The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1912-04-29
Question Of Dancing, Cards, Theaters
and Other Forms of Amusements
Will Come Up.
PROPERTY VALUED $1ss, $40, oos
Sunday School and Epworth League
Membership Numbers Over
1000, 900.

The general conference of the
Methodist Episcopal church op-
lens at Minneapolis next Wednesday.
The session will continue throughout
the entire month Of May.
To show the scope of the work done
by this denomination, the following
has been gathered by a Methodist
journal.
The Methodist Episcopal church
has:
A membership of 3,234,9ss, 1895
ministers, 30,39s churches and 1913
conferences.
Total membership of the Methodist
family of churches in America is T.
409,763, and representing a consti-
tuency of not less than 25,OOO,O90.
The largest publishing house in
the world, doing an annual business
of about 100000.
A board of foreign missions that
has disbursed during its life the sum
of SAC, 4S5,957.17. Last year it raised
$1,o72.9s7.
| Foreign mission fields manned by
1,O96 missionaries, operating twenty
| two printing presses, with 340,S93
church members, 336,455 Sunday
school scholars and S2,ssS students
in educational institutions.
A woman's home missionary co.
| ciety with 119, 100 members, pub
fishing periodical literature with a
circulation of 60,047. Money raised
last year amounted to $7O1,217.
| A woman's foreign missionary So
ciety with 1914 members and an
nual cash receipts well over $780,
600. Since its organization this So
ciety has disbursed $12,2SO,874.
Educational institutions, at home
and abroad, to the number of $50,
with property worth over $4,000
900, giving instruction to over U.s.
900 students.
Sunday schools numbering 35,4I5
having staff of 374,SS1 teachers
and officers and an enrolment of
more than 100000 scholars.
An Epworth league having 14,O7S
having a staff of 374,881 teachers
and officers and an enrolment of
more than 100000 scholars.
Church property valued at $780,
542,603; parsonage property worth
s32,747,S34.
| A board of home missions and
church extension having $1,500,0oO
in the loan fund. Collections for
1911, $SS6,O65.86.
Amusement Rule an Issue.
Contrary to a general impression,
there is no specific rule of the church
against any form of amusement. But
In the rule providing for the trials of
members, the principle is laid down
that member shall be brought to
trial as follows:
TN cases of neglect of duties of
any kind; imprudent conduct; in
dulging sinful tempers or words; The
buying, selling, or using intoxicating
liquors as beverage; signing petit
lions in favor of granting licenses for
the sale of intoxicating liquors; be-
coming bondsmen for persons en-
gagged in such traffic, or renting
property as place in or on which to
manufacture or sell intoxicating liq-
uors; dancing; playing at games of
chance; attending theaters, horse
races, circuses, dancing schools, or
taking such other amusements as are
obviously of misleading or question
able moral tendency; or disobedience
to the order and discipline of the
church. .
Change May Be Made.
It is this rule which many have
sought to change, In preceding gen
eral conference, but each time the
movement has failed. Those who seek
to change 1t wish to go back to first
principles Of the church, when no
form Of amusement was specifically
placed under the ban, but 1t was left
j to the individual conscience to deter
mine whether the member was par
ticipating In amusement which could
be participated in in the name OF
lChrist. Advocates Of the change de-
3lnIarn tha ,v,ln 4 ssns,rea nf irrifafin,Sy g
Continued on last page.)