Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1918-05-02
|AINSWORTH MAY.
be MADE BISHOP.
BY METHODISTS.

ATLANTA, Ca, May 2.-Epoch-mak-
ing legislation, proposing sweeping
ard radical changes in the government
of the Methodist Episcopal church,
South, will be considered at the eigh-
teenth quandrennial session of the
Southern Methodist general confer
ence, which opened in the Wesley
Memorial 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 proba-
bly, center on the proposal to vastly
curtail the authority of the bishops
and TO "democratize" the church by
giving the layrnen virtually as much
tiers themselves. This plan would also
limit the authority of the episcopacy,
both as to term of office and making
appointments.
The laymen promoting the movement
hare asserted that "as our church
holds the episcopacy to be an office,
and net an order, life tenure is an
anomaly" it is proposed to do away
with the / Lit rule and secret session
of the episcopacy" 1t is contended
that the bishops are the servants of
the church; the church has right to
know what they do, and why thew
90 it."
Some of those opposing the change
contend that the movement has been
i,.augurated by small coterie of lay~
men possessing an animus against the
bishops" They declare the proposals
of the radicals have but negligible
backing On the other hand the radi-
Gals claim strong support.
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 1,250,00G
They ask, according to memorial
adopted by the Women's Missionary
council that The word layman be
interpreted to include women" and
that they be gievn recognition and
privileges which are inherent with
membership.
The conference has heretofore OPP
posed granting women full privileges
en- the ground that such a step would
take woman "out of her sphere,
would unsex her." would cause her
TO neglect her home" and would give
her privileges of doing what the men
ought to do
Instead of $4,000 a year, the sum
assessed by the general conference OF
1914 for educational purposes, the
board of education of the conference,
will recommend at this session an as
sessment of 100000 a year Of this
amount, the proceeds of $500 will
go to the Southern Methodist Univer-
sity at Dallas Tex, and $4,000 to the
theology school at Emory University,
Atlanta.
The question of union with the Nor
thern Methodist church will probably
come up and will in all probability be
definitely settled. According to pop
ular 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. Amons
the prominent ministers mentioned as
probable bishops are DR.. James
Dickey, pastor of the First Methodist
church, of Atlanta, and former head
of Emory university; DR.. W. N. Aims
worth, pastor of the Wesley Monu-
mental church, Savannah, CIR, and DR.
H. NJ. Dubose. Nashville, Tenn