Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-10-31
METHODIST BISHOPS
DEFINE THEIR VIEWS
ON UNION OF CHURCH
Issue Statement Asserting
That. Matter Is to Be Left
With the Commissioners APP
pointed to Consider 1t

| ing of the college of bishops OF the
Methodist Episcopal Church, South, In
Atlanta last week, was a statement
issued to the press last night in which
the bishops Enthusiastically defined then
position in regard to the proposed union
of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the
Methodist Episcopal Church, South
and the Methodist Protestant Church.
They declare themselves bound tc
support and maintain the action OF the
general conference of their own church
| i'm 1914, which ratified plans, with one
| modification, for the union. Considera-
tion of proposals by the northern
church they declare must be left tC
their commissioners appointed for thai
purpose by the general conference, bu'
they state that they do not see how
| those commissioners can do anything
but follow the instructions laid down
for their guidance by the conference.
The statement takes occasion tc
condemn any assertions indicating
changes in this attitude. 1t declares
the college of bishops has been done
a grave injustice by certain published
utterances. and 1t takes occasion to de-
clare that "the history of southern
Methodism is nothing to be ashamed OF
no matter into what alliances
we may enter in the future. We should
N--N
earth, but with uplifted faces and un-
abated self respect"
BISHOPS STATEMENT.
The statement follows:
"In view of the fact that our excel
lent book OF discipline makes it a prime
duty of the bishops "to oversee the spir-
itual and temporal interest of the
church," and to call attention from
time to time to all matters of serious
Importance we conceive it to be emin-
emily proper at this critical juncture to
speak out our minds with the greatest
distinctness in regard to certain cur
rent events which, for good or ill, are
likely to affect the whole future course
and development of our ecclesiastical
life.
cit is a matter of general knowledge
that the entire movement for closer fell
Grafton between the different bodies of
American Methodists, originated in our
general conference Of 1894. Some six
years awo, the joint commission Of
federation, made up of representatives
from the Methodist Episcopal church.
took up the broader question of union.
The outcome of their action was Sc
ries of suggestions made to the general
conferences of the three churches, as q
nossible basis for further nesotiations.
To these suggestions the general con-
ference of the Methodist Episcopal
church for 1912, paid no attention what
ever The general conference Of the
Methodist Protestant church for TIE
same year gave them their general en-
dorsement, but declined to act more de-
finitely until the two Episcopal Method.
isms should reach some sort of agree
ment.
"The general conference Of our own
church for 1914, after proposing a sin
gle important modification in them, like
wise gave them a unanimous ratification.
and then passed them up to the general
conference of the Methodist Episcopal
church, as a tentative outline of union
by reorganization
eve need scarcely say that as bish-
ops of the church we consider ourselves
bound to support and maintain this
action to the full extent of our ability
and influence. Any statement to the
contrary, by whomsOever made, is ut
terly without foundation in fact. Wheth-
err the action of the general conference
of the Methodist Episcopal church for
1916 is a fair and favorable response to
our proposals. is a thing that must be
determined by our commissioners APP
pointed for the express purpose of con-
sidering that very subject We cannot
think it possible that those commits
sioners will do less than follow the in
structions laid down by the general con-
ference for their guidance, and we do
not believe that they should be him
dered by any interference from the out
side. In view, however, of some things
that have been said and repeated on
public platforms and in public prints,
we feel constrained to make a brief
but very definite statement. The as
sertion, for example, that for the past
forty years we have been wandering in
the wilderness "a lot of miserable fools
the wilderness, a lot of miserable fools
injustice both to the living and the
dead.
MEN AT THE HELM.
1.-THE men who have shaped and con-
trolled our policies for that period have
been consecrated Christians, worthy in
every way of the commanding position
that they have held among us, and we
resent any words that tend either to
belittle their ability or cast discredit
upon their characters.
1--WE are happy to be able to state
that our active senior bishop distinctly
disdains the Interpretation put upon his
words at Saratoga last May or else
where at any time in so far as they
seem to reflect on our church in it's
work in the past or our great and sanity
leaders or on the spirit and purpose of
our church today, and unites with us in
this paper.
THE history of southern Methodism
is not something to be ashamed of, but
something to glory in. In the whole
record of our relations to other churches
there is nothing to repent of. If we
had to face the same conditions again,
we ought to do it in the same spirit
and with the same resolution.
Instead of hiding our heads in shame
when we review the past, we are emit
tied to hold them erect. In the whole
history of Gods church there is not a
single chapter that is more worthy to
be blazoned in the face of the world
than that one which tells of the fidelity
and the heroism with which our preach
fiinching or faltering, and without one
word of announcement from any quar-
ter, the years of hardship and disaster
that followed the war between the
states The people that learn to blush
at the memory of their own fathers are
lost No matter what the future may
hold for us, we have a background of
history In which we may always rejoice,
and which VIC should teach our chill
oren and our children's children TO hold
forever in pious veneratiOn. No matter
into what alliances we may enter in the
future, we should go into them, not
era Wing prone upon the earth but with
luplifted faces and with undated self
respect. If we should go otherwise we
should make but Door contribution to