll of the Vanderbilt university by the
Methodist Episcopal church. r,outh. The
claim for the full and complete rights of
the church In the university are being
supported by Bishop r. E. Hoss, assisted
by DR.. Fl. M. DuBose. The opposing view
is maintained by Dr. j. Fl. Kirkland and
DR.. G. B. Winton. both of whom are mem
bers of the Vanderbilt board of trustees
the former being chancellor of the uni
| VerSitY