Evening star., 1924-05-10
METHODIST MEMS
CONVENTION OPENS
Two-Day Session Starts at Spring
field, Mass.-Fess and
Pinchot to Speak.
FAVOR WOMAN PREACHERS
Delegates to Church Conference
Approve Privilege.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass, May 1O-Sec-
ond only in Importance to the sessions
of the Methodist Episcopal General Con-
ference, the MethodiSt's Mems Conven-
ton will be held here today and to-
morrow.
Bishop Francis J. Mcconnell of Pitts
burgh will speak this afternoon on
" Education and Christian Experience"
and Sherwood Eddy. author and lee
turer, on THE Challenge of the Present
World Situation
Tonight there will be addresses by
DR.. George Elliott of Detroit. editor of
the Methodist Review, on THE Minis
ter and the Modern World" and by
bishop Edwin H Hughes of Maiden,
. Mass, on Religion and Home Life.
*Senator Fess of Ohio, Gov. Pinchot of
Pennsylvania and Bishops Robert +.
Jones and Fred B. Fisher are scheduled
to speak tomorrow.
Women May Preach.
"Eventually--why not now?" asked
a delegate at the Methodist Episcopal
General Conference, in pleading for
equal rights" for women in the minis
try of the church. His question went
unanswered, but the conference ended
a two-day debate by giving the women
the right of ordination in local pas
torates and denying them admission to
annual conferences and the ltinerant
ministry
Opponents of the substitute motion
argued that the responsibilities OF
the itinerant ministry were too great
for women, who might at any time
have to assume the burden of mother
hood. and DR.. Joseph NJ NJ. Gray,
secretary of the commission, sup
ported a previous speakers argu-
%I,,t .,ly irn : - he
annual conferences, the main point of
contention in the debate, would i'm
peril the pending unification of the
North and South Methodist Churches.
AS matters now stand women may
preach in local pastorates as long 5
the voluntary contract between them
and the congregation is kept in force.
They may administer the Sacraments.
but have no voice in the deliberations
of their conferences. For the last
four years women have had the right
TO occupy local pastorates, but with
out ordination and its concurrent priv
ileges.
Daniels Says Union Favored.
Approval of two of their recent
acts came to the delegates over the
telegraph wires today. JoSephuS
Daniels. former Secretary of the
Navy, sent word that he hoped for a
cordial and prompt unification of the
churches. and that he found among
Southern Church laymen an "over-
whelming majority" favorins the
union. Most OF the miniSte ers, he said,
were also in favor of the movement.
A fervent address on behalf of a
memorial to the late Bishop J. W.
Bashford of China to be erected on
the campus of Pekine University, was
made by koh Ann Wee, student at
the university. The sum sought for
the purpose. it was said, is 100000.
The committee on the epiScopacy
voted yesterday to grant the requests
of Bishops Homer c. Stunt3 of Omaha
and Villa ms Quayle of St. Louis
for retirement on account of illness
They were relieved from the obli-
cation of travelling through the con-
nection at large and the responsible
ity for residential supervision"
The general conference voted to