Milford chronicle., 1936-12-11
3 METHODIST GROUPS
MAY MERGE IN 1899

Official announcement of ratifca-
tiOn by the Methodist Protestant
Church of the proposed plan of union
for the three bodies of Methodists-
Methodist Episcopal. Methodist Prot
estant, and Methodist Episcopal
SOuth-was made last week by the
Rev. DR.. Jas. H. Straughn. president
of the General Conference Of the
Methodist Protestant Church.
Twenty OF twenty-five annual con-
/ ferences Of the NJ p. Church held
during the past few weeks have rati-
fed the proposal. This vote con-
cludes the Methodist Protestant
Church's part in the ratification.
It is estimated that when the Union
is consummated II will bring into
one body about 100000 members.
The NJ. E. Church is estimated as
having 4.296,2SS members; the M. E.
Church South has 2.725.954 cOmmuni-
cants. while the NJ. P. Church in the
United States has around 100000.
In the United Church, which is to
be known as The Methodist Church,
Pennsylvania would have 4S2,6OS
members, the largest number in the
country. Next would come Texas
and then Ohio. Maryland MethO-
dists Of a united church would num-
ber 165.9S1.
A sufficient number of favorable
votes have already been received in
the annual conferences of the Meth
Odist Episcopal Church to assure
ratification. A twO-thirds vote Of
both ministers and laymen voting at
annual conferences is required to
make legal ratification.
The General Conference of the NJ.
E. Church South will not meet until
1888. Most of the annual conferences
OF that church plan to vote on the
church merger before that time. One, |
the Northwest Conference, presided |
over by Bishop James Cannon. has |
met and voted for union.
The Methodist Protestant Church |
broke from the Methodist Episcopal
Church one hundred and eight years
ago. The second split in the Meth
Ddist ranks occurred in 1914.
The Methodist Protestant Church
going into the union is absorbed, but
not defeated. Lay representation,
equal to that Of the clergy, in ad-
of the church, both in
he annual. jurisdictional and gen
lral conferences is definitely written
IA the plan of union.
Everything that has been vital to
IS is In the new set-up. In dOctrinal
matters there will be no change. all
hree bodies being alike.
The plan of union provides that
he General Conference shall be
ompOsed Of not less than 600 nor
lore than 500 delegates, one-half of
'hOm shall be ministers and one
alf lay members, to be elected by
he annual conferences. The same
of lay representation is ap-
lied in the jurisdictiOnal and an
ual conferences. I
The personnel OF annual conferen-
IS will undergo considerable change a
y union. In a statement DR.. 4
says: .
Under plans for the Methodist
hurch merger, there is nothing b
,eking to close or consolidate Il
lurches in local communities until 4
e congregations of these churches N
sire such arrangements. II is very =
'Obable that i'm a united church will :
seen the futility of duplicating the
Drk of any community and there n
m be a desire on the part Of con-
egations to change such waste of . :,
'ort to more effective measures for -
rVing neighbOrhOOds. But the ~
an does not propose to fOist such ~
anges upon the membership Of az
urches. te
The contamination Of union, even 10
ratified by the Methodist Episco- 81
! and the Methodist Episcopal hf
urch South. cannot possibly take OF
ice until 1899. an iterim OF one
IT being required after the dl
arches have ratified, before the trl
ding Of the united conference. LEI