Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-03-29
Me. CONFERENCE
Continued from page !

to hiring about the adoption OF the plan,
~ ;ta adoption with such m odifieations
aa NAV seem wise 70 the General Con-
ference, provided such changes do not nave
the effect of multiplying the plan.
We express high appreciation of the
work of the commission, which has de.
voted years of labor To the perfection OF
this plan.
DR. Srmwalt then read the minority
report. which contained the following
provisions:
Where as, The proposed plan provides
for unification by reorganization on such
a basis ae will inevitably tend 90 the de-
| velopment Of sectional and racial divisions,
! rather than 10 n real and lasting union, and |
aWhereas The proposed plan because
nj tbeae racial and sectional lines OF
cleavage. will tend To prevent and destroy |
the work Of the church among many OF
the people to whom ve now minister anu
Whereas, The proposed plan provides
for church which differs so RADICALLY
| from either of the contributing churches
as TO make substantially new churoh'
| and relieve our members of any claim upon
their LOYALTY and support, therefore be u
Resolved, That we, the Wilmington
Annual Conference hereby mernoraiizc
the General Conference to reject tins ana
all o,her plans for Methodist union which
do not provide for really united church
canable of ministering effectively 10 all :
mankind e..
The report was signed by DR. Sumwalt
-and DR.. G. T. Anderson.
After moving the substitution of TINS
for the majority report, DR.: Surnwalt
enumerated his objections. lie asserted
his rcspcct for the commission, OF when
Rishou Mcdowell is a member. In de-
! | 4 I, 80
pericnce on the question, as secretary Tor
fm,r wears If commission of the Baiti-
more Conference on the same question.
DIR srimwalt pointed O1t that the plan
nrovides for seven regional conferences.
of which one contains the colored cnurch
} The second conference. nc said, would IN
el,,de 10000 members of the Methodist
Ep,sconal Church South and 0p,Op of
! the Methodist Episcopal Church. In TINS
! regional conference would be wilmington
and Washington. which would slplect
this CITY and Nne National Capital 70 the
control of a minority.
Tho plan of unifcatlon also provldes
knr vote by regions. under which five
yec,ons must be in favor of any motion
To secure its adoption. The purpose of
this Dr Sryrnwalt stated. is to protect the
nights of the minority, but, he declared, y
comes ! near to creating tyranny o.
. the majority. "a any two regions may
become n brake to stop all progress
Jrr Sumwalt also criticized the plan
A. tending to perpetuate sectional and
ror,aI division. On the treatment OF the
Negro he LAID especial emphasis. pointing
out that the Negroes have under the pian
@ only one-fourth the representation &C.
corded the whites, with stringent pro
s visions o., prevent changes. This, he Dc
L. kr
N and ant,-white church. IF ! were th'
IS pastor Of the church at the corner o
x French street" be asserted and ver'
N told 20 submit 10 an arrangement ilks
, this | should feel like taking a clut
E, and going out TO fight for my rights"
Z The rafne unfairness. DIR. Surnwal
r continued. is shown all foreign confer
Y eucer. who have only 5 per cent repre-
~ .rntation, "A against 20 per cent for whit
$ churches Of America. The hundreds o
millions in backward nations are p~
~ ginning TO STIR, DR.. sunwalt sad, AM
we must either greet them with Christlal
l- fellowship or expect confiaRration ne
20 side which that klndled by Germany va
,t but a bon FIRE. In closing DIR Surnwal
l. took up the claim that objection 70 Tn
ie unifcation plan was opposition To Chrlst
y. nraver for unity Christ was not q
* erciesia4tic, DR. Sun~alt declared, an
Y, his prayer was not for nominal me
ld archie unit. but for real unity of all tt
- peoples Of the world.
II usIYIcATfoH DEFEATED.
70 DIR. Dashiell took up the defence Of U
20 majority report He characterized u
4 Sunwalt's speech as grim fairy tale
3 and added Don't you know that son
a brothers see things?
:. Yes thew do. chorused some Of d
40 Sumwalt' $ supporters.
% % And that they see things because
= defective vision?'' added DR.. Dashle
Z Destruction is easier than constructio
al he added, and the church cannot afford
AT throw this constructive measure on u
ks scrap heap
- - DR.. Dashiell asserted that the oblectio
IN to the regional conference plan are n
valid. as the regional conferences wou
ha not have general conference powers. I
-. was dwelling upon the advantages of o.
'es conference and one bishop when mel
~ Der interrupted him with the query:
~ "Can YOU imagine a colored oish'
II over a southern conference
-, "If YOU raise that question,
~ -, Dashiell replied, ''I will ask why color
syy people are not invited TO JOIN Gra
sw Church
nv DIR. DashieI declared that the fear
minority tyranny IS groundiess. as Z
norities change with the growth OF M
sentiment, and sentiment IN favor
progress grows until there is no mlnor
-, to oppose it. The plan is not perfe
he said, but no one has proposed chan
that would have the support OF bo
"e churches
ast Rev. DR.. E. A Tomkinson spoke
ITO rebuttal Of DR. Dashielps arguments, a
ice DR.. Sumwalt was allowed a Summal
&C. When the question was voted, the I
nority report, opposing the unification pl
lsh was adopted The vote for the major
on, report was so small that no count Y
10 taken
ut Rev Howard T.. Qmgg of News
spoke against the admission OF laymen
ork the conference The conference was
ew minded that the laymen's conference
ne. voted against admission of laymen 70
ministers session A rising vote '
D. taken. and only one member rose
favor the admission of laymen.
ma The conference adopted q, resOlut
ma introduced by Rev. DIR. '. ;. Colll
IN providing that pastors will remain
their present charges over Easter >
ma day, in order TO complete the evangeil
lth effort which Is to eliminate ON that q
TO MEET IN CRIsFTELp.
TT. Crisfield, Md, was chosen as
place for the next annual conference,
ceiving 81 votes, as against 81 tor y
as Castle. John l.. Johnson brought the
no xy;t t,nr nf tha off cial hoard of Imman