The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-05-03
ID LIMIT TIME IF
 MINISTER'S TERM To Make , Years Maximum
 Stay at One Church CHANGE ADJUSTMENTS Report of Bishops Says Failure of Church to Gain More Than 2 Per
 Cent in Year Is Critical.
 Church Press Criticised
CHANGE ADJUSTMENTS

Minneapolis, May 2.--Limitation to five years as the longest time any minister shall remain in a given church, 1t is ex- pected, will be recommended to the Meth odist Episcopal general conference by the bishops tomorrow, as a means of stimu- lating the growth of the church.
 Much opposition Is expected to arise over the proposal. At present the 19OOO ministers are allowed to remain in any pulpit indefinitely. The new plan. sup ported by the 24 active bishops at the conference will mean a restoration of the time limit abolished in 1900.
 Arguments Pro and Con
 In favor of the change 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 better ministers exclusively; because the prominent pulpits. now held by a few. will be thrown open to younger men"
 Against the change, these objections were made:
 That preachers who plan great work will not be in pulpit long enough to accomplish it; that many great preach CTS have left the church because ham, pered by time llmit that large congre- gations cannot be built up from a pulpit where there are frequent changes" To Change Amusements It is expected also the bishops will rec ommend radical changes In the amuse- ment restrictions now imposed upon church members and these changes will be in the nature of restoring John Wes- leys method of allowing conscience of individuals to dictate what shall be pro- hibited instead of having the church de- eide.
 In delivering the first section of the bishops report, signed by all the bishops and received by the $50 delegates as the | most important document to come before them, Bishop Earl Cranston of Washing ton, D. C., today described as critical the fact that in the last year the church has gained Hess than 2 per cent in mem- bership, notwithstanding the outlay of millions of dollars"
 The tendency of ministers to go to a church because the salary was inviting Bishop Cranston pronounced "a species of comnercialism."
 The conference tonight heard reports Scarborough, England. on the state of the church in England and from the Rev. lJ. A. NJ. Aikens of Winnipeg on the progress in Canada.
 Race Question Bobs Up
 The Methodist conference here today or dered a commission to investigate the | Episcopal supervision of the 325,00O negro members in southern states. William Lucas of Meridian charged that although Bishop Thomas B. Neely's resi- dence was fixed at New Orleans, yet the bishop had resided there not more than a month in the last four years.
 MT. Lucas and other delegates declared that unless the negro members secured the leadership they sought they threatened to separate.
 Bishops Report
 Criticism of the condition which enabled the church to gain Hess than per cent of its membership in the last year." and charges that the church press was be- ing used 'as a free forum by the promot- CTS of disaffection,' were made in the bishops report to the quadrennial general conference of the Episcopal church today.
 The report contains the bishops recom- mendations for the future policy of the churches.
 "In the last year. said the report. "the church has made a net gain of 55.000 which is less than ? per cent as the out growth of the years work, and the out lay of many millions of dollars.
 "rhe statistical paradox glares us out of countenance. It shames and humiliates us. What are honors of offices worth in any army that does not win battles? No marvel that some are proposing to reduce the majors general to post duty"