Evening star., 1925-09-19
M. {. LA|TY ASKED
T0SUPP0RT UNION
Laymen's Association Also
Urged to Seek Voice in
Church Council.
By the Associated Press

BY the Associated, Press.
CHICAGO. September 19-Laymen
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
and OF the Methodist Episcopal
Church South We're urged in a state
ment issued today by the executive
committee Of The General Laymen's
Associa tion of the Methodist Epis-
copal Church TO vote for unifca,ion.
, The statement signed by George
Dixon. Chicago. president. was sent
To all bishops. to he read a. the an
nual conferences and by the score
taries a laymens meetings.
1t urged also that the 5000 900
members of the Methodist Episcopal
Church vote for admission Of laymen
into the annual conference and
pleaded for unanimous co-opera tion
and support for the World Service
Commission
Headquarters Of the General Lay
! mems Associa tion have been estab-
lished in the Chicago Temple
Text Of Statement.
The statement said:
concerning the admission Of law
men into the annual conference We
heartily support the amendment ad-
mittinE la%men into annual confer
snces which was adopted by the Cen
era ~ Conference OF the Met hodisf
! Episcopal Church at Springfield
Mass. in May. 1924. and sent 10 the
, annual conference for considera tion
and action We urge its adoption
as it was sent down by the General
Conference. without any amendment.
: We call attention to this Genera
Conference action. which states:
l.aEmen shall be admitted to the
annual conferences under such CON
ditions and regulations as the Cen
eral Conference shall from time Ia
time determine
The very simplicity Of this proposal
gained for it ready approval and II
was "a rried by the General Conference
by an almost uninimous vote. minis
terial as we'll as lay. ANY one who IS
not opposed 10 lay representation iH
principle can vote for this amendment
If any arrangements do not sta nd the
test Of actual experience other Cen
eral Conferences can make such modifi-
cations a 8 seem deSira bile.
"A careful study of the vote of tho
various conferences on the admission
of laymen into the annual conferences
ca lis for more information from and
energetic action Of Iaymen at annuat
conference sessions
Ask Commission Support.
We urge the unanimous co-opera-
, rion and support by the entire church
of the world service commission "a
the agency OF the Methodist Fpisconal
Church. with program OF nif7ed
beneVolenCes. which includes foreign
and home missions and other beneVo-
/ lent activities. by Orga niZing world
service councils in each district and
! local church. Al the annual and dis
rrict conferences the world service
! progra m should he indorsed md inter
est of the world service program m
properly guarded This claim should
he considered sacred and supreme. II
needs our pra yers. thought and money.
The time has come for The lavmen
TO help re-estah hIiSh the confidence of
The church in the work of the church.
in the laws of the church and in the
institutions Of the church. As 1rr-
David n Downey said recently, Lay
msr can help the church in three
wavS evanGelistic emphasis. restnra-
tion Of the spiritual and confidence in
tho church: and by holding fast 10 our
! Christian liberty we will do great
| things for the cause of God in our
! day and generation
! we recommend favora hle action
| on unification of the Methodist Epis
| copal Church and the Methodist
/ Episcopal Inufcn SOulh. ana earnest
! ly pray for its happy consumnation.
! We extend fluctuations 10 our lay
! brethren of the Methodist Episcopal
| Church South and earnestly hope
! their vote will speed unification, that
/ we may be one in Christ our Lord
| and Sa vior.
Seven conferences OF the church
/ voted Yesterday for unification with
the Methodist Episcopal Church South.
Al four of six. conferences where was
| considered the question Of admitting
! laymen 10 the annual meetings Of
I ministers approval WAS given. Two
! conferences have rejected the sug-
! cestion.
Conferences voting for unifcation
/ Yesterday We're: Ohio. \ehra ska.
Southern california. Des Moines.
Iowa: New Mexico. Illinois and CEN
tral Illinois. In each case the vote
/ was overwhelming.
Roth Illinois meetings rejected The
| laynan proposal. while the Montana
/ conference Des Noines. New Mexico
and Nebraska approved IT.