The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-03-28
Coming Quadrennial Confer.
ence Will Report a Very
Large Increase.
CHURCH UNION PROBABLE
QUESTION OF UNITING THE
SOUTHERN AND NORTHERN
BRANCHES OF METHoDiSM-
NEW HYMNAl NOW ISSUED.

Montgomery City. Mo, March 2S.-
Bishop E. r. Hendricks, of Kansas
City. Mo-. who is writing the address
OF the College of Bishops of the Meth
odist Episcopal Church, South. which
is to be read at the coming sixteenth
quadrennial General Conference of this
Church in Asheville, n. c., next May,
| states that his figures show that the
Church has increased it's membership
since the last meeting of this body,
10000.
This will be bright and encouraging
news to all the 100000 adherants of
this Church throughout the United
states. 1t has been stated by some
that the Methodist Episcopal Church,
South, was not holding its own, but
these figures given by Bishop Hend-
ricks shows this is mistake. 1t is
estimated by some that the member
ship before these 100000 were added
was between 100000 and 100000
Are 10000 Churches.
The next report shows there were
| about 1890 churches and 5000 local
preachers, and of the twelve bishops
living at the last meeting of this Quad
| rennial Conference four have died;
namely, Bishops. Tagart. Smith. Gala
| way and Ward. 1t is also stated that
| this conference probably will not only
elect four bishops to take the places of
these deceased members, but may in.
crease the bishops to fifteen or eigh-
teen.
Probably the most interesting and
overshadowing issues that will come
| before this Conference. will be the
question of uniting the south and
| north branches of Methodism, the pro.
posal to abolish the presiding elders
Office, the. extension of the pastoral
limit and the question of worldly
amusements. Some of the Missouri
preachers are in favor of the extension
of the successive years a pastor may
| serve one church from one to six years.
Others are in favor of the abolition of
the time limit altogether.
1t is very probable that the Metho.
dist Episcopal Church, South, and the
Methodist Episcopal Church will decide
at this Conference to adopt a policy. es-
pecially in foreign missionary fields, OF
| absolute harmony and cooperation
| This is being done in China, and there
is now only one great Methodist
Church in this great empire, Operated
through the Methodist Federation.
The New Hymnal.
The new hymnal, issued by joint
commission of twenty-five ministers
and laymen appointed in equal mum.
bers from the Methodist Episcopal
Church and the Methodist Episcopal
Church. South, is having q great deal
to do with bringing about union. The
| object of this new song book is to
provide a worthy manual of songs for
use in both churches and for private
| worship of the followers of Methodism.
The hymns of the Wesleys are given
prominence. 1t contains the most
choice work of the writer's of the eigh.
teenth century-Doddridge, Newman
Montgomery-and a very considerable
number of the new hymns selected at
ter wide examination of the body OF
the religious verses produced during
the last seventy-five years. Some OF
the hymns have alternate tunes, with
a view to please both branches of the
Church and to obtain a better musical
expression for the words than is given
by the old familiar tunes. This book is
now being largely adopted by both
churches throughout the United States