The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1916-06-17
|E!IHODIST
EunION IS
PROMISING
Management of "
oars, Is Being Over
come, Belief
EXPERIENCES
ONLY SECTIONAL
I erver Would Give
3 G knrch Dominating
ne of $500, 900

Y q ne Oh l,CVU,UVU
~ 1DtG MALICIOUS RAMBLER.
X 80 time has elapsed since
- oufHment OF the Methodist
SGopal conference at Saratoga TO
M the sense OF the church at
concerning its deliberations.
one action that has made
rest appeal to the country is
6nthusiastic and unanimous vote
Hn reunion OF Methodism. This
rem more important than the
1ou Of the bishops or the con-
~ announcements on labor
y. There seems to be only
mind I'm Methodism north and
and II favors reunion OF the
bodie6 which separated In 1874.
entally, II Is taken for granted
10 the two big Methodist de-
EgO1s merge, the lesser ones
k&mfally follow.
So Sbress reports fail TO state the
kiGer Of the union proposed. 1t
~ - and fundamental and
III IA questions of detail. The
Ho6 w1s frequently used, RE
0 ~ reorganization" The pro-
IA which originated with the
0iAt church south, proposes
~ Iivision of the country into sec
nal conferences. with an add.
0kaI conference for Negroes.
>ose sQuadrennial conferences" as
- came to be called in the dis
SS1ons, are OF an elastic nature.
~ could easily be extended TO in
- Methodism In Canada and
|&othodjsm on the mission field in
Y ne general basis discussed is for
11r Quadrennial conferences: One
g the territory lying west OF the
Ios1ssippi. one for the south, and
- for the north, and one for the
1ogroes. Some leaders. however,
opooe greater subdivision than
~. even talking about eight quad
|0nnial conferences.
The high-water mark of enthusi-
m and spiritual fervor OF the
[efhodist conference was reached
yhon ~ an irresistible impulse. and
Ilth . shout and a song. the con-
renee unanimously adopted the
(opoeals for reunion. The venera-
~ Bishop Cranston OF the North
~ church. and Bishop Henrick. OF
y Douthern church, clasped hands
cbore the conference, while the
rDat body sang, "Biest Be the Tie
hat Binds"
The conflict and competition be-
toen the two Methodisms has come
j the communities which have
Ioadily increased In number where
OF both branches ex-
ned. Everybody admits that there
no adequate reason for two
fethodist churches, holding the
anne doctrines and the same polity.
y one neighborhood, competing
nth each other simply because one
y Northern and the other is South
m. The difference Is basically sec
ocnal ana entirely question Of ad-
|1lniotrntion. The hard sense OF
" church has voted a continuance
= these conditions inexcusable.
10Th leaders and laity have want
III , way out of this dilemma, which
- rejected dlscredit upon the
|Anfoh 1t large; for II has made 1t
poar that UNCONVENTIONAL and sec
UuAI zeal we're weightier than
)nclo Christian principles.
Much 40 the reunion will mean TO
y dissemination as a whole, 1t will
oon more to local communities
>1ore neighborhoods and families
~ divided. know of one Mary
~ town where two brothers OF
- family went to the Civil war
n opposite sides. They returned,
~ prospering In business, each
hit IN imposing Methodist church
~ oypoeite corners OF the same
1yeet, one Northern and one South
"a. Times without number II has
zen said that everybody knows
AT the war is over, except the
nurches.
NJ The growth Of cooperative work
I'd union sentiment In the country
y large has made the leaders OF
1o4hodism Increasingly jealous 10
~ = way out of the present diff
hlty. At It's general conference
80 years ago, the Methodist
Anrch. South. proposed the form OF
union which has been accepted by
y Methodist conference. This
olds any appearance of one de
Hninaticn swallowing up the other
~ amply analogy OF the federal
Vugnment has been followed
re viii be a general conference
- up Of delegates from the quad
nnlal conferences, or the annual
rference. that point TO be settled
~. Just the amount OF terri
~ the general conference IL 10
~ remains TO be determined
~ 1outhern church would stress
oUpeemacy of the uuadrennial
@1I< n~.u-~-~~~ l<x..s sht. toano 49,,