Bridgeton pioneer., 1916-07-13
MERGER OF
CHURCHES
Is Working for Methodist
Harmony.
A GREAT PROJECT
Bishop Cranston Is Devoting His
Life to Reunion of Churches
North and South.

Washington, D. c., June 11.-As
merger, Earl Cranston, formerly a
captain in the cavalry, but now a
bishop, may outrank J. Pierpont Nor
gan.
There is no money in Bishop Gran
ston's plans-just women and men.
Nobody is to make dollar. Indeed,
there will be losses in many commun-
tiles. Church buildings will be closed.
Some preachers, possibly, may be
turned out of their pulpits.
Bishops, ministers and laymen are
| assisting Bishop Cranston, but he is
lord over all. Each of his days is
being given to the work. 81 hope ]
may live he told the writer of this
article, 'to see a union of the Metho-
dist Episcopal Churches, North and
South. To that work l mean to give
| the remainder of my life" Such is
| his task and such has been his task
between other duties for many years
past.
There were 3,657,594 Northern
Methodists and 2,O72,O35 Southern
Methodists in 1915. The total IS ap-
proximately 100000 at present
Their doctrines are alike. They sing
the same hymns. The government of
one is the government of the other.
But they are not together.
The North has 1888 ministers; the
South, 1908. In the North there are
2S,42S churches; in the South, 16,7S7.
| Bishop Cranston and his colleagues,
along with a committee from the
Southern Church, are to bring the
millions of communicates and the
! thousands of ministers and churches
into harmonious union of property,
zeal and endeavor. A Methodist en-
pire in the United States is to be re-
established. Waste is to be halted
Ivy is to grow on the grave of dead
differences.
Methodism is to have 100 mission
aries in foreign fields and 62OO in the
field at home. No Protestant church
in the United States is to equal it iu
numbers, In wealth, or perhaps in
stirring energy.
The One Big Question
But several delicate questions must
| be settled satisfactorily. First among
them, undoubtedly, is the protection
of the minority. Politically, the South
has believed in the rights Oh the
States. The North, in it's opinions,
has subordinated the States to the
strong and centralized Government IN
Washington.
The same difference in doctrine
now divides he Methodists of the
two regions. There will be compro-
mise and an agreement in the end be-
cause church diplomats and statemen
of the North will give the South all
of the safeguards it demands.
Bishop Cranston was a soldier in
the civil war from 1861 to 1864. He
was private, a sergeant, a corporal,
a lieutenant and a captin, serving
both in the infantry and the cavalry.
The prejudices he had were lost on
the battlefield. He has respected the
South and sympathized with it ever
since he ceased to be warrior and
became minister. It's Methodist in
terests are safe in his guiding care.
Both churches" he said, stand
face to face with beating hearts and
extended hands. From this attitude
there can be no retreat without wick
edness and shame. Neither can take
one backward step or withdraw its
hand without renouncing it's spiritual
ideals. Nor dare they long stand still
in mutual distrust lest the fraternal
hand become again the militant fist
Both have erred" he went on.
Both have sinned. Both must re-
pent. Both must fully surrender to
the demands of the Gospel they
preach. Both must make concessions
OF preference, of opinion, even of
cherished traditions. Reorganization
is not patching or mending process.
1t is reconstruction"
The division in the Methodist
Church occurred 72 years ago. 1t