The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1912-04-29
METHODIST
CONFERENCE
cosvENEs May FIRST
IN MINNEAPOLIS
Important Probisms to BE Submitted
TO IN Eight Hundred and
Fifty DsieostsL
West v'r-inis Dels-stss Leave 10
Attend the Sessions Of the
Church Body.

May FIRST. In Minneapolis. MINI.
eonvenes the general conference Of
the Methodist Episcopal church. Yes
.ffdsy a party OF the laymen and min
isterial delegates Z the body passed
rough this city on their way to
minneapolis. being the Rev. ]. Sterl-
ing Miller, of Parkersburg. formerly
OF this city: Frank r.. Trotter, Of Nor
Eantown. and j. 5. Fletcher, OF Gass-
away. They will be Joined in Chicago
by d Ira Robinson. OF Grafton and
Governor Glasscock. Rev. J. Il. Work.
man, OF this city. Is another delegate
who viii attend.
There will be $50 delegates in the
conference. representing 3.500,O0O
church members and a constituency
OF 100000. II will be the largest
methodist gathering i'm the history OF
the world and there will be I'm attend
ance is bishops. seven missionary
bishops m practically all the leading
executive officials OF the church.
Their help will be needed. Issues that
are vital to the growth and permanency
OF the church will come before the con-
ference and must be met squarely. Ever
since the general conference in Baltimore.
TOUR years ago. wonderful progress has
been made in religious thought the world
over. Men and women who have been
leaders in their hurch have been caught
In this wave OF progressive ideas anu
are demanding that their church make
concessions to IL.
The Methodist Episcopal conference at
sue. That some radical changes will be
sought is certain; what Roadway they
Will make is predetermined.
Among the problems which will come
before the conference is that OF a union
or the three branches OF the Methodist
ehurch-the Methodist Episcopal. the
Methodist Protestant and the Methodist
Episcopal church south.
Another issue that IL certain TO be
fought out at the coming conference IL
the demand OF laymen for greater auth.
GRITTY and activity by them In church az
fairs.
IL is almost certain. too. that an effort
viii be made at the May conference to
restore the old-time Methodist Limitation
o the length OF time a minister shall
remain in one church.
The election OF bishops and executive
OFFICIALS viii be one OF the most import
ant features OF the conference and will
naturally be characterized BY more. or
less church politics. There is a wide
spread demand for more bishops in the
church and II Is believed there will be
from four 10 eight new ones elected this
year.
Next In Importance TO the bishops will
be the lection OF editors for the various
church publications. There are 10 edi-
tors 20 be elected.
The General Conferences Represents:
Members. $780, 600.
Constituency. 1900. 900.
Church property and p-arsonages.
$500. 900. 200.
Number educational Institutions. $50.
Value educational Institutions. $50
OOO. 900. 49,
Number students. $4,000.
Number preachers. bishops. etc. 90 75k
Lay c1ocal'D preachers. iI5I6
Annual maintenance OF preachers
bishops. etc. S16.275.O 900.
annual support foreign missions
$1,000, 200.
Annual support home missions
$1,000. 900.
sunday schools. $780, 900 pupils.
Sunday schools. $4,000 teachers and
officers.
Annual publishing business. $1,000