El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-11-09

4 ETHODISTS have just taken a
M step that in progressiveness and
~ organized economy is ahead OF
anything ever done by a religious body
in the whole world. This is the large
Methodist North body. with its three
and a half million communicates, or
about half of the seven million Meth
odists in America The action was
taken at Indianapolis by 5000 Methodist
delegates, unique in their character. in
that they were unofficial and yet they
included the entire list of Methodist
bishops, secretaries and other officials.
As a gathering It was unlike any
thing ever attempted by a religious
body in this country. 1t was 50 because
it represented every phase Of MethO-
dist activity, and was far larger and
more powerful than the highest official
Methodist body, the general confer
ence-
Had such gathering taken place 10
years ago it would have pushed one
line Of work. So great has been the
progress of church unity, however. that
the entire Methodist body got itself to-
gether. Missions at home and abroad
education, social service, evangelism.
colleges, the women, the men-every-
thing Joined IN the push forward. Moth
ing was left out This is high water
mark of unity and in some ways more
significant than the coming together
OF different bodies. Here are features
OF the progress proposed to be made:
An addition Of 10 percent to the
embership of every Methodist church.
a tenth of all incomes of all MethOdists
TO 90 to gospel extension; higher Chris
tan education for Methodist youth, and
proper support Of institutions to give
II; Christian literature in all forms for
the information Of the people; cooper
alton in all ways with all others who
eXalt Jesus Christ a social and moral
campaign that shall equal in equip
menI the missionary and educational
OneS5 and an evangelistiC campaign
that shall leave nothing to be desired
when compared to old fashioned mill
tant MethOdism-
That these ambitious plans shall be
entered upon at once. a fund of SOC. 600
year for five years has been pro-
Tlded- From it every line Of work is to
be helped TO send experts throughout
MethodlSm TO stir up the wills and the
interest OF the people. Annual confer
ences are to shorten business sessions
ana appropriate time to hear about ad-
Vances- Benevolent societies are to be
strengthened, and missions at home
and abroad are pledged to large in
creases- The resolutions are not the
ambitions OF ministers alone, for they
were carried by 1900 laymen. among
them the foremost business men of the
nation.
In size Of organizations behind plans.
IN concrete mbitiOns and in resources
Tor work nothing to equal this Meth
oqlst move has before been recorded. |
The man who, as much as all others
combined, Is responsible for this unpre-
step is S Earl Taylor. a Meth
odlst layman- He comes from the mid
ole west where he was both born and
educated He had training in the Y
81 e A. and saw service in Methodist
foreign mission fields. The last gen
cal conference elected him head sec
rotary OF the Methodist Foreign Mis-
slonary society. And here are begin
nlngs OF his work, not for foreign mis-
sions alone, but to put forward q whole
rellslous body, and that among the
LARGEST IN the world. in all lines Of its
work