Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-05-10
NORTHERN BRANCH
METHOD|STS VOTE
FOR UNIFIED CHURCH


\ pal church, south, was ratified by the
, Methodist Episcopal general confer
ence here today by vote of S42 to
Is. The action, if confirmed by the
southern church, will end a schism
that was created so years ago by Il
southern bishops ownership of
slaves.
z The report on unification was
made by a special commission APP
pointed by the general conference at
Des Moines in, 1920, and headed by
Bishop William f. Mcdowell. 1t met
with a similar commission, appoint
ed by the southern church, at Gin
cinnati in January, 1928 a joint
committee there prepared the plan
approved today, and it was accepted
Wy the joint commission at Cleveland
the following July.
The joint report, in essence, unlteS
the two churches in one church, with
two Jurisdictions, under constltu-
ton, with a general conference and
two jurisdictional conferences. EX-
cry vote in the general conference
shall be by jurisdictions, and shall
- require the accepted majority vote
at eSch jurisdiction to be effective.
Equal Vote Provided
Provision Is made for judicial
council to pass upon the constitu-
tionality of the acts of the general
conference and the jurisdictional con-
ferenceS either on appeal or on its
4 own motion, its decisions to be made
by a majority vote of it's total mem
bership. The council is to be elect
ed in equal number by each jurisdic-
tional conference at the first session
Of the general conference.
BY restricting rules in the proposed
constitution. the general conference
is forbidden to revoke, altar or
change our articles Of religion or 'es-
tablish any new standards or rules
. of doctrine contrary to our present
existing and established standards of
: doctrine"
Changes or alterations in the
church government 80 as to do away
with the episcopacy. or destroy the
plan Of our intinerant superlntend-
ency" are not allowed.
The bishops of the two churches
as at present constituted are to be
bishops of the united church, accord
ing to the plan, without further &C
ton. Immediately after the union
. shall be consummated they are to
organize as one body ana arrange for
the superintendent of the work of
the church.
Each Of the jursdictional confer
ences provided are to meet quadren-
nially where the general conference
Is to assemble and Immediately prior
/, to it.
! Southern Church TO Act
I, Pending the devising Of method
of amending the constitution at the
first general conference, the present
method in the separate churches is
to be continued.
The college Of bishops Of the south.
ern church was in session today at
Nashville. Tenn, and by the plan
the college was instructed, when
plan of unification was approved by
the northern church by a two-thirds
vote, to call a special session of the
southern church conference.
"A. signal triumph Of the unifying
power of the passion. and cross Of
Jesus Christ" Bishop Mcdowell de-
scribed the work of the joint COM
mission in his address upon the re-
port.
eff these two churches can come
{. together" he said, Gin such man
I ner that the Methodist church in
lads outside the United States can
rake a unified impact upon the non
Christian world it will justify
pretty nearly every sacrifice that
either we or they were obliged to
make with reference to our own
work in the United States.
1.-THE forward look. not the back
ward look, is the one, we are asking
you to take. This task can only
be accomplished by uniting the
strength of those whose hearts are
devoted to the things that are ex-
cellent. We are willing to take the
southern church as it is. and they
are willing to take us as we are
and with a minority of changes to
start with.
Minority Protected
by the voting plan whereby the
vote in the general conference shall
be taken by jurisdictions, the old
problem of protecting the minority,
? which was such a stumbling block in
earlier attempts at unification, is
essentially taken care Of.
1.-THE report does not try to adjust
all the differences. 1t is thought
that we can do that more easily
N-%hen we are together and not far
apart"
Bishop Mcdowell then RECON-
inended that the report be not sub,
mitted to a committee. and that a
direct vote be taken. There was
some opposition by those who later
voted against adoption, but the pre-
viuos question was moved and car
ried, and fifteen minutes later the
S42 favoring delegates rose to their
feet in answer to the call of tho
chairman, Bishop Edwin H. Hughes
for standing vote.
The other important act of the
conference at the morning session
was to give to a committee which is
to go to Washington today. petit.
ton to President Coolidge on behalf
of the Japanese to secure modifica-
ton of :he immigration law recently
enacted by congress excluding from
this country aliens not eligible to
citizenship. The petition was pre-
scented yesterday by Herbert B.
Johnson. of California.
COLLEGE, OF BISHOPS
PLEASED WITH ACTION
NASHVILLE, Tenn, May T.
News of the action OF the general
conference OF the Methodist Episco-
pal church in voting almost unani.
mously for unification with the
Southern church, was received with
enthusiasm here today by bishops
and others attending a meeting of
the board of missions OF the latter
denomination.
Bishop E. Il. Mouzon read a tele-
gram telling of the vote
Various annual conferences Of the
Southern church will act on the uni
ficatio nand final disposition will
be made at a special session of the
r.eneral conference. il was said.