The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-11-05
METHODISTS OPEN
CONF ERENCE HERE
At SESSION TODAY
Union of North and South
Churches to Be COnsid-
ered-Negro Question a
Stumbling Block
Nv CAROLYN u. ELLIOTT

This morning at 9 o'clock the North
Alabama Conference of the southern
Methodist church will begin its fiftieth
session. in the auditorium of the First
Methodist church of This city.
Rishop James H. Atkins will he in the
chair and DR.. w. Z. Morris presiding
elder of the Decatur district. will be at
he secretary's desk The roll call Will
include names of nearly 500 delegates
The morning session will be given over
- organization. and reports from pre-
siding elders of the 13 districts Wh!ch
compose the conference.
At the first session request Will he
made by a unanimous vote o. the BIT
mingham and Bessemer districts to de-
vote one hour each morning TO eVangel-
stic work, under the leadership or Or,
George Il. Stuart.
A full session of the conference will be
held each morning from to 1 o'clock
while the afternoons will be reserved Tor
hoard and committee meetings. BishoN
Atkins and his cabinet will also hoid
conferences in the afternoon of each day
one of the interesting subjects to be
discussed at conference Will he the UNI
fication of American Methodism. In the
proposed scheme for unification. the
negro question looms practically as large
as in the famous general conference OF
,ot4 v,-nan Me.Aoais~o divided
BISHOPS ATTITUDE UNCERTAIN
So,,e Of the bishops in their conference
holdings seem to have been feeling oul
.he sentiment concerning unitication.
What Bishop Atkins may be disposed TO
10 does not yet appear
For some wears the Methodists. South
and North. have had commissioners deal
ing with the matter of unification. has
moved favorably until the status OF col
ored membership was touched in the pro
posed unified body.
Many wears ago Southern Methodtsm
-o,ved the problem of colored members,
BY organizing them into an Independent;
body.
Northern Methodism has numerous col
ored members, who seem disposed to stav.
And thereby hangs the hitch to unfit
cation
If Northern Methodists should agree
setting up their colored contingent indie
pendently, as Southerners did, it is felt
that long step would be taken toward
unification.
While the south generally has been
criticised because of much of its atti-
i tude toward the negro, notably in mat
tiers of railroad and hotel accommoda-
lions. and educational affairs. it has
been admitted by influential Northern
Methodists that they have a real jim
Grow" administration.
While the status of the church may
suggest no disparity as to race, the
facts Of administration draw the line
as clearly as does any southern custom
or law.
Among the interesting features OF
| the conference will be conservation
1 programme in the interest OF church-
wide revival This viii be considered
at one of the evening session. together
with Stewardship, and the enlargement
| Of the list of tithers.
! Another matter of interest Is TN
/ meeting tomorrow afternoon at i.'o
o'elsck of the trustees Of Birmingham
/ southern college. The purpose Will De
to perfect the merger of Birmingham
| college and Southern university H. >.
Munger is chairman of the body.
TO TRANSFER HOLDINGS
A. the coming meeting attention VIII
be given to legal formalities of trans
ferring the holdings of the trustees TO
! the commissioners OF Birmingham
| Southern college.
! Twelve trustees OF the Birmingham
Southern college will be appointed, as
north Alabama's quota, me en.lre ii =.
to be completed by the additional u
| to be appointed by the Alabama con-
| ference 80, :.
! IT is interesting to note that this is
! .he first wear in the history of southern
Methodism that the various conferences
| have numered among their Jay oele
gates prominent women from the ioca'
! churches The list of II who arrive To-
day as regularly commissioned dele
| gates of North Alabama conference are
| Nasdames T.. Argo OF Goodwater; J. A.
Embrv' Ashville; E. NJ Grimsley Fay
cite: w. NJ. stokes Of Cordova; b. r.
Mavnor and NJ. J. owen OF Albertvllle,
In addition to these are Misses Matte
IIee 1.athem. Lille Mehan and vera
Salmon of Huntsville district. ana MISS
Ida davenport of Valley Head.
Among the notable visitors at the
conference will be Bishop II. M. DuBose'
now a resident of California. Bishop
p1pose,s narents were married in Bar
hour county by the Rev James e.
lc;Ienn a prominent Methodist mission
arv among the Creek indians ana early
whites of southeast Alabama
The bishop himself was for several
wears editor of the Methodist quarterly
Review. and was elected to the episco-
macy at Atlanta in May of last year.
Roosevelt Memorial