Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1912-05-02
CONTROlLEDBYFREETHINK
ITS COLUMNS ARE GIVEN OVER
TO DISCUSSIONS OF uNoR-
THoDox THEORIES
SOMETHING RADICALLY WRONG
REPORT OF oUADRENNIAL CON-
FERENCE SAYS CHURCH is
NOT GAINING GROUND

Minneapolis, Mimi, May 2.-Critic-
ism of the condition which enabled
the church to gain "less than two
per cent in its membership in the
last year" and charges that the
church press was being used as a
free forum by the promoters OF dis
affection" were made in the bishops
report to the quadrennial general con-
ference Of the Methodist Episcopal
church today.
The report, known as the "episco-
ro, address" was signed by 1S bishops
= This and six bishops in foreign
Countries and is regarded as tne
most important document 70 come
hofore the conference, as IT contains
-, ,,,shons, recommendations for the
,,,trre 80, guidance and policy OF the
asmrcb The report was read by bisn-
on Earl cranston Of washington -. =
" A., snotner. section, upon which the
,..sons have been at work since Inc
,"st ., reneral conference at Baitlmols
sour cow wears ago, win be Delivered "
| morrow. .ha renort.
u, ! ohrrch has made a net gam d
49, $1,000. which is less than W. W.
pu' nt os the outcome Of the year
~ .-,,t,a. and the outlay Of many M
ac'iv'I :, dollars. The statistical para
i,On' u,ores us out of coun1enanse 1a,,'.o
u'a snames and humiliaties US :, anv
It snanes .. or Offices worth In any
are ma, .hot does not win battles :. ~ -
army my, 'nf, tsat some are proposing . ~
marssl w 4se major generals 70 p0s, .o
s,,4v ss+ and let the army dlsso,s'
duty :.,'a any ecclesiastical camps"
an,rrr' ~S,s was reference to a pro, prop'ses s,s.
,4aSr o of activities to loca, 'so a,o
limiting ns t@e ~ bishops, whose iurisiae- I,
trlc' oow 2, Us IS universal. some o. the ne
tion now cor = the meagre growth, as
reaS.a .n,.h were laid to too s'fi,'
a,,oat,on SCI ls Of the law of the cnurcn
ssmanding that all members VINO :.
move from a given community "
~ !, ,ne,r church letters be dropped
from membership after 8 year.
"a q" t.,r calculation" the report
..,a areveals the astounding facs :
that probably not less than OOO'UvO
,nombers disappeared from our ron.
-oo,,ass use Of the 'droppins
ssocoss Nevertheless we still iace
the patent fact that our dis'ih''
i've doctrines are not being emphasiz-
ed as they were once, or, where
preached, are discredited for the time
by gainsaying world drunk with
vain PHILOSOPHERS and sated with
gluttonous indulgences."
Pleading for an emphasis on the
distinctive wesleyan doctrines. the
report said they were the only power
to save the nation against vice.
where is the evidence that science
has ever regenerated one soul or
that culture ha sredeemed one liber-
tine, or taken envy, malice. pride, jea-
lousy or greed out or any heart
These utterances are not reactionary-
unless this world has outgrown Jesus
Christ
"Our second lapse is that our sys-
tenn is not being worked as it former
lily was. Certain distinctive parts
have been abandoned; others modified
Innovations, noxious to our pastoral
as wen as our supervisionaI methods
intervened to the hurt of both"
The report condemned the practice
that was said to have grown up IL
certain churches Of calling in evan
gelists to carry on revival services
as against the former custom which