The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1916-05-05
BY EPISCOPAL BOARD IN CON-
FERENCE AT SARATOGA
SPRINGS, n. Y.
CHEERED DECLARATIONS
Bishops Report Shows Church Men,
bership Has Increased at u Very
Rapid Rate.

odTdIOkd Springs, May o.-hecOm'
mendations of the board of bishops
of the Methodist Episcopal church
for a organized union with the Meth.
odist Episcopal Church. South, arous-
ed great enthusiasm yesterday among
the delegates at the general confer
ence. Bishop Berry of Philadelphia,
said the demonstration was most sig
nificant. Each declaration of a I'M
ion met with prolonged cheers.
The membership of the Methodist
Episcopal denomination has increas-
ed between 100000 and 100000
every four years for more than half
a century, according to the Episcopal
address of the Board of Bishops read
at today's session of the Methodist
general conference by Bishop John
w. Hamilton of Boston.
The Episcopal address which is the
formal utterance of the Bishops OF
the church reviewed the work of the
denomination since the Minneapolis
conference of 1912 and made recon-
mendations concerning future labors.
1t is emphasized the responsibility
and opportunity resulting from the
European war saying:
1.-THE occasion requires the keenest
discernment and most tolerant ap-
probation of the opinions and feel
ings in the several belligerent ma
tions. This especially true of Meth
odists, who by their systems OF
church policy are related to every ma
ton at war. In Petrograd, Rome,
Frankfort, France and Hungary the
work of the church is being planned
and carried on with a forward look"
Limits the Bishops.
The plan adopted four years ago of
trying out the residential supervision
on the part of the Bishops whereby
each Bishop has charge of the annual
conferences contiguous to his epis-
copal residence, has been satisfactory
to the bishops, but they feel that it is
undesirable to group several such
Episcopal ereas. 1T tends" the ad-
dress sets fourth ito limit the ex-
perience and knowledge of the bish-
ops to restricted sections, to prevent
a wise and proper use of the transfer
system (for ministers), to hindertheir
(the bishop's) most perfect service
to those parts of the church which
are missionary in character, and
their largest use of the church boards
whose operations cover the entire
The proposal to reunite the Meth
odist Episcopal church and the Meth
odist Episcopal church South which
divided about 20 years ago, over the
question of slavery, is approved in
the address. The attitude of the bish-
ops on this question follows:
1--WE are convinced of the essential
unity VI the lMO 6Icdl MclHOulSluS III
doctorine and life, and this essential
union must in due season express it.
self in outward and organic from.
Without presuming to pronounce up
on the terms of union we declare our
selves earnestly in favor of the or
ganic union of the Methodist Episcop-
Al church and the Methodist Episcop-
II church South, and of such other
bodies as may share our common
'aith and experience. Moreover we
declare ourselves in favor of such
lnion upon terms that shall provide
In ample and brotherly protection for
my minority"
The bishops praised the denomina-
ional activities among the negroes
If the south, the labors of the mis-
lion boards and the study and criti-
ism of the scriptures under the di-
'ection of the laymen's missionary
ociety. Child labor, the growth of
the repeal of Sabbath
observance laws in several localities
md the liquor traffic were denounced
n the address.