The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-11-17
CONFERENCE VOTES
UNANIMOUSLY FOR
METHODIST UNION
adopts Comprehensive Resolutions
Favorable to Joining Hands Of
So6rfhcrn aad Southern Chureh.
RECOMMENDS FULL
PIT BLICITY FOR PROCEEDINGS
Rejoiccs That Uriicafion of Two
Great Bodies of Ncthotiism Has
Been Declared by Both As DcSir-
able and FEASIBLE.

Resolutions placing the virginia
Methodist Conference on record as he
ing DESTROYS of the unihcation Of
Methodist Episcopal Churches N
America were adorted .thout els
sentlng voice by the conference in thu
second days session IN BROAD Street
Methodist Church Yesterday morning.
The resolutions, presented by Drs.
James Cannon il. ". Asbury Chris
tian f H RawiGGs. f. T Dadmun
and w Is. Beauchaup. were read h.
DR.. Cannon and. hv section were an
tlsat.4+l +4.--t, before
adoption as a who'll"
The adoption Of the resolutions was
the outstanding feature of the day
When presented and read by DR.. Can
non an inclination to defer action IN
til today was voiced. but DR.. Cannon
declared that the paper fiar1 hrrn very
carefully prepared and to postpone
action Guild he but TO take up the
time that coul' no devoted to other
things. There appeared sufficient
time yestorda~ morning to take up
the resolutions and after the first
reading. they were again read. resolu-
ton by resolution, ana so adopted
Reviews Developments.
The preamble reviews recent DE-
veieRments in the movement FOR re-
uniting the Methodist churches in
America calling attention to the fact
that Il was the Southern church
which took the initiative ami that the,
general conference At Oklahoma Citv
in 1914 endorsed the plan for unifica-
ton. that the Saratoga Springs gen
eral conference. OF the Northern
church approved it, and that commits
sioners 10 consider and perfect tenta
81 i@o t,%
conferences OF both churches are TO
meet in Baltimore in December.
The resolutions express the belief
Of the conference that the act Of the
general conference in 1874, adopting
the plan Of separation was one OF
wisdom: regret that the purpose and
spirit OF the plan Of separation of 1944
have been ignored in many instances:
rejoice that both branches of Method
ism have declared the belief that uni
lcatton Is both desirable and feasible:
express the belief that the commits
sioners should emulate the wisdom Of
1874 general conference: approve the
amendment of the Oklahoma CITY
general conference concerning negro
churches: call on the ministry and
laity to unite In earnest prayer that
the commissioners may adopt such n
plan as will make effective the desired
union. and request tnat all sessions
of the com mlssioners be open to the
public and that full publicity he given
the proceedings through a daily bull
letin publishisg complete stenographc
reports.
The text of the resolutions follows:
Resolutions On Cnification.
Whereas, as has been stated in the
recent message of our college of
bishops to the church on the subject
of the "Unitication of Methodism."
our own church took the initiative in
the movement toward a closer fedora
ton between the two different bodies
OF American Methodism: and
Whereas. our general conference at
Oklahoma City. in 1914, by unani
nous vote, gave its endorsement to
the plan of unification adopted by
the joint commission on federation.
proposing only a single important
amendment to that plan. and
Whereas. the general conference Of
the Methodist Episcopal Church in
May, 1916. a Saratoga Springs like
wise approved the principle of uni
fication as proposed by the joint COM