The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1918-05-03
MAY CURTAIL
AUTHORITY OF
The BISHOPS
MAKING. LEGISLATION TO
BE CONSIDERED AT METHO-
DIST CONFERENCE.
LAYMEN PROMOTE MOVEMENT
Also Probable That Women Will be
Given Broader Rights In Affairs of
Church---Increase Appropriation for
Education.
Omitted Press, Atlanta Bureau.)

Omitted Press, Atlanta Bureau)
ATLANTA, Ga, May Epoch
making legislation. proposing sweep
| ing and radical changes in the gov
ernment Of the Methodist Episcopal
church, vii be considered at the eigh-
teenth quadrcnnial session of the
Southern Methodist general confer
ence which opened in the Wesley Me-
mortal church here today. About $50
of the leading Methodist ministers
and laymen of conference, including
several from China, Japan, Mexico
and Cuba, are in attendance. The
sessions will continue for three
weeks.
One of the most vigorous fights in
| the history OF the church will prob
ably center on the proposal to vastly
curtail the authority of the bishops
and TO "democratize" the church by
giving the laymen virtually as much
voice in clerical affairs as the minis
ters themselves, This plan would al
SO limit the authority of the opiscop-
acy, both as to term of office and
making appointments.
The laymen promoting the movement
have asserted that "as our church
holds the episcopacy to be an office,
and not an order life tenure is an
anomaly 1t is proposed to do away
with "the unit rule and secret session
of the episcopacy." 1t is contendent
that the bishops are the servants Of
the church; the church has right
to know what they do and why they
do it,"
Some of those opposing the change
contend that the movement has been
inaugurated by Small coterie OF
laymen possessing an animus against
the bishops" They declare the pro-
posals of the radicals have but a
negligible backing On the other
hand the radicals claim strong sup
port
The proposal to grant women the
same voice in church affairs as men
will also be considered. This move
ment is sponsored by the Woman's
Missionary Council, headed by Miss
Belle H. Bennett of Nashville Tenn.
IT is estimated that the number of
women in the church is 1,250,000.
They ask according to a memorial
adopted by the Woman's Missionary
Council that The word laymen be
interpreted include women and that
they be given recognition and priv
ileges which are inherent with mem
bership.
The conference has heretofore OPP
posed granting women full privileges
on the ground that such a step would
take women "out of her sphere,
would unsex her." would cause her
to neglect the home and would
give her privileges Of doing what the
men ought to do
Instead of S55,000 year, the sum
assessed by the general conference of
1914 for educational purpose, the
board of education cf the conference,
will recommed at this session an as
sessment of 100000 year. OF this
amount, the proceeds of $4S,000 VIII
go to the Southern Methodist univer-
sity, Dallas, Tex, and $4,000 to the
theology school of Emory University,
Atlanta.
The question of union with the
Northern Methodist church will prob
ably come up and will in all proba-
bility be definitely settled. Accord
ing to popular opinion there is not the
slightest probability of the two
churches being combined.
1t is understood on good authority
that from three to five bishops will
be elected at the conference. Among
the prominent ministers mentioned as
probable bishops are DR.. James Dick
ey. pastor of the First Methodist
church, of Atlanta and former presi-
dent of Emory university; DR.. w. n.
Ainsworth, pastor of the Westlyn
Monumental church, Savannah, Ga,
and DR.. H. NJ. Dubpse. Nashville,
Tenn.