The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-05-07
REPORT TO M. E. CONFERENCE
womau's Foreign Missionary So
ciety Reports Great Growth
Many New Enterprises Established
Operation With Other
Churches.


rhe Woman's Foreign Missionary
Society of the Methodist Episcopal
church reported TO the general confer
cnce today that good results had fol-
lowed the development of the society
Into the Home and Foreign depart
ments. the establishment OF new entcr-
prises: great increase In receipts; and
tine uniting Of the society with women's
boards OF other denominations, in es-
tablishing and maintaining union en-
terprises in the foreign field.
The report showed total member
ship of 2s3.172 ana the receipts OF So
O52,609 In the last four years.
Much of tie report was devoted to a
review of the work i'm foreign londs
OF the China missions the report says
"The medical work with Lut IL hos
pitfalls as centers. is gaining the respect
of the people. 1881 patients were
treated last year. Chinese girls are
gladly taking the medical course to
become physicians or nurses. The rev.
olution in China is giving the mission
aries access TO many who could never
before be reached. II is elevating
Christian men to official position and
giving new influence to the women
OF the households"
Favorable comment is made ON the
mission work i'm India. Japan Korea.
MALAY sia. the Philippines. Africa and
South America.
Questions Before Methodists.
There will come before the present
conference some of the most momsn-
tous questions which Arnericsrn Atetii=
odism ever faced. They are not cues
tions of faIth. for no heresy is in sight,
nor of possible division. for Methodism
Is united and becomingly increasingly
so. Indeed, one of the minor ques.,
tions, because less pressing. that viii
come up ut Minneapolis is organic
union with some other Methodist
bodies.
Probably the six matters that arouse
greatest interest beth among Motho-
dists and those outside OF IL ere the
Following. ON many Of them prolong
ed debates are likely to be had:
- ilN tltNNipi vi INV DioilOIos aiiN
their assignment to various cities.
Through death the number is now
much depleted. and several new
bishops must be chosen. Just how
many remains to be fixed by the Con-
ference itself. The number Will not he
fewer than five or slN. and may be as
many as eight or ten. The smaller
number is. however. the more likely
one.
.. The districting of bishops. That
is, the adoption of the diocesan plan.
locating a bishop either permanently
after the manner of Catholics and
others. or lt least between General
Conferences. when would be for four
years. \ great increase in number of
bishops would le necessary and there
would be required a readjustment Of
the duties Of distyict superintendents.
There are many MctEodists who favor
the plan. but few consider IL likely of
achievement at this Conference
8. The restoration of the pastoral
time limit. Methodism began in ear
iy times in America as the circuit
rider churcn. and because churches
were unable alone to support pastors
their support was undertaken by the
church as a whole. They were chang
ed In assignments or charges every
year. then every two years. until for a
long period the limit was three years.
In 1900, at the General Conference held
i'm Chicago. the limit was removed al
together. Now there is a determined
clamor to put II on again. Some say IL
will be done at Minneapolis: others
that II will not be. .
4. The admission OF laymen to the
annual conferences as full members.
At present lGymen have membership
i'm the General Conference. and wom-
en- too, although the fight TO secure
such membership was "A long one and
was obtained only In quite recent
years. Now laymen declare the time
has come when they should have seat
and voice In the annual conferences.
over which the bishops preside and at.
which assignments of ministers Is
made for the year. The controversy
over this question is not, however, as
keen AS IL is over some OF the others.
g. The restriction OF unauthorized
financial appeals Methodism claims
To be distracted almost to the point
of revolt over the great number of
demands for money some official but
most OF them free lances. The claim
is made that the number of societies
doing official work and asking
churches for funds Is far too many.
The criticism does not come concern
ing amount OF money asked for. With
others Methodists are steadily increas-
ing their contributions The COM
plant is about method.
8. The creation OF Supreme Court