Arizona republican., 1911-07-30
ATTACKS DEFENSES OF METHO-
 DIST POLICY.

Bishop Thomas BNeeley. of New orleans. who for years has given study eo Methodist church polity, has come to the defense of that polity in reply to attacks now making by Methodist laymeR. Some laymen's associations, in the conference held last spring. pro- posed radical changes in McthOdisim. These propositions have been sent to other associations, and throughout Methodism North this fall it is ex- pected these changes will be heard and recommended. The fall conference begin about August 15. and the lay mems associations meet at the same times and places.
 Methodist laymen charge failure to MethOdism in certain places. notably in the large cities, owing to defects in polity. The propositions put forth con template laymen sitting as members of the annual conferences, as they now do in the quadrennial general conferences; laymen as members of the cabinets of bishops, which make appointments of ministers; the districting of bishops, making each supreme-in diocese, after
 
 the multiplication of the number of bishops, so that each may be familiar with his own field and stay suffi- ciently long in it to be able to lead Alcoholism in that field constantly and intelligently. Under the present Meth odist plan bishops, now only twelve in number. hold annual conferences in many parts of the country. and per haps do not return within the year to ascertain the suitability of their ap- pointments of ministers or their wis dom of other decisions made in un familiar fields and under hurried con ditions.
 Tn his defense of the present Metho- dist polity Bishop Medley begins with the first half of the eighteenth cen tury. and follows the carly Methodist organization as it came to America and grew into the Methodist church. He points out to Methodist laymen that the Methodist system has three deter mining parts-connectional. supervis- ional, and constitutional
 At the summit of the supervisional system is the episcopate. which is not a local or diocesan apiscopate restrict ed to a particular character so that a bishop might be assigned service in any part of the churches. This is an itin- ant episcopacy. but the system provides for permanent and thorough local sup ervision through a class of officers who used to be called presiding elders, but now are known as district superinten- dents. This is the local episcopate sup erintending limited districts, while the bishops supervise the district officers, thus insuring a very complete super vision, both local and general
 "To this supervisional system the overwhelming mass of laymen and min isters are thoroughly loyal. and the system has vindicated itself throughout Aany generations. Indeed, the church has been most prosperous when and where it has been most completely and worked out, and the great est failures have been where the graded system of supervision has been allowed to fall into disuse in whole or in part
 With a vigorous episcopacy and dis trict superintendency. the system" con- cludes Bishop Medley. "is as near per feet as human institutions can he per feet. Certain needs now pleaded are the. results of the nOnworkins of the system"
 Methodist laymen declare that if Methodism keeps in the lead in num- bcrs in Protestant bodies it must read just its machinery. More than 25,0O0 churches and 3.200.00O members are vitally interested in actions taken. There are about sixty iaymen's asso- citations. with 24OOOO members. made up of the working laymen who hold most of the official positions in Meth Odist congregations of the north.