Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-05-20
[BY J. M. BECK.1

[BY J. M. BECK.1
Saratoga Springs, N. Y, May H.
The Methodist general conference Is
in the midst of one of it's most i'm
portant matters Of business, the cleo
ton of bishops. Four years from the
day Bishop Stuntz was elected at Min
neapolis It fell to him in his turn to
preside for the first time over the gen.
eral conference, and on that day bal
loting began for bishops, Four years
ago eight new ones were elected. This
year seven are being chosen. An ef-
fort was made in the episcopacy COM
mittee and on the floor to hold the
number down to the present number,
or decrease it one, but without sue
cess, though the Iowa delegation was
largely in favor of no increase.
AS it is there will be twenty episco-
pal residences in America, instead of
nineteen as before. Oklahoma City is
dropped, Detroit and Pittsburgh are
added. The Kansas City residence is
changed to Wichita and the others
remain the same, Omaha. being the
residence Of the bishop in whose area
the four Iowa conferences are located.
The foreign residences are increased
one for the regular bishops, making
five and one for missionary bishops,
making six; the new ones being at
Seoul, Corea and Singapore, Malasia.
This makes necessary the election Of
three new missionary bishops in addi-
ton to the seven regular bishops, or
general superintendents as they are
known technically, ten new ones in
all.
First the regular bishops are elected
then the missionary bishops. On the
first ballot with seven to elect the high
seven were Thomas Nicholson, secre-
tary of the board Of education; c. B.
Mitchell, Chicago; Matt s. Hughes,
pastor at Pasadena; Franklin Hamil-
ton, chancellor of the American uni
versity at Washington, D. c.; A. w.
Leonard, pastor at Portland; Herbert
WEIGH, president Of Ohio Wesleyan,
Ezra Triple, president of Drew Theo-
logical school. Next came Charles e..
Locke, pastor at Los Angeles. For
the next few ballots the leaders re-
manned well punched, none getting the
necessary two-thirds. Excitement ma
turally increased, and as fast as the
tellers could make the counts the SEES
sions met to take new ballots, there
being four ballots taken during the
second day Of balloting. ...,a ~ :, ~ -.
Union With Church South. g gs
The big eventtof the month was on
the day that. the report on union of
the two Methodist Episcopal churches
in this country came up. 1t was be-
lieved by practically all present to
mark new epoch in the history Of
the churches, and be historic not only
in Methodism, but throughout the
Christian world as the great turning
point toward church consolidation.
Bishop Hendrix, the senior bishop Of
the church south, had arrived the day
before to visit the conference. When
the report came in he was called to
stand beside Bishop Cranston, the SEN
ior bishop of the body here, while al
most every delegate of the $50 stood
on his feet voting for the report on
union. This report outlines plan of
union in principle, leaving it to COM
mission to be appointed by the two
churches to work out the details and
present them to the next general con-
ference in four years for final ratifica-
ton. rt-
When this union is completed the
two churches will have united men,
bership of six millions, and to them
will no doubt soon be added the Pro-
testant Methodists. The new church,
according to the plan, will continue
to have general conference as now,
with number of sectional confer
ences to deal with problems local to
their part OF the country. In one or
two of these sections would be the
colored membership, with their own
bishops.
Many Reports Come Now.
Reports are coming rapidly from the
committees and each session is kept
busy hearing them and disposing of
them. Nothing very radical has been
done yet Under revised charter
adopted for the board of education
nection with the board of home mis-
sions can provide for student pastor
work in state institutions of learning.
The itinerancy committee is prepar-
ing a constitutional amendment on adj
hitting laymen to the annual confer
ences. The committee that handles
the amusement question has adopted
report that the law remain as 1t is,
on which there is to be a minority re-
port for change striking out the few
specifications for forbidden amuse-
ments and substituting the old Wes-
leyan rule against all amusements
that could not be taken in the name
of the Lord Jesus" ".
Visitors Here.
The southeastern Iowa visitors in
crease In number A former resident