Evening star., 1925-03-25
M. T. UNITY BEATEN
|. IN TEST VOTE HERE
Baltimore Conference of
Southern Church Defeats
Proposal, 141 to 1877.

The 141st session of the Baltimore
Annual Conference, Methodist Episco-
pal Church South. meeting at Mount
vernon Place Church today, voted
down the proposal adopted by the
General Conferences Of both the Metho-
dist Episcopal Church and the Metho-
dist Episcopal Church South for a
unification of the,two great branches.
The vote of the delegates was 1877
aye; 141 no. The proposal was lost
not only by reason of the fact that
| a three -fourths vote is necessary to
carry. but by majority voting today
against the proposal.
This was the first vote taken by an
annual conference OF the more than
40 conferences in the Methodist Epis-
copal Church South in the continental
United States. The Cuban conference,
in the Island of Cuba, recently voted
unanimously in favor of unification,
by a vote of As to o.
In the Methodist Episcopal Church
(North), the project is being voted
upon, and while complete returns
were not available today, II was un-
derstood that great majority of the
conferences recording had favored
unification.
Vote Without Debate.
The conference was keenly stirred
over the unif1cation matter with the
proponents of both sides actively
engaged prior to the vote in sum-
moning all the strength possible. A
vote was taken, however, without
public debate, the conference having
agreed early in the morning by a
large majority to cast it's ballots at
1880 o'clock without debating the
matter on the floor Somewhat of a
mfx-up occurred over the manner of
taking the vote, the conference first
declaring for ballot and later re-
versing itself to record an aye and
nay vote.
The campaign in favor of unifica-
ton was headed by w. w. Millen of
this city, while the anti-unifica-
tionists were caDtained by DIR. Ernest
Woolf of Staunton, Va.
During the casting of ballots the
conference was in tense attention, all
persons listening closely as names
were called and delegates voted Oc-
casionally burst of laughter greeted
the peculiarly emphatic ayes or
nays.
So close did the balloting run, ac-
cording to informal tallies, that at
some times the ayes were ahead, but
most of the time the noes were lead
ing by short margin.
Following the announcement of re-
suits by the secretary, DIR. H NJ.
Canter of Salem, a, the conference
was adjourned by the president,
Bishop Warren A. Gambler of At
la-nta, Ga
Three-FOurths Vote Needed
The proposal for unification originated
several years ago when both Northern
and Southern branches of the Meth
odist Church appointed commissions
to study the matter. The report of
this joint commission was adopted by
the general conferences of both North
and South, and referred to their con-
stituent bodies for ratification or re-
lection. In the South majority Of
three-fourths of the conference is
necessary for ratification in the
North, two-thirds Is necessary.
In its report the joint commission,
which was headed by Bishop William
F. Mcdowell for the Northern branch
and Bishop Edwin d. Mouzon for the
South, declared that the two churches
were essentially one church, one in
origin, in belief, in spirit, in purpose
and in polity."
The conference will continue for
week with reports from all branches
of the conference activity and as
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