Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-09-06
Give LAITY OF
Church EQUAL
VOICE AT MEET
Swedish Methodist Conference
Elects Trustees to Serve Dur
ing the Coming Year.
Especial Moline Service).

/ Lay delegates to the annual con-
Z ference of the Swedish Methodist
church in this district in the future
will have equal voice in all mat
tiers. This was voted by the con-
ference in session at the Free Mis-
/ sion church this morning.
! Henry Ecklund OF Moline was
I elected delegate to the next con-
I ference in Des Moines in May of
next year and DR.. F. A. Lundberg,
president of the Swedish theolog-
ical seminary. Evanston, was nam
ed ministerial delegate.
The following were elected con-
! ference trustees TO serve three
year terms: the Rev. Alfred An
derson. Chicago; the Rev. John
{ Lundeen, Racine. Wis; Rev. G. S.
Gordon and Rev. Andrew Reese,
Chicago, were reelected conference
stewards. Henry Ecklund, layman,
was reelected to that body. Rev.
Alfred Anderson and A. H. Skog-
land. Chicago, were elected to
serve as trustees of the theological
seminary.
A minimum salary of 1920 and
house for its ministers was adopt
ed by the conference this morning.
The minis ers accepted with a
vote of thanks. The home mission
fund will supply the deficit for
those smaller congregations unable
to stand the added expense itself
This is the last day of the con-
rifx-
spent the afternoon in an automo-
bile tour of the Rock Island arse
nal and through the tri-cities.s A
business session was scheduled to
bring the conference to a conclu-
sion at 4 o'clock.
The Methodist church has an
swered challenge of the great war
by renewed and determined relig-
ious fervor, responding with an en-
thusiasm to its home and foreign
mission programs, that has been an
inspiration to every leader. Bish-
op Thomas Nicholson of Chicago,
presiding at the conference. thus
summed up his opinion Of the wars
effect upon religion.
Always first in the field Of prot
home and abroad, the general con-
ference has subscribed 1856, 900,
900 to a world program that is al
most beyond our comprehension"
he said. THE war was a challenge
to our religion, it was a test of our
Christianity and we have answered
it in a manner that cannot be dis
puted."
Earlier in his morning talk and
echoed in casual reference TO
worldly events by other speakers,
lack of recognition of the spirit of
the Christ in the League of Nations
covenant was foreseen as a great
falling in that document Plea for
return to the colonial day practice
of invoking aid of God and His Son
in administration of national affairs
was voiced during the morning
session.
The central Swedish conference
is not expected to take up question
of lifting ban against dancing and
card playing. The question has
been advanced in other confer
ences, preliminary to action of the
general conference, but Bishop
Nicholson said that it had not been
formally presented to this meeting.
He added that he did not know that
the matter would be brought up at
the general conference. However,
it has been a question for four con-
secutive meetings and / suppose
will be up again. But we are
judges, executors of the law-not
the law makers in these matters"
he said when asked for opinion on
the proposed abrogation of the pro-
hibition against those amusements.