Evening star., 1926-05-16
METHOD|STS VOTE
UN|F|CAT|ON STUDY
Committee to Go Thoroughly
Into Question, With Action
Four Years Off.
By the Associated Press.

MEMPHIS, Tenn, May l0.-C nil
cation, principal bone of contention in
the Methodist Episcopal Church South
during the past three years and a
mooted question at the twentieth Gen
enral Conference in session here, found
smooth sailing when q special COM
mittee reported to the church relations
committee with it's recommendations
late today.
a committee of research and inVeSti-
CATION TO make q careful and scientific
study OF the whole question in its
history, economic, social, legal and
other aspects during the next four
years was recommended and the
church relations committee in u har-
monious meeting accepted the recon-
mendation and proceeded to appoint
the committee.
This committee Of investigation Will
not have the power to open neSotia-
tionS with any other branch OF the
church and will report back TO the
General Conference four years hence.
Leaders of both the antiunitication-
lists and the unificationiSts tonight de-
clared that while the appointment OF
such q committee was a compromise
for both sides. it was great moral
victory for the church.
Sees Aid i'm Decision.
There is much need of unitication,
one member of the committee said.
but the greatest need of it is within
our own church. During the next
four years this question will be
studied-not argued.
The church relations committee,
G AiNiHaI l.
most equally between the antis and
the unificationists, accepted the re-
mort of the special committee with but
iittle debate, only three members fall-
ing TO vote for the proposal.
Rev. r. a. Mack Of Memphis cast
one of the negative votes: Rev. j. ;.
Peters. Virginia Conference, voted
against the measure, saying that he
had been instructed and could not 90
otherwise. He explained that he per
sonally favored the proposal. Rev.
". W. Scott, North Alabama Con
ference, refused to vote. The report
of the committee must be accepted
bv the conference before the matter
Is settled. Leaders tonight said that
a few die hards" on both sides may
attempt to fight the measure, but that
the conference as whole was hoping
for Just such a report.
Members of the committee Of in
vestigation and study are: Franklin
y. Parker, W. =. Few. Andrew SietG,
J. NJ. Rogers. T. d. Sanford. II. II.
White. Ivey l.. Holt. ]. w. Mills, NJ.
L. Lawson. II. c. Stewart. Nathan
Newly. A. p. Kasey. B. c. Burtis and
A. l.. Moore.
Constitution Is Delayed.
Afethodism in the South Will con
time without a constitution for at
least four years more. The General
Conference voted to send the pro
posed document back to a new COM
mission, and let it report at the next
General Conference after four out OF
eight articles had been adopted.
With the conference debating
clause giving laymen in the annual
conference a right TO separate vote
when one-third of them desire it, DR..
A. J. Lamar of the North Alabama
Conference moved to recommit the
entire constitution.
The motion prevailed, DIR. Lamar,
veteran Of many General Conferences,
came to the speakers stand with
tears in his eyes, and made stirring
plea for unity in the church and in
the conference.
"Our church is not in a good fix
as q people in the sight of God. We
are filled with suspicion and distrust
Cof each other. Our spiritual ex-
perience has been hurt. If the church
Is to accomplish great things these
conditions must cease DIR. Lamar
said. II have no AK to grind. You
can look at my graying head and tell
that am nearing the time when you
1T, 60
for the glory of God and the advance
ment of the church when I ask you
10 send this constitution back to an
other commission for four more years
Of work and study" he declared.
Opposes Adjournment.
The motion to recQmmit was passed
without a negative vote.
Immediately the conference began
the consideration of a motion to set
next Friday as the day for adjourn
ment. The move met with consider
able opposition. DR.. NJ. d. knicker-
booker. Dallas, Texas. speaking in
opposition to adjournment, declared
that the conference was Sufferlng
from a fear complex which is caus-
ing delegates to run from SUBJECTS
uppermost in the minds of the church
llle1llDelS. . =.
"This conference is afraid of itself.
We should pass a number OF legislac
tive measures here this session, but
this unitication business has got us
on the run. Let's defeat the motion
to adjourn and get down to business
he said.
The committee on episcopacy re-
ported to the conference today that
all bishops were to be continued in
active service and the characters or
all the bishops had been investigated
and passed by the committee.
1t is reported that DR.. Knicker-
booker will lead a fight on the con-
ference floor for the election of two
more bishops at this time.
Parliamentary Tangle.
Adjournment of the conference to-
day found it in the worst parlia-
mentary tangle seen this session.
Bishop w. B. Beauchamp, Nashville,
Tom. presiding, and all the secre-
taries could not keep up with the
string of motions, amendments and
offered. While Bishop