The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1922-03-20
HITCH BOBS UP
over STEWARDS
Board o. Wilmington Conference
Fails To Change Membership.
State Law Differs From Church
Plan.

cOpal Conference not only fails tC
abide by the rules of the church as
laid down in the Discipline, but fails
to abide by such rules when the an
nual conference specifically orders
that such rules shall be enforced
Failure of the Board OF Stewards
during the Conference year just clos
ing to carry into effect an order of
the Conference of one year ago is of
more than passing interest to men,
bers OF Conference, and discussion
of it will be an interesting feature OF
the sessions to open at Cam
bridge, Md, next Wednesday. While
not following the Discipline Of the
church, the Board of Stew ards an
incorporated body under the laws OF
this State, seem to be COINS strictly
according to the laws of Delaware,
it was said today and furthermore to
have the moral support not only of
the laymen of the conference but OF
many OF the ministers.
In accordance with the action of the
Wilmington Annual Conference of
1869, as set forth in the minutes for
that session on pages "a and rs, the
charter of the Board of Conference
Stewards, incorporated under the
laws of Delaware by order of the
Conference, plainly directs that
THE ministerial members of said
board shall be elected by ballot an
nually by the said Wilmington An
nual Conference, and the lay mem
bers of the board shall be elected by
ballot by the Board of District
Stewards of each presiding elders
district for the term of four years
and until their successors have been
duly elected as aforesaid" etc.
Paragraph 500, Section l of the
Discipline Of 1920, directs, Each
Annual Conference shall elect Con
ference Stewards, who may be
either preachers or laymen. ar
ranged in classes, that one-third
OF the members shall be elected each
year"
The Wilmington Annual Confer
ence since 1859 has followed the
plan as set forth at that time, and
at present the board consists OF
eight members-four ministers and
four laymen, the ministers electing
ministerial members and the laymen
selecting their members from the
laymen. The board at present con-
sists of the following: Ministerial
the Revs. F. c. MacSorley, E. H
Derrickson, L. E. Poole, and E. w
Jones: Lay-R. NJ. Cooper, w. j
Downing T. N. Rawlins and F. P
Gentieu.
1t will be noted that the above
arrangement gave the ministers and
laymen equal representation in the
handling of church funds, and each
the privilege of electing its own rep
resentatives. By resolution offered
by District Superintendent Vaughan
S. Collins, of the Salisbury district
at the session of conference held in
Crisfeld, Md, one year ago, which
was unanimously adopted by the
conference, hereafter the conference
will elect a Board of Stewards con-
sisting of nine members, five OF
whom will be ministers and foul
laymen. By this plan, the laymen
are given a minority representation
on the board and are also deprived
of the privilege of selecting thei1
own representatives By the resolu-
ton, the membership of the present
board holds on until the session OF
the conference which meets in Cam
bridge next Wednesday.
The Board of Stewards by the
resolution was instructed to have
its attorney, Caleb E. Burchenal, OF
this city, prepare and have executed
amendments to the articles of in
corporation that shall make the char
ter of the board harmonic with the
Discipline.
The action of the conference ere
ated considerable feeling and led to
the presentation of a resolution TIC
the conference by the Laymen's AS
ISOLATION protesting against the &C
ton, setting forth that the provision
referred to as in the Discipline OF
1920 has, as matter of fact. been
in the Discipline for nearly thirty
years and that the Laymen's Asso-
citation, representing over $4,000
laymen of the churches in the Will
mington Conference, regard such
action of the Conference as unWlse
and unjust and detrimental to the
future success of the Conference
Claimant Endowment Fund" and
urged that the conference rescind its
action.
On motion of DR.. J. w. r. Sum
walt, Bishop Mcdowell was asked to
make a statement touching upon the
case, and District superintendent W.
A. Wise requested that he also make
a legal expression regarding the
whole situation.
Briefly Bishop Mcdowell stated
the case and confirmed the legal
right of conference to the action, as
set forth in the Discipline. The
resolutions and the Bishops ruling
were ordered spread upon the con-
ference minutes, but the question
was not discussed by the Conference
and the order to the Board of Stew
ards stood as passed.
It has now been learned that the
Board of Stewards has not taken any
action looking to carrying out the
provisions of the Collins resolution
The lay members of the Board OF
Stewards do not favor the proposed
change, and as it requires at least
six members of the Board according
to the State law, under which the
charter of the Board is held, tie
make any change in the charter, it
would appear that the Board has no
intension of carrying out the instruc-
lions of the Wilmington Conference
When spoken to regarding the
matter today, Mr.. Burchenal said
that he had taken no action in the
matter, as he has not been SO di-