The evening leader. (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) 191?-19??, 1918-05-02
Important Address Delivered To-
day Before the 18th General Con-
ference Of the M. E. Church South
Every Person Interested in Church Work Viii be
Interested in the Startling Facts
Revealed in this Address

tied as to the presidency OF annual
conferences throughout the whole con-
nection they must reside in certain
districts for a limited time and be re-
sponsible for the development of the
church woE lin that district and re-
port quadIvnnially to the general con-
ference. The address says in this
connection that 'any scheme for lin
ting their field of jurisdiction would
be sure to diminish the esteem in
which they are held by the general
public and by the church"
The address touched on very live
question when it scored the board of
missions for beginning to recast the
boundaries of the work in Mexico be-
fore the meeting of the general con-
ference. The address declared: "The
college Of bishops, who had not been
consulted any initial stage of the
proceedings NV at the first glance
that the plan proposed involved the
complete ACKNOWLEDGMENT of our work
in Mexico and on that ground, as well
as for other reasons entered an ear
nest protest against it." For this, it
was said, the bishops have been charg
ed with "autocratic assumption of an
authority which we did not possess,
but the fact is we only insisted on
obedience to the action Of the general
conference"
Election Of FIVE bishops was recon-
mended in the address.
Concerning the question of unifca-
ton of American Methodism the bish-
ops address declared a report would
be presented by the commission APP
pointed at the last general conference
to confer with like commission from
the Methodist Episcopal Church. "The
general conference at Oklahoma City
endorsed the tentative plan adopted at
Chattanooga in May, 1911, by the
joint commission on federation" said
the address. 1t was in addition sug-
gested that the colored membership of
the various Methodist bodies be form
ed into an independent organization
holding fraternal relations with the
reorganized and united church. 1t is
already known throughout the church
that the commission has had not less
than four sittings. We are unoficially
informed, however, that the commits
sion was not able to reach an agree
nlent. The commissioners represent
ing our own church went as far as
they we're authorized to go. However,
our brethren of the Methodist Episco-
pal Church didn't see their way clear
to agre to the plan proposed 1t
is still our earnest hope that a way
may be found for some plan of coop
Grafton among the Methodists of Am
erica which shall, as far as possible,
eliminate wastage of men and money
in the territory in which both churches
have established themselves"
The bishops reported the member
ship of the church to be: Travelling
preachers, including superannuates,
1897; local preachers, 5,159; lay mem
bers, 2,164,515, an increase of more
than 10000 members since the last
general conference.
The address pointed out that there
+ had been some arrest during the past
year in the growth of the Sunday
schools, but the report for the quad
rennium showed remarkable progress.
The record gives 1912 officers and
seachers, gain Of 1880, and LAS
745 scholars, gain of 24S,027.
Concerning missions the bishops
said ''the amount contributed by our
church for missions during the past
quadrennium is far in advance of any
like period in the past, totalling $5,-
076,o61 a gain over the previous four
year period Of $S00,999. This, Of
course, includes what has been raised
for woman's work.
The work of the Epworth league, the
educational board, the fund for super.
annuates, the completion of the func
| for a representative church to be
erected at Washington and the work
of the centenary commission, which
proposes to raise $33,OOO,000 during
the next five years, also were review.
| ed in the address.