Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-10-07
METHODIST LAYMEN
WANT MORE DEMOCRACY
VIII Present Plan to Next General
Conference, Which Meets
I'm May.
SYSTEM is NOT PROGRESSIVE
Times Change, and Necessity Arises
for All Human Institutions to
Change Also, They Point Out.
Limit Authority OF Bishops.


their riEhtful place In the progress
sive march of the times. about 200
| laymen who are members OF the Meth
odlst Episcopal Church, South. have
| prepared an Address to the Church.
which probably will prove to the
subject of more comment and discus
sion among the ministers and other
| members of the various conferences OF
this church than has been true of any
other document placed in the hands
of large per cent of the member
| ship within many years. Adding force
to this address is the fact that a
large number of ,he laymen signing IT
are among the leading and most ac-
tive laymen of the church in the con-
fcrcnces they represent.
The fact also that the quadrennial
session of the general conference
which is the lawmak:ng body of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, South,
Will meet IN May OF next year, adds
force to the suggested changes In the
address relative to the policies and
government of the church. 1t Is plain
Is sc. forth in the address that the
issues involved in the same edo not
AFFECT the principles Of Mctho,Iism. but
have 10 do solely with the adaptation
OF It's policies to changing c,ndi-
lions
These laymen also declare them
selves to be loyal to the fundamental
principles Of the church and desiring
with all our hearts to promote It's beat
interests and higher usefulness. be-
licve tie Zinc .iaS ccm. when the
church should face and get upon GER
lam issues chat we are convinced arc
vital to it's welfare" The entire al
dress IL pcrmeatcd with plea for
true democracy in the church as well
as In state, and the declaration is
made that unies.s Southern Methodism
'tee?s pace In this respect / must
lose us crown to other denomi..a-
lions more in harmony with the dem
ocratic ideals of the tires"
MUST CHANGE WITH
PROGRESS OF DEMOCRACY
1t is clearly shown by the Iaymen
in this address that Methodism had
It's origin in the time when 'absoiut-
ism In government was all but uni
versal' at n time when the move
ment in favor of democracy had just
begun; at time when the state was
monarchy, the church Il close clcri-
cal corporation" and Methodist polity,
framed under these conditions. newt
ably and rightly adapted itself close
~ to the ideals Of the times" 1t Is
shown that the branch of Methoaisn
known as the Methodist Episcopal
| Church, South. has changed very lit
| tie during the progress of democracy
| in the past $50 years. during which
! time the world has gone forward an
age and the divine righ, of kings has
given way to the acknowledgment of
the divine right of the people. even
| in conservative China and despotic
Russia"
In keeping with this plea for de-
! mocracy in Mcthodism. the following
changes are suggested as imperative
regarding the govci nnient CT the Meth
odist Episcopal Church, South
Il. The development Of greater
degree OF democracy in the govern
-
volve not only hdditi NAL Ia. rc.oEni-
ton in the councils of the church. bu,
4 greater degree of liberty for the
ministry Also.
"2. The limitation rf the authorize
Of the episcopacy. both as TO term oil
office and as to the making OF APP
pointments, and the limitation OF .pis-
copal functions to executive duties
only. whereas at present the bishops
are vested also with Legislative and
judicial powers. thus combining in
one small group the three function;
of government.
"3. A clearer definition Of the rela-
ton OF the epscopacy to ,he church
and to the general conference boards
especially"
I.AYMEN HAVE UNITED
TO EFFECT REFORMS
For tie above reasons. the address
states, the laymcn and others OF the
same mind the latter are supposedly
ministers. who are in sympathy with
this movement of the laymen) have
united for three specific purposes: IL
investigator along the lines suggest.
cd. TO be conducted in the light OF
public records and indisputablc facts
CD In order to develop n program OF
publicity. through which the church
at large will be given the facts. tc
which II is entitled. CD To secure
permanent result registered ir legis
lation. without which investigation and
publicity will be useless.
1t is a well-known fact that the will
OF the bishops of the Methodist Epis
copal Church. South. is supreme; it is
a court decision from which there is
no appeal, and. in the address of the
laycnen. many of the suggestions re.
late to the episcopacy. The items sug.
geSted for Investigation in this con.
nection are the problem OF conflicting
authority between the general coz.
ference boards and the bishops: the
need for adequate lay representation IL
the annual conferences and for larger
lay responsibility in general for tn,
welfare of the church; the'infuence OF
the episcopacy on the ministry of tn,
church growing out OF the bishops
absolute and arbitrary appointing pow.
err, from which there is no appeal: thu
attitude of the epscopacy toward uni
nCatlon, Social service, and other QucS
tons Of the day; the constitution pro.
posed for the church by which the col.
lcge of bishops. wherein they claim fol
themselves authority coordinate will
and independent of that of the genera
conference"
Under the head of publicity. the ad.
dress proposes that the entire church
be given the facts derived from the
investigation, claiming that the church
is entitled TO these facts. and declar.
ing the rank and file of preachers and
iaymen are as much a part of the
church and as Thoroughly devoted tc
i's interests as are those in author
ity.''
ENHANCEMENT OF THE
POWERS OF TIL; I.AlTA
The fundamental things urged ms
the goal of these efforts by the pro.
meters of this address. some of then
to he realized at the general confer
ence of next year, and others later
are these: % The enlargement of The
powers OF the laity by enlarged num-
Der in the annual conferences and by
To-,