The Daily Missoulian., 1912-08-25

Lay Delegate to National Meeting in Minneapolis Reports
Accomplishments Of Methodists to Lay Brothers In
Opening Meeting Of Association

James A. Metcalfc, lay delegate
from Montana 10 the general Methods
conference, made comprehensive re
port of the conference to the meet
Ing OF the Montana Laymens sssocia
tion Friday morning. Mr. Metcalfe'l
report follows:
ticular piece OF legislation or to point
out some distinctive trend OF though,
as being specially characteristic OF
the general conference of the Methods,
Episcopal church. which was in ses
sion during the month OF May III
Minneapolis, would find himself con.
fronted by a. very difficult task There
were u number Of very importan,
problems before the gathering. Some
OF them reached a satisfactory solu.
ton; others bid. fair to emulate
Banduo's ghost. But none of this
things done were of such revolutionary
character as to warrant the conclusion
that Methodist thought, doctrine OF
church policy have undergone any
essential change: nor even that they
are In the midst of any pronounced
evolutionary process. Methodism to.
day is still the Methodism of John
Wesley. Its founder, in every essential
characteristic.
II IL generally admitted that the
Minneapolis general conference was
the greatest In the history of the
church. 1t was the largest gathering
numerically the Methodists have ever
hn1 nd Ia fna Lot, Al - A
to the proposed change in the basis
of representation, whereby the next
and succeeding general conferences
would have q total membership OF
about $50. At Minneapolis there were
$50 delegates, equally divided between
the ministry and the laity, and with a
goodly sprinkling of women. But the
plan to decrease the size OF the gen.
eral conference met with disapproval,
largely on the plea that Mcthodism de-
mands and must have the most repre-
sentative legislative body possible, and
that a dirhinution of general confer
ence membership would tend to defeat
that purpose to certain extent. ON
the other hand. the experience OF
those who were present at the recent
sessions In Minneapolis must have
convinced them that the general con-
ference Is becoming something of an
unwieldy body. and 1t IL prophesied
that the proponents of a reduction will
come before the next quadrennial as
sembly largely increased in number.
AS Is usually the case I'm all repre-
sentative legislative bodies. the pro-
posal to reduce. the membership met
with the strongest opposition in the
largest conference delegations.
A Democratic Conference.
Correlativc to the trend Of the times.
II had been whispered for some
months that the Minneapolis gather
ing would be IAN insurgent general
conference" But now that II has come
and gone. one finds little OF actual
evidence to justify such descrip-
tion. 1t would be much more proper
to designate 1t as the most demo-
the Methodist Episcopal church. This
was shown In very many ways.
The Episcopal form of government
IL naturally of the centralized type.
As exemplifled In Methodist economy
1t has sometimes been subject to
criticism, but students of ecclesiastical
history must admit that II has gem
orally resulted In wise administra-
ton and that with It this church has
enjoyed strong. constructive growth.
No serious monarchIcaI evils have
ever appeared within the church coun-
ellis. which fact Is well attributed to
the signal presence and power of an
all-wlse providence. The Methodist
Episcopal form Of government has
shown its divinity of origin, perhaps.
IN that 1t has easily accommodated
itself to every demand OF changing
times and conditions. II has been
sufficiently flexible. and yet not too
susceptible to change and modifica-
ton.
II only illustrates the close relation
OF the church to the people when 1t
Is seen that its membership Is
strongly affected by current political
contentious. and that these principles
are more or less applied to the affairs
OF the church. The demand of the
hour In civil government Is for a
greater power of the people. Monarchy
itself has slowly succumbcd to re-
publicanism. and the latter In turn is