Evening star., 1925-03-23

Years Of campaigning to reuntte
two great churches that were torn
apart eighty years ago over the ques-
tion of slavery. which was To spread
tragedy to all parts OF the country Is
years later will come 10 q head We'd
nesdsv when the Baltimore Annual
Conference of the Methodist Episcopal
Church South meets in this city fo.' a
six day session. during the course Of
which the question of unifieation with
the Northern branch OF the church
will be voted upon for the first time
by a Southern Methodist annual con-
ference
Delegates from every Southern
Methodist Church in the District Of
Columbia. Maryland and Virginia will
gather AT the Mount Vernon Place
Church tomorrow evening for devo-
tional service. at which Rev. :. Is.
Cockren Of Baltimore. editor of the
official paper of the conference, will
preach. The business sessions, pre-
sided over by Bishop Warren \.
Candlar OF Atlanta, Ga, will get un-
der way Wednesday morning at
o'clock. 1890
Unity Issue TO Come In.
The program for tho conference is
rather limited so far as scheduled
events are concerned. but many ques
to be introduced. The question of
unification, for instance, is not set for
any special day. and just when it will
come up is question not yet decided.
The program, so far as outlined d.,
calls for a series of evening discus
sions at s o'clock, as follows: Wednes-
day. Home for the Aged; Thursday,
Christian Educa ton; Friday. sun
day Schools and Saturday, "Ep-
worth League"
Rev. Dr. Luther Bridcers will preach
Wednesday. Thursday and Friday aft
ernoons at o'clock. Saturday after
noon the delegates will visit the
Methodist Home for the Aged, which
is nearing completion, at Gathers
burg, Md.
Bishop to Preach.
Sunday morning Bishop Candlar
will occupy the pulpit at the Mount
Vernon Place Church. and at the con-
ciusion of the service will ordain the
deacons who are to be accepted.
Monday, the 50th, the question that
is in the minds of all ministers at the
convention. and which has been on
their minds for some time previous,
the assignments for he following
year, will be decided. Some time
during the final session the bishop
will read a list OF churches and the
ministers that are assigned to them.
Some will probably be changed, many
will very likely return to the same
churches at which they have been
working for the past year. Here and
there one who has reached the age
at which his usefulness as an active
minister has waned VIII hear the
entire list of-names read without his
being called. and he will know that
he has been placed upon the super
animated list. ..t,.
The ewes Of all Methodism will be
upon the conference until 1t takes
action upon the ,unification plan
which. il ratified, would join toeether
two great denominations that would
have combined membership OF
nearly 100000.
split Over slavery.
Years ago there was but one
Methodist Episcopal Church. but the
slavery question arose to bring the
division Bishop Andrews. in 1884,
married into slave-ownine family
| and the members of the church In
| the North called upon him to bring
| bout the freeing OF all slaves held
| ON the planta tion of his wife. He
! after some bitter discussion, gem
eral conference was called in 1s45 of
I,au Methodist churches In the slave
| holding. territory and the Methodist
| Episcopal Church South was organ
| lized.
| Some IL or Is years ago. a move
! ment was started to bring the two
| churches back together and gradu=
ally the movement gained momentum.
J Eight. years ago the work in the
Northern church came under. the
leadership of Bishop w. F. Mcdowell
| Of this city who is in charge of q
/ district including the Baltimore Con-
ference of the Northern church.
| - Adopted in Springfield.
Last May in Springfield, Mass, the
general conference of the Northern
/ church adopted the unification plan
at it's regular meeting and provision
was made that it must receive the
| affirmative vote of two-thirds of the
| annual conferences of the church.
! Immediately following the action a
special meeting of the. general CEN
lference of the Southern church was
called at Chattanooga, Tenn, and the
| approval of this conference was also
obtained. but with the provision that
! three -fourths of the Southern annual
conferences should give their. ap=
| proyal.
/ At that time it was believed that
the movement would so through by a
large majority. but since then there
has been a trend away from the pian
' and just what the outcome will be is
a.g !: 4'.