Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-05-03
Flares America Should |cive Him Unqualified l Support.
Iv0RS ELECTION
 1 OF FIVE BISHOPS
|oses Movement to- Restrict Their
 raas and Scores Mission Board For Attempting to Recast Bonn- daries of Mexico Before.

tlanta. Ga., May 2.-Patriotic as
 as religious fervor permeated the
 |ning session here today of the
 h ouadrennial conference of the
 khodist Episcopal Church, South
 (eh convened for sessions that are
 |ected to last through three weeks
 plause greeted the first mention President Wilson's name by Bish
 E. R. Hendrix, presiding officer
 his introductory remarks.
 M members of the college of bish-
 were present when the conference
 called to order, except James H |Coy of Birmingham and Joseph C. ' of Sherman, Texas. The Rev. A
 Watson, president of Millsaps col
 6, Jackson, Miss, was elected con-
 ence secretary, and the rules of the
 4 general conference were adopted bporarily. Bishop Collin Denny of Richmond
 was elected to read the episcopal
 ress, the feature of the opening ses-
 D. When he reached that part of
 address relating to the war, the
 hop was frequently interrupted by
 bursts of applause from all sec bs of the auditorium. commendation of the action of ksident Wilson was expressed by
 bishop, who declared i've should
 less than patriotic and courageous hericans if we failed to give him
 cordial support in every way"
 The bishops strongly opposed the |vement to restrict the areas of bishops, so that while they are limited as to the presidency of an- P conferences, throughout the whole hnection, they must reside in cer- |n districts for a limited time and responsible for the development of prch work in that district and re
 It quadrennially to the general con (ence.
 phe address scored the board of |ssions for beginning to recast the (ndarles of the work in Mexico be- Fe the meeting of the general confer Ee
 t. Favors Five Bishops.
 Electlon of five bishops was recon, ened in the address.
 concerning the question of unifica- En ct American Methodism, the bish- s address declared report would
 presented by a committee appoint at the last general conference tc nler with a like commission from m Methodlst-Episcopal church.
 H me bishops reported the member. eP MP ol the church to be: .. lfavellng preachers, including su- ''fEsanua;tes, 'Ea 7,679; local preachers los' S lay members, 2,l64,5l5, an in- sase Of more than 10000 members, lee the last general conference.
 r Sunday School Grows.
 ] tue address pointed out that there 's. ~ 'een some arrest during the past Isl sa.l n the growth of the Sunday ru'lS, ,,n, ns put the report for the quadren. Sn 'aa.s showed remarkable progress. The 'eolu s gives: 151,792 officers and Iss'.eIs, R l a gain of 19,820, and 1,745,. z cona s.aolars, a gain of 24S,O27. ,id ,iSdVass.ssrnlng s.s missions, the bishops m ,us,h h'ne amount contributed by cur ,alIa 'ad,au TOT missions durng the past La LIau,ennl1m rem is far in advance of any Is 1s os1 oe1fiod in the past, totalling S5,. 'p'Vva' 'u, va a gain of over the previous ,cludes m desfs @ of $Soo,999. This, of course ,maues amsas' what has been raised for ,a aAs sa,s work .r! of the Epworth League n ,pe,s eaucatlonal us board, the fund for md IInnd'df;nuates, fa,l the completon of the 5, e,ao! sot a representative church tc jrI t'et'ed es et at Washington, and the hieh iS VI n,a the centenary commission lring m ptlhoposes th to raise $35 ,0OO, ,OOO ,yiewed View tne e. next i've years, also were '"eo {, Tn the address.