Evening star., 1925-03-23
ISSUE OF METHODIST UNITY
NAY BE SETTLED BY VOTE HERE
Conference of Southern Church at Mount Ternon
Edifce Seems Likely to Hare Great In
Auence on Final Settlement.

not ventured by and in touch with
conditions
The foes OF unifcation Of whom
Bishop Gambler is one Of the strong
est, have been waging a strong fight
against ratification from the beginning
and are believed to have made con-
siderable progress of late.
Favored by Bishop Cannon.
Bishop James A. Cannon, who is
ardently in favor of unification, be-
lieves that the opposition among the
laity is based largely upon a mis-
understanding and upon a certain
amount of prejudice
The plan of unifcation provides for
4 general conference of the United
Church and two jurisdicrional con-
ferences, the latter to control the in
ternal affairs Of the two churches,
just as they are now controlled.
In order that there might be no
question of the Northern Church Sc
curing control of the United Church
because OF its great numerical su-
periority. the plan of unification pro-
yides tha' all voting shall be done by
two bal. !, one for each jurisdic-
tional conference. The jurisdictional
ballot shall be decided by the ma,
jority vote of the annual confer
ences within the jurisdiction.
Transfer of Bishop.
Another question that has been
raised is in regard to the possibility
of the transfer of a colored bishop
of the Northern Church 10 jurisdic-
ton over district of the Southern
Church, but this possibility is clear
1y covered in the plan of unifica ton,
which, in outlining the powers of the
general conference, declares that the
general conference may provide for
the transfer of members, preachers,
churches, pastoral charges, districts,
annual conferences, mission confer
ences and missions in the United
States from one jurisdiction. to the
other, provided that no such transfer
shall be made without the consent
of the member, preacher, church, pas
toral charge. district. annual confer
ence, mission conference, or mission
that it is proposed to transfer"
q. Friends of the plan point to the
benefits to be derived through unfit
cation and discount any danger of
circumstances arising that would
cause any friction. They declare that
the elimination of duplication OF ef-
fort is in itself sufficient reason to
merge.
VIII Retain Bishops.
The plan provides that the present
bishops of the two jurisdictions shall
be retained, and that they may be
transferred from one Jurisdiction to
the other, but only with the consent
of the majority of the bishops of the
jurisdiction to which a transfer s
proposed.
1t is proposed to limit the construc-
ton of new churches of either juris-
diction in the territory OF the othet
providing the section involved is al
ready adequately served. IN other
words. a Northern church would not
be erected in a Southern town which
already has a Southern church, and
vice versa.
Some voluntary merging of churches
is likely under the plan, for con-
ditions now exist in many instances
Methodist Churches of both jurisdie-
tions stand almost side by side which
could be combined into one powerful
church. When such action takes place,
1T is provided that the merging be
done with the approval of both juris-
dictions, and machinery is provided
for the elimination of any causes of
dispute.
Red Tape Limited.
Members. and pastors can be freely
transferred, and much in the way Of
red tape limited under the plan. For
eign mission work especially could be
helped by the elimination of duplf-
cation, in the opinion of the support
ers OF the plan.
After the Baltimore conferences
votes on the plan, there will be a
delay until Fall before the other con-
ferences act. Many. of the Northern
church conferences have already
voted and have given their approval
to the plan, but little opposition had
! been expected in the North On
April +, the Baltimore conference Of
tthe Northern church meets in An.
napolis and will vote on the ques-
ti6n.r
1t is considered especially fitting
THAT the first Southern vote should
be .cast in the Mount Vernon Place
Church. because this beautiful edi-
fee represents in land and build
ings total outlay of nearly $780,
600, YVES built largely with the as
sistance of the contributions of all
Southern Methodist Churches in the
country and is the representative
church and isIsituated in what would
be the seat of the united church, liz
the plan be approved. The territory
covered by the Baltimore conference
is also such as to give a cross-secG
tion of beliefs on the subject. The
district represents the Federal gov,
tConfederacy;; and Maryland, Il borde !.
tConfederacy and Maryland a borde r
State. - Z
Those familiar with conditions be.
| liexe that If the conference votes
heavily IN favor Of -unihcation the