Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-05-27

Geographic names do not hinder
churches when those names hold his
tory. The Roman Catholic Church rests
on city for part of It's name; the
Greek Church on a small and decadent
national name, and the Anglican Church
upon the name of one of the British
isles. Yet these great Churches carry
their work successfully to the ends of
the earth, and il they should undertake
to change their names they would have
more trouble explaining the change than
they have carrying their names. Our
church during the past four years has
had the greatest growth in its history,
and has enjoyed marked prosperity In
these Northwestern States, where some
now claim that the name binders. Ii
the name should be changed. 1t would be
laughed out of countenanee In those
states as we'll as in the Central South.
And how could we face the sister bodies
OF Methodism in the United States under
the boastful name, The Methodist Epis-
eopai Church in America? There are
others besides U.S."
REFERS TO HENDRIX.
But" continued the Bishop. my
views are best expressed in a passage
from the Episcopal Address which was
read to the Conference at the opening
session by Bishop Hendrix, who had been
appointed to prepare 1t. In that very
able paper by Bishop Hendrix occurs this
passage, which / dare say, will express
the judgement of a large majority of
the Annual Conferences when the matter
is submitted to them and their sober Sec
ond thought is recorded:
whatever our legal style, we will al
ways be called Southern Methedists, as
erings our brethren are called Northern
Methodists. In all the mission fields and
great councils cur fellew= Christians are
given to recognizing each other by what
they are doing for Christ rather than
by what name they bear or what section
. they hail from. No greater calamity can
come to Church than to aspire to be
the American or national Church, with
its natural tendency to claim all that Is in
sight. We are toe world wide to seek to
be simply national. Sympathizing with
our Northwestern brethren, whose IA
theirs welcomed us because Of our name
and because we preached Christ and
him only, we see no sufficient reason for
any change. Moreover. the sense of the
whole Church was taken comparatively
a few years ago on the change OF our
name to the Methodist Episcopal CHURCH
in America the same to be reported to
the General Conference of Ies6. The hish-
OPS reported that only 81 had voted for
the change and g. Alb had voted against 1t.
The Episcopal Address, reporting the re-
suit of the vote added: 1T is to be hoped
that a corporate name which was frst
introduced by Bishop Paine and adopted
by the Committee of Nine into their re-
port to the General Conference Of 1874
which was further recognized at Louis
Vile I'm 1915, and in the formation Of our
first General Conference in 1876, which
is the title by which all our lawsuits for
the recovery of property was known and
in favor of which the Supreme Court
made its decree, the title and name by
which we were known through the ample
and deep experiences OF the Civil War, the
name which was reaffirmed by eonsti-
tutionaI vote of the Church in 1865 and
1867. and by which the status OF eur
Church was recognized by the Cape May
Commission In 1875, and about which our
whole domestic and foreign missionary
work has clustered, will be accepted fully
and forever as the primal and final des-
ignation of our beloved Methodism."
THE STATUS OF THE CASE.
Now" said the Bishop. after reading
the passage quoted, those strong words
written by Bishop Hendrix put the case
about right. We are not a sectional
church. nor do we aspire to be a national
church; but we propose to do our part in
carrying the gospel to all the world II
this mission is hindered by the name
Methodist Episcopal Church South it
will be hindered not less by the more am
bilious title Methodist Episcopal Church
in America If we changed our name