The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1916-05-02
GENERAL CONFERENCE
~ the Methodist Episcopal Church
Opened Monday AZ Saratoga
Springs, y. Y.-Wlll Last
Month.

Neneu III ShIdiOBd opIihbbt ~ - hhO
twenty-seventh delegated duadrennial
session Of the General Conference OF
the Methodist Episcopal Church. This
delegated body Of over 500 ministers
and laymen in equal numbers meets
every four years to review the work
OF the church and to revise and add to
its legislation. The General Confer
ence is made up delegates from the
1873 Annual Conferences, the Annual
Conferences being the working unit
| of Aethodism. These delegates are
elected on q basis of one ministerial
delegate for every forty-nve, or frac-
ton not less than two-thirds of forty
five, ministerial members in any given
Annual Conference as its ministerial
delegates. Laymen were first admitted
to the General Conference in 1872, and
in 1900 women we're acknowledged as
lay members. These lay delegates are
elected at a meeting of one represen-
tative from each local church in each
Annual Conference territory. For the
past twelve months as the Annual Con-
lferences have met, delegates have been
elected
The first General Conference Of Am
erican Nethodism was held in Balti-
more, Md, in 1892, at which all preach
ers in full membership of an Annual
Conference were eligible. The first
delegated General Conference was held
in New York City, May 1-22, 1912. Al
this Conference the first Episcopal adj
dress. an utterance which has be-
come of increasing Importance, was
delivered. This Episcopal address is
now accepted as the official declaration
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 re-
suit in plans for separation between
that section of the church in the north
and the section in the south. The
Methodist Episcopal church, South,
was organized i'm Louisville, Ky, on
May !, 1S45.
Methodism began in America with
the arrival of Philip Tmbury and Bar
bara Heck, Irish immigrants, who were
enthusiastic in the propaganda of their
faith. John Wesley who was the foun-
der of Methodism in England, re-
manned at the head of American
Methodism until the Revolutionary
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, 1874,
John Wesley ordained DR.. Thomas
Coke to be superintndent or bishop of
the Methodist Societies of the United
States of America There are now
twenty bishops and seven missionary
bishops serving the Methodist Episco-
pay church throughout the world.
The former are elected by General
Conference and located for four years
each in cities which are designated
Episcopal residences. The latter are
elected by General Conference for
continuous service in specific fields,
The Methodist Episcopal church
was organized at Baltimore, Md, at
the so-called Christmas conference,
December "a, 174S, to January ?, 1885
AT that time there were 104 preach
ers and $4,000 communicates. There
are now over $4,000 preachers and A.
.O33123 members In the early days
of the Methodist church the salary
of a preacher was $64. II he mar
ried, he received the similar amount
for his wife, with $40 for each child
under six and $22 for each child be.
tween G and IL.
Among the important matters that
will come before the General Confer
ence at Saratoga Springs are tho
questions concerning organic union
with the Methodist Episcopal church,
South, which has been under dis
cussion for some time with both these
important branches of Methodism; the
question whether the church shall
elect bishops for races and Ian
guages: 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 au-
tOmatically by reason of this session
being nearest TO their seventy-third
birthday; 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 for 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