Richmond planet., 1928-06-02
A ME-. GENERAL CONFERENCE
CLOSES EVENTFUL SESSIONS
Four New Bishops Eleeted-Ah
Bishops Moved By Committee.

Flipper Opposes Organic Union.
(Bv r. A. Adams, Staff Writer for
Preston News Seryice)
Chicago, H., May 31.-The
"Taps have sounded" for the TWEEN
ty-eighth quadrennial session OF the
A. NJ. E. General Conference; the
doxology has been sung, the. oene--
diction has been pronounced, and
the delegates have returned home,
and the conference has become his
tory-part worthy and part IN
worthy.
Plenty of Noise.
As to noise and turbulence, the
conference measured up to its repu-
tation; in report of finance, 1t
made a commendable showing; In
holding the interests of the general
public and drawing great crowds ~
was a record-breaker; but, IN actual
accomplishments in moulding sentl-
ment in regard to great issues, 1t
was a disappointment, at least TO
many.
Cognizant of the mighty crime
wave sweeping the nation, Of the
rampant lawlessness everywhere IN
evidence, meeting in Chicago, one
of the most lawless cities OF the
world, knowing that the eyes OF the
world were on them and the ears
of the world strained to hear their
utterances, it was expected that
these-more than a thousand min
listers and laymen-would send
forth great pronouncements against
intemperance, crime, injustices,
graft, civic corruption, and would
urge law enforcement. But, in re-
gard tc these tremendous issues lit
tie was said.
Materialism Rampant.
Rampant, materialism, blatant
modernism, immoral and degrading
social customs, ultra worldliness
among church members were
touched very lightly. There was
presented and adopted no, great
program for missionary advance
ment; and great opportunities were
lost, because-irst place was given
to promotion of men, the election
of bishops and general officers,
rather than to the things which
count largely in human betterment.
Measured Up In A Few Things.
But the General Conference did
measure up in a few things, the
chief of which was its action in al
most unanimously approving the
plan for organic union between the
A. NJ. E. and the A. NJ. E. Zion
T1l.L.n A ;o;ot ooro,,,ittaa oon-
posed of bishops and laymen of
both churches presented plan en-
bodying these features: Name
United Methodist Episcopal Church;
the matter to be passed on by the
annual conferences and local
churches of both church connec-
tions: general conference of the
United church to be held in 1880;
arrangement in to thirty Episcopal
districts; arrangement for combina-
ton of departments and ALLEGATION
of officers to each denomination
during the first eight years.
Bishop Flipper Opposes
Organic union was bitterly op-
posed by Bishop j. Flipper on the
ground that the people are not
ready for 1t and Will never unite,
that the name "African" should
never be dropped, and that the
time is not ripe. Bishop H. Blan-
ton Parks, senior bishop of the
A. NJ. E. Church, Joined Bishop
Flipper in the contention and
offered a substitute to the effect
that the matter of organic union be
deferred for four years.
Younger Bishops Support Union.
Bishops R. G.. Ransom, w. T.
Vernon, W. D. Johnson, William A.
Fountain and John A. Gregg sup
ported the motion for organic
union. Bishop William H. Heard
joined Bishops Flipper and Parks
in opposition. The laymen of the
conference were enthusiastically in
favor of the union. DR.. John R.
Hawkins and the 'radical" Prof.
Ira r. Bryant have often disagreed