Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1928-05-04
METHODISTS GATHER
FOR GREAT MEETING
AT KANSAS CITY
rContinned from first Bagel


60 mn oOO annually for missions and be-
yavoIences and 100000 on churches
~ ministers: supports 1000 sales
Won" i'm foreign lands and has several
billion invested in church property.
FROM one mans conviction has come
an aggressive religious movement which
has swept on and on.
The general conference which will
meet in Kansas City in a transformed
convention hall, which a month later
will house the national Republican con-
vention, is the congress of this denomi-
nation, the forum where matters OF
church polity are thrashed out Blsh-
OBS named, church rules promulgated
and a world check-up on Methodlsm
made by experts from every corner OF
the far-flung field.
The mutitudes carrying on the in
spiration of Wesley. Whitefield and NC
Kendree-some estimate the NUMBER OF
visitors at 75,O0O-will assemble in
cathedral Convention Hall interior has
been remodeled, with transept ana
nave, special hangings and dlftused
lighting and a gigantic organ has Deeh
installed. 4
Business Side Kept in Mind
Metbodists do not belle their name
although in this day we term it ettclen-
CIV correlated effort or organization
The business side of the denomination
has never been lost sight OF in the zeal
TO bring souls into the Kingdom. IL is
not disparaging to say, the best Metho-
dist evangelist, although they prefer TO
term him a revivalist, has never for
gotten to take up collection. Inc
Methodists may differ, doctrinaliy out
never offertorially speaking-Method-
ism is big business functioning in the
aDDrOVed manner,
So the most important work OF Meth
Odism at the conference probably VIII
be done in committee meetings. with
millions expended annually and budgets
to draft, the accounting is no small part
of carrying on for the Lord. And some
of the best preaching MethodlstS DO is
articulate only through balanced DOCKS
and making both ends meet. II there is
a desire for a revival, the revival prop
ably will take place, but already the
word has gone forth for the delegates TO
save their energy until they return to
their fields. ...
These are some of the important
questions which will come before the
conference:
The election of five Bishops.
Limiting the tenure of Bishop TO
eight years instead of life.
The election of district superintend-
ents instead of appointment by the
decentralization of authority.
Better lay representation and voting
power. -
Methodism in the labor and capltal
THE The merger of Methodist North and
South. ,
world union of evangelical Protestant
churches.
The youth movement.
Cheers for Prohibition
One rousing, challenging meeting is
assured. When the Temperance Board
reports on the prohibition campaign the
Methodists are going to shoul anu
otherwise manifest their JOY at tts
campaign which they claim they set IN
motion When there was scoiilng as 10
a national prohibition campaign anu
political leaders were afraid TO atIehPt
it. the Methodists were carrying vi
their fight. Methodism has long been a
Zoe of the liquor traffic and it has
fought with every resource at ITS com
mand. Perhaps Methodism did turn the
other cheek, but it followed win wal Ea
lop that took the steam out oil It's Zoe.
Methodist militancy has blazed TO It's
highest degree in the battle against
liquor and it is no coincidence that Dr'
I NJ. Doran, Federal Prohibition Com
missioner, is an ordained MeIhouiSC
minister. He is boy trained ny me
Methodist Anti-Liquor Board, and ne |
learned how. ,r-.,--,.z,..
Peace will be provocative, Methodlsh
has many out-and-out paclfsts VINO re |
fuse to relent. Yet Methodism mas new /
or been a Stacker and its record SHOWS I
tba e11n never has been far from the I
Bible when it was necessary. Mucn uald
will be presented to show the enormous
cost of war in blood and treasure anu
the bishops will excoriate without quar-
ter. vet the rank and file Will not SUI
scribe to any spineless program tIaC
renders defenseless the very clVllizaIloh
they have helped to develop.
A convention which it is estimated |
will cost $100 a minute is not gong u
overlook the proper wiring for the Duz-
ger. This conference will travel by stop |
watch. No matter if the bishop from
Africa has something on his heart, II
he does not get it off in his allotted
thirty minutes the pressure will have
70 remain. The buzzer will apply only
to the day sessions, the real sessions OF
the conference. e
The public's share of the conference
will be the night sessions, when the
programs will include some OF the pest
known speakers in the world, the MIN
neapolis Symphony orchestra ana QUIET
entertainment.
Lavmen to Get More Power
The Law side of the conference will be
of more Importance this session. as II Is
expected to take action on a dhterehI
,nethod of representation at the general
Conferences which are held in the
smaller jurisdictions. Memorials Were
nassed at the conferences last year rec
ommending a larger lay Votlng power
The conference will be entertained
this year in a part of the nation Whlch
has much Methodist history. Methodism
was brought to this Missouri Na6ey
from the st. Louis conference IN 1851:
The Shawnee, Delaware and kaW IN
dams of the large kansas Ceiii'Oi'
came under Methodist influence
The spread of MethOdism was given
an usual impetus in 1843 When lne
Vvandot Methodists came from ONO 10
settle in Kansas. This remarkable IN
dian tribe, which has been Yart'4 ~,
credited with bringing into Delns t tne
Republican Party, was trleu III III
faith and inspired to spread the 5oSPei'
It's religious fervor dated from the ~
vival of John Stewart, a virginia P :al
Indian whose natural talent LOT slHsAi,e
made him welcome at every lndlan VII
lage. He worked westward with hymn
book and Bible and found nome WIFI
the Wyandots, among whom he organ
lied a Methodist society. Ste"aTt
spread Methodism Throughout Chio. ~
when the Wyandots came TO Kansas
they brought their church roll, MISSION
airy society and a minister. 1t was NOT
long until Methodism burned Win
new flame in the territory OF the nan
How true to form the Indians fol-
lowed the Wesley plan is shown Dy
Chief Grey Eye of the Wyandots. As !
soon as he built a Methodist church IN !
Kansas City, Kan, then Wyandotte, ne
said a school house was needed, too.
Thus Thu the school followed the church
and Mrs. Lucy Armstrong was the hrsI
teacher. The Indians were in advance
of their time, for in 1947 they organlz-
ed the first Sunday school in Kansas. '
- o4kIo CnoLo Pi10oI '