Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-05-06

| The quadrennial general conference OF
the Methodist Episcopal Church. South.
will meet today in Asheville, N. c., and
will continue its sessions through the re-
mainder of the month. This conference,
composed of lay and ministerial dele
gates elected by the 18th annual confer
ences, is the supreme authority in the
church. The Methodist Episcopal Church,
South. has 1,Sj0000 members. and is the
second largest of the Is Methodist bodies
in the United States. The Methodist Epis-
copal church, or Northern branch. has
3, 100000 members SO
These two major Methodist churches
divide, after a fashion, the territory of
| the United States. The southern branch
has the southern states and also a large
following in the west and along the Pa
ci1c coast The two churches overlap
each other I'm many places, but the move
ment for federation has progressed to
such an extent that there is now con-
siderable measure of cooperation be-
tween the two bodies. Since the separa-
ton in 1874 some few differences in de-
tails of church polity and government
have sprung UP, but there is no differ
ence in faith and no essential difference
in practice. Several years ago the two
churches adopted a common hymnal and
ritual. If one may give that name to the
severely simple Methodistical order OF
worship.
There is entire cooperation between the
two churches with respect to foreign
mission fields, and in the Orient this CO..
operation has reached the stage OF actual
union. One OF the most important meas
ures which will be considered at this
meeting of the conference will be the re-
Port of the joint commission on federation
of the two great Methodist churches.
Organic and complete union is not now
contemplated, but federation and COM
plete cooperation soon will be attained.
Thirty-eight of the As annual confer
ences in this church are fully organized
and independent church bodies, subject
only to the authority of the general con-
ference as exercised through the coll
| lege OF bishops The other ten annual
conferences are mission conferences
which are under the paternal care of
all the church. One of these is Ger
man mission in. Texas, there are two
| I'm Brazil. one in Japan, one in Korea, one
| in China, one in Cuba. and three in
Mexico. For the benefit of those who are
not familiar with Methodist nomenclature
| 1t may be said that the phrase annual
conference" means not only the annual
meeting Of preachers and lay delegates.
but also the organized body in certain
prescribed territory, and even that ter
ritory Itself.
Many important and some revolutionary
measures will be considered at this ses-
sion of the general conference. There
| is movement in the west in favor of
eliminating the word south" from the
official name of the church body. Sew
eral annual conferences support this
| movement and 1t will be seriously con-
sidered.
Another party in the church advocates
| the abolition OF the title of bishop and
! substituting therefor the office OF super
| intendent at the same time reducing the
tenure OF office from life service to a
| term of eight years. Methodist bishops
| have great deal of episcopal power. but
| the nature OF their office is purely politi-
cal and not religious The bishops are
not a higher order of the ministry, and
| they have no diocesan Jurisdiction or
power. They are in no way comparable
| to the bishops of the Roman Catholic
or the Protestant Episcopal churches.
Other changes I'm church polity which
will be considered include the proposal to
abolish the time limit which now pre-
cludes the services of a pastor of one
church extending more than four consec-
utive years: the abolition OF the office of
presiding elder; the election of presiding
elders or district superintendent by a
vote of the annual conference and CIV
! ing them a voice in the appointment of
| pa stors. Some of these changes already
have been adopted in the Methodist Epis-
copal church. At present the bishop pre-
siding over an annual conference ap
points the pastors of each church each
year and there is no appeal from his de-
cision. The advocates of these changes
are mostly western Methodists.
One of the most important matters
which will come before the conference re-
I lates to the management of Vanderbilt
university. This university. is located at
/ Nashville, Tern. and is the largest edu-
cational institution OF southern Method
ism. The question will come ZIP in the
/ form of memorials from several annual
conferences asking the general confer
ence Ito take such conclusive action as
will fully and finally assure to the church
the ownership and control of the univer-
| sity, with all the rights accorded to the
church and bishops under the university
charter and the findings of the Vanderbilt
commission"
/ Vanderbilt university, while acknowledge
/ ing the control of the church. has devel
| cped the non-sectarian idea in all its
branches save the theological department.
In its capacity as a non-denominationa
school it is proposed to federate the uni
versity with a college for teachers to be
endowed by several million dollars by
] the George Peabody educational fund.