New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-03
METHODIST BISHOPS
MAY ASK TIME LIMIT
Expected to Recommend Restor.
alton of System Abolished
Twelve Years Ago.
TALK OF FIVE.YEAR TERM
Gain Of Only Two Per Cent in
Membership Regarded as In
dicating Critical Con-
dition in the Church.

Minneapolis, May 2.-I.imitation TO five
years a g the longest time any minister shall
remain in a given church, it is expected
will be recommended to the Methodist Epis-
copa General Conference by the bishops
| tomorrow as a means Of stimulating the
growth Of the church.
Much opposition is expected to arise &c
the proposal. Under the present system
[ the nineteen thousand Methodist Episco-
pal ministers scattered over the world are
| allowed to remain in any pulpit indefinitely
| The new plan, supported by the twenty
four active bishops at the conference, will
mean II restoration OF the time limit abol-
ished in 1900
In favor OF the charge the bishops have
received these arguments:
Because some OF the churches will not
| have the less able ministers all the time
and none of the churches will have the bet
ter ministers exclusively. Because the
prominent pulpits now held by few, Will
be thrown open TO younger men.
Against the change these objections have
been made
That preachers who plan great work will
not be in pulpit long enough TO accom- :
plish il. That many great preachers nave
loft the Church because hampered by tine
limit. That large congregations cannot be
built up from a pulpit where there are fire.
qucnt changes.
II is said many ministers have occupied
the same pulpits for more than twelve
years and their objection to the bishops
proposal, when it comes before the con-
terence, will be based on their reluctance
TO leave communities In which they have
lived so long.
II Is expected also the bishops will rec
ommend radical changes in the amusement
restrictions now imposed upon church MEM
bers and that these changes Will be in the
nature Of restoring John Wesley's method
Of allowing conscience OF individuals to dc
tate what shall be prohibited instead OF
having the Church decide.
I'm delivering the FIRST section OF the
hishops' report signed by all the bishop;
and received by the so delegates to-day. as
IN. most important document TO come be-
fore them. Bishop Earl Cranston' OF WASH
ingtou. described as critical the fact that
in the last year the Church gained only
* On0 Tess than per cent In membership
| Notwithstanding the outlay OF millions OF
dollars" $500. ,o,,
The greed for wealth. sports ana forms
OF amusement have taken away from 'he
Church. IL is useless 10 deny, bIshop
Cranston ss!d he attributed the SINAI
growth partly to the system OF droppihs
from membership those who left their
church without letters and failed to rePor,
TO another church within year ~
fever than $4,000 members have thus oeen
dropped. ~ . "a ,
The tendency Of ministers 10 90 70
church because the salary was lnEIlit
! Bjshop Cranston pronounced "a species Of
The conference heard reports to-nish
from the Rev. J. T. Wardle Starora' or
scarborough. England, on the state OF th'
Church In England. and from the Key. q
| 4. RI. Aikens, OF Winnipeg, on its Pros''''
| I'm Canada. -,o,, "a
The conference ordered a commission sr,n sr
uoInted to investigate tho episcopai suPei
,ieion of the J95 go negro members ~
Southern states. William w; L sv,Soueh
Bishop Thomas e. Neely's residence Wa
fxed as New Orleans the BISHOP hso r ;r
sided there not moro than thirty os.s ~, ~
the last four years. Mr.. Lucas ano o'..
southern delegates declared that unless IN IN,
negro members secured tho leadership 'hs'
threatened - separate.