Evening star., 1924-07-03
METH0D|STS STUDY
UNITY RESOLUTION
New Conference, to Insure
Legality, Proposed by
Southern Church.
FEAR PRESENT SESSION
See Property Becoming Involved
Under Consolidation With
Northerners.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
CHATTANOOGA. Tenn. July s.
The special general conference of the
Methodist Church South. meeting to
consider unifcation with the Method
ist Episcopal Church. today resumed
debate on a resolution to call sub
stltute general conference next May.
The resolution sets forth that there
is grave doubt concerning the legal
ity of the present conference, and
that if unification eventually becomes
a fact as result of this session the
church property might become in
Nolved. The substitute conference
proposed would be so surrounded with
legal safeguards that all doubt would
be removed.
The conference here was called by
the College of Bishops to determine
whether the plan of unitication with
the northern branch of the church
should be submitted to the annual
conferences for approval or rejection.
A growing number of delegates be-
Heve the conference is illegal, and
when adjournment was voted last
night they were engaged in debate
on the resolution proposing the sub
stltute special general conference.
fAuOplioH VI the TtSplutlOn dulpllldl-
ically would force sine die adjourn
ment, for under the rules. conSidera-
tlon of the unitication proposal is
the only business that can be trans
acted.
Length of Debate in Doubt.
How long the debate would last
no one cared to predict. The rules
permit unlimited discussion, and it
can be interrupted only by the noon
recess and overnight adjournment.
The program calls for a noon recess
from 1880 to pm. and adjournment
for the night at pm, and Bishop
Warren A. Gambler. the presiding
officer. and Bishop Collins Denny, to
whom Bishop Gambler relinquished
the chair temporarily late yesterday,
observed the clock in labor union
fashion. Bishop Mouzen is in the chair
today.
The resolution under discussion
was introduced jointly by DIR. A. ].
Lamar of Nashville and Joseph L.
Cockrell of Dallas.
Text of Resolution.
The text of the resolution follows:
"Whereas there has been expressed
doubt as to the legality of the 4pecial
session of the general conference and;
Whereas, if the plan of unitication
now proposed is finally adopted by "A
constitutional method, the results
will involve the title to all property
in the church and
w he reaS, II Is certain tndt II q
general conference is called by the
bishops by and with the advice of
all the annual conferences as the
constitution clearly provided prior to
1866, there can be no question of the
legality of general conference so
called.
Therefore. be it resolved, That
this general conference requests the
bishops and all the annual confer
ences to join in a call for the general
conference to meet the first Wednes-
tion of the, plan of unifica ton of our
church and the Methodist Episcopal
Church submitted to this general con-
ference by the committee on unfit
cation.
Similar Case Cited.
The troubles that beset the Cum
berland Presbyterian Church some
years after it had formed an organic
union with one of the larger Presby-
terian bodies was the main point
stressed by supporters of the Lamar
proposal. When time came to trans
fer the Cumberland church property
to the united body, trustees of va
rious institutions attacked the legal
ity of the union, and scores of suits
were filed, some in state and others
in federal courts. The courts held
the union illegal.
Judge John S. Gambler of Atlanta a
brother Of Bishop Gambler, argued
that the conference was legal and
urged the defeat of the resolution.
he ClCeQ a decision IN a churcn
wherein acts of officials had been at
tackled, but which the court held
legal He drew a parallel between
this instance and the action of the
board of bishops in calling the spe-
cial conference and contended the
conference was proper.
1t has been made clear that no time
would be lost should the plan out
lined by the resolution be adopted
The Methodist Episcopal general con-
ference. which met in regular session
In Springfield, Mass. recently voted
to submit the unifcation plan to it's
annual conferences to be held in 1925
The Southern Church. should the
resolution be adopted, would have it's
conference act at the same time, for
the general conference, meeting in
May, could submit the plan for ap-
proval or rejection before the annual
conferences of the year are to be
held. Because of the possible legal diff
culties. if the general conference should
act now, and the fact that no time would
be lost even though submission was
not decided upon until May. speakers
advocating adoption of the resolution
maintained that the church and
1t so act while it might benefit i'm
meaSurably.
Plan Not Reported.
The merger plan drawn up by the
unifcation joint comm ssion of the
two churches has not been reported
mitted until the Lamar -Cockrell res
olution has been disposed Of There
also has been prepared a report by
the nine members of the college of
bishops. who called the special con-
ference, defending the legality of
their actions. This has not been pre-
sented. Bishop Gambler, one of the
four bishops who believe the call was
in violation of constitutional provi-
sions, managed to read a brief state
ment to the conference yesterday
saying that the reason they did not
agree with the majority had been
given so often repetition was unnec-
eSsary
Many of those in authority believe
the resolution will be adopted and
that the delegates will be on their
way home by Friday night at the
latest. Some even said adjournment
before tonight would not be sur
prise. Others, however. were of the
opinion that the resolution would be
defeated. 1t all depended upon how
much support proponents of the pro-
posal could win during the debate to-