The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1924-05-27
nIxIE METHODISTS
divide ON THE PLAN
r0 MERGE CHURCHES
o,,ruERN OPPONENTS ISSUE
STATEMENT ON UNIFICA-
r1oN OF THE CHURCHES.
BISHOPS EQUALLY DIVIDED

Must BE
D ~ Southern Church Before 1t Be-
o,ss Effective. Both Sides Are
Tvnected to Make Hard Fight.
NASHVILLE, Tenn.-With the
ca,,oos Of Bishops split in half, sew
To- and seven against the proposed
4 aoraer Of the northern and southern
Methodist churches is far from set
\ tied.
Alter a session that lasted all day
.bs bishops by vote of 10 to called
soecial conference on July 2 to con-
.;der the unihcation plan.
The question of the date of the con-
;e-ence caused the long session. Those
b;sboos opposing the merger held out
;or later conference, in the spring
of 1925. while the bishops favorlng
The merger felt that immediate action
Should he taken. The call was finally
y ;ssred in the name OF "a majority"
Rrr the standing of the bishops was
not made public.
Fear "Gobbling."
Fear that Southern Methodism will
he "gobb1ed up" by the larger north
eTn church, and different attitudes on
r.c;al questions are the chief argu
p n,ents against the merger plan. While
4 nrononents contend that the estrange-
ments which split the church in 1874
have now been eliminated and that
increased numbers will give the new
church wider range of influence.
Alter the adoption by the general
conference the merger proposal, which
has already been Endorsed by the
northern branch, must be ratified by
tbree-fourths OF the southern church
before it can become effective. A hard
fight will be made by both sides be-
fore the conference meets. In the
meantime. five cities are bidding for
z the conference. They are Memphis,
Louisville, Chattanooga, ] a k S o n,
n Miss. and Springfield, Mo. A special
committee will decide on this matter
within the next few days.
Those opposing the early date Tor
the conference are Bishop Warren A.
Gambler, senior member; Bishop Col
Inns Denny. secretary, and Bishops U.
N. W. Darlington and James E. Dick
ev. These bishops have issued state
ment setting forth their reasons.
How Bishops Stand.
The college is empowered and in
suucted" by the last general confer
ence to call a special session OF the
conference whenever the northern
church should have adopted plan OF
MITIGATION acceptable to twothirds OF
the Joint northern and southern COM
mission
Prior to the special session, if call
ed, vigorous campaigns for and against
unhcation will be waged within the
church, it is minated. After adoption
by the general conference the plan
must be approved by three-fourths OF
the annual conferences before it be-
comes effective.
Those who have been reported to
favor the unihcation plan are Bishop
Mouzon who has jurisdiction over
the Tennessee, Memphis and ....-.ston
conferences; Bishop Beauchamp Gu
rope) Bishop Cannon (Africa and
Nexico); Bishop Dobbs (BraziD );
Bishop Boaz Orient; Bishop Moore
Texas and Oklahoma); Bishop Nc
Murray (Denver); Southwest Nilsson
n)i Bishop Hay (Arkansas).
j Oppose Unihcation.
Bishop Collins Denny, having con-
PTol over the Carolina conferences, has
openly opposed the unihcation plan
nd made minority report as mem
per OF the commission which brought
0rth the plan. 1t is understood that
Re is supported in his views by Bishop
Warren A. Gambler, of Atlanta (Ala-
pama conterences)
others who are said to be against
ne Wedding of the churches are Bish-
Darlington (north Georgia and
oftnwest Kentucky; Bishop Aims
AVFth (South Georgia and Mississip-
y Bishop Dickey (Texas and New
atf1Iico), and Bishop Dubose (Pa-
Inc naturalization movement is
ported strongest in the conferences
Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and
pouln Carolina, these conferences
''ILlihg that if the general conference
postponed until after the annual
oaIeTences new delegates can be Sc
.S'eo with definite instructions as to
j." Ihey should vote upon unifica-