The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-11-15
WOMEN
 AND THINGS
Confirmed conventionite.

always find something worth while
 to think about after hearing the var
 ous speeches and debates.
 1 ], of course, specially cultivate the
 religious bodies, for they are in my
 line; and, therefore, when the North
 Alabama conference met at the First
 Methodist church on Wednesday morn
 ing, was on hand at the opening, | I went early for two purposes. I l wanted to meet the brethren before they assembled, for have many friends in the conference, and while I do not feel quite as much at home
 among them as do at C Baptist state
 convention, yet I greatly enjoy fore gathering with them,
 have had the pleasure of seeing Bishop Denny preside at two confer
 ences and naturally I was anxious to
 watch Bishop Atkins and note the diff
 ference in their methods, for no man can report the body without immediate
 ly seeing that whoever gave them the name "Methodists got their number correctly, for they sure are methodi- cal.
 To hear some of these modern effi- that they had discovered the art of systema tizing and doing things by rote, when as a matter of fact, the Method- ists have been setting the pace for the world since the days of John Wesley, and whole lot of so-called modern the Wesleyans.
 We have heard lot in this war about the value of training and that the American people were going to be wonderfully disciplined before it was over. Baptists, Congregationalists and Prestyterians may have needed it, but believe me, it is no new thing for the Methcdists because they were brought up on and live by "The Discipline and if you have never read it, it will pay you to get copy and study it. for it shows how one of the greatest re- ligious bodies of modern times is in- fluenced by it.
 You can speak of Methodism as being an army of the Lord, for it is truly church militant and goes forth to con quer and has to it's credit many 2 victory waged and won in King I1rl- manuers name. It's no euphemism to speak of the power of the Methodists, for they are mighty force under God for the bringing about of His king dom.
 Methodist preacher is used to au- thority He is under marching odders. l He is told to go and he goes. ain l not now speaking in any controversial | sense but merely noting a fact. that 1 humanly speaking, the Methodist sys tenn is one of the greatest and most l effective ecclesiastical organizations | in existence; and it is certainly inter- esting for Baptist like me to stand 1 on the side lines and see it at work, as I am doing at this conference.
 |
 It has a history of which it well 1 may be proud, and as I sat and looked | into the earnest faces of the men gath of the state, I felt proud of the fact that I was preacher and that could | fellow ship with such a splendid body of men, although belonging to another 
 The war is teaching us the lesson of ,o-operation in business and of fellow ship in religion. Now, I am not ore 'f those who believe that the coming 'f peace will see the tearing down of ienominational fences but I am glad hat they will no longer be built out of barbed wire to lacerate the feelings 'f these who wish to pass more freely rom one denominational pasture to mother; but that gates are left open ,oming together on various questions 'f civic righteousness. (
 We are getting an object lesson this week in how men of differing creeds + 'an work side by side with one another In sacrificing any of their signif- e canoe, setting forth the fact that T. where the countrys interest is at stake 1 y he religious organizations are willing Ib o put their credal differences in the n background and work together in !, pirit of fraternity.
 l for one, am glad the days of bit CT religious debates have almost been elegated to the past, and that more ] nd more denominations are trying to 1 ind grounds upon which they can meet o ather than i'll striving to pick out c laces on which they can fight out 4 t heir doctrinal differences. I go to Q he Methodist conferences and I greatly n1oy the sessions. My friends know lc hat am loyal to my church, but that lf B no reason why I should not enjoy Ic he Christian fellowship so freely giv- n to me by my Methodist brethrer lh Then am present at any of their gath d rings.
 hope this is going to be greet esslon, and that preachers and laymen :. VIII go back home spiritually refreshed :. nd better prepared to meet the great norai and religious problems of the Y ' our.
 n -<<. nA. 1 l.,