Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1920-05-03
Methodist Prelates in
Ouadrennial Confer Ac-
cept Battle Gage in
World Crisis.
Address of "a Officials
of Denomination Takes
Strong Stand on lmpor-
tant Questions.

NN~~AAA~Sy A9~s$ A'A~~S ~A~~
aiding the Methodist Episcopal
quadrennial general conference
meeting here as the most i'm
portant in the history of the
denomination the address Of "a
bishops Of the church, submit
ted to the conference Sunday,
declares the church is on trial.
On behalf of their denomina-
tiop, the bishops accept the
challenge and aver that the
church must determine to deal
courageously with the vital
questions the new age has pre-
sented.
'Never before did general confer
cree meet at time like this" says the
address.
I'VE cannot 90 back to the less
troublesome. more simple. placid life.
We are at crisis in the ages. If we
fail here. it will not matter what else
we do" The address is devoted to an
swering the question. what is our chief
business at the present conference:'
Considers u Divisions
1t divides the question into II sub
divisions as follows:
What is our chief business at this
conference on behalf of the church it.
self? Concerning the young life of the
world? With reference to the social,
industrial and ecclesiastical conditions
in the world? On the race problem:
As We face divided and dismembered
Christiandom? In regard to the non
Christian world? With reference to
rural life? With reference to city life:
With reference to extending. perpetual
ures Of stewardship. intercession and
world vision brought to the church in
the centenary movement? With ref
crence to the reconstruction of Europe:
With reference to world peace and the
new :nternationalism?
Church Under Fire
The church as whole and in its
parts has been under heavy fire the
address says. 1T has been charged
with failure to prevent war. 1t is
charged with impotence in the current
unrest and disorder. 1t is declared to
be out of touch with modern industry.
modern thought and dominant modern
life. 1t is charged with being the cham
pion Of the obsolete with failure to in
terpret Christ with power and fullness.
with failure to make the worlds ideals
or to supply the worlds motives.
"Thcre is reaction against eccles-
iasticism Both in Professionalism and
Romanism and outside of both there is
a va~pc. widespread idea Of a Christian
ity without church.
In it's belief of particulars the ad-
dress says:
Stand Is Taken
"Of coure the church will stand in
uDflinching. uncompromising denuncia-
ton of all violation Of law; against all
murderous child labor. all foul sweat
shops. all unsafe mines. all deadly ten
i've hours for those who toll. all profit
gate luxury, all standards of wage and
life below the living standard. all un-
fairness and harshness of conditions all
brutal exactions, whether of the en-
ployer or union; all overlordships. whe-
thcr of capital or labor: all Goddess
profiteering, whether in food, clothing
profits or wages; against all inhuman-
ity, injustice and blighting inequality.
mand special privileges or exceptions on
behalf Of their class.
sIn this materialistic day the church
seeks spiritual ends. with the eternal
value of human life in view. More than
80 per cent Of the present laws relate
TO property: less than 10 per cent to
the interests Of human life; the en-
phasis is wrong and the proportion vic
ious.'
Against Any Moro Wars.
Surely" the address says referring
to world peace. I'VE must take strong
grounds against any more wars. and
against war itself as method of set
Ting difficulties Surely we must com
init our church to the principle that m
ternational troubles shall be adjusted by
counsel and arbitration; not by guns and
the slaughter of men: that the nations
of the world shall be bound together
by a working covenant of peace; that,
however it shall be brought about, such
compromise should be made between
the president of the United States and
senate of the United States as shall
secure q real and effective League Of
Nations in which the United States
shall have a proper and honorable place
among the nations of the world in pre-
serving the peace and bearing the bur
dens Of the world; that all nations shall
reduce ornaments and armies, battle
ships and navies to minimum consist
ent with safety, and that the vast ex-
penditures for fighting purposes shall
be used for educational. industrial and
domestic swelfare instead