The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-04-29
METHODIST MEET
HELD NEXT MONTH
General Conference of M. e.
Church in New York.
Northern and Southern Fac
tons May Be United.
FIRST CONFERENCE IN 1892
Slave Question Brought Rup-
ture in Church Circles.
VIII Elect Bishops and Heads
of Publications.
FIRST CONFERENCE IN 1892

On the morning of May there will
convene in Saratoga Springs, New
York, the twenty seventh delegated
quadrennia1 session of the General
Conference of the Methodist Episco-
pal Church. This delegated body of
over eight hundred ministers and lay
men in equal numbers meets every
four years to review the work of the
church and to revise and add to it's
legislation. The General Conference
is made up of delegates from the one
hundred and thirty-three Annual Con-
ferenceS. the Annual Conference be-
ing the working unit of Methodism.
These delegates are elected on a basis
of one ministerial delegate for every
forty-five, or fraction not less than
two-thirds of forty-five, ministerial
members in any given Annual Confer
ence. the number of lay delegates al
ways being the same for each Confer
ence as its ministerial delegates. lay
men were first admitted to the Gen
eral Conference in 1872, and in 1900
women were acknowledged as lay
members These lay delegates are
elected at a meeting of one represent
alive from each local church in each
Annual Conference territory. For the
past twelve months. as the Annual
been elected
First Session In 1892.
The first General Conference of
American MethodlSm was held in Bal
timore, Maryland, in 1892, at which all
preachers in full membership of an
annual Conference were eligible. The
first delegated General Conference
was held in New York City, May 1-22,
1912. AT this conference the first
Episcopal address, an utterance which
has become of increas sing importance.
was delivered. This Episcopal address
is now accepted as the official declar-
alton of the church on important
theological, administrative and social
problems. At the General Conference
held in New York City in 1874, the
agitation over slave-holding became
so acute as to result in plans for sep
aration between that section of the
church in the north and the section
in the south. The Methodist Episco-
pal church, South, was organized in
Louisville, KY, May l, 1S45.
Methodism began in America with
the arrival of Philip Embury and
Barbara Heck, Irish immigrants, who
We're enthusiastic in the propa ganda of
their faith. John Wesley. who was
the founder of Methodism in Eng
land, remained at the head of Ameri-
can Methodism until the Revolution
airy war severed relationships between
England and the United States. All of
the preachers with the exception of
Francis Asbury returned across the
sea, whereupon, September l, 1884,
John Wesley ordained DIR. Thomas
Coke to be superintendent or bishop of
the Methodist societies of the United
States of America. There are now 20
bishops and seven missionary bishops
serving the Methodist Episcopal
church throughout the world The
former are elected by general confer
ence and located for periods of four
years each in cities which are design
ated Episcopal residences. The latter
are elected by general conference for
continuous service in specific fields.
Big Question Before Conference.
The Methodist Episcopal church was
organized at Baltimore, Md, at the So
called Christmas conference, Dec. "a,
1884, to January 2, 1855. At that time
there were 104 preachers and $4,000
communicates. There are now over
$4,000 preachers and 4,033,123 MEM
bers. In the early days of the Meth
odist church the salary of a preacher
was S64. If married, he received the
similar amount for his wife, with SIS
for each child under six and $22 for
each child between six and eleven.
Among the important matters that
will come before the general confer
lions concerning organic union with
the Methodist Episcopal church,
South. which has been under discus
sion with both of these important
branches of Methodism for some time.
the question whether the church shall
elect Bishops for races and languages:
the election of bishops to take the
place of those who have died during
the last four years and those who will
retire from active service automat-
ically by reason of this session being
nearest to their seventy-third birth
day; the election of editors for the
church press, which includes the
Methodist Review, the numerous
weekly Christian Advocates, the Ep-
worth Herald, and the Sunday school
publications OF the church; the cleo
ton of corresponding secretaries for
such church boards as the Board of
Foreign Missions. the Board of Home
Missions and Church Extension, the
Freedmen's Aid Society, the Board of
Education, the Board of Sunday
schools, etc; the election of pub
fishing agents administrative heads)
of The Methodist Book Coucern atc