Evening star., 1948-05-02
Methodists 10 Spend
S100,o0O,OOO in Next
a Years on BUILDINGS
By Cospor Nonnes
BY sioff Correspondent Of Tn. stor

BY q Sioff Correspondent Of The Star
BOSTON. May 1.-The Methodist
Church plans to spend 100000, 900
during the next four years for hew
buildings throughout the Nation,
the denominations Board of Mis-
sions and Church Extension re-
ported today.
The report was made as the first
week of the two-week quadrennial
general conference of the Metho-
dist Church closed tonight in
Mechanics Hall here. A total of
BIT lay and 377 ministerial delegates,
representing $50 annual conferences
having membership of $500, 900.
are taking part in the church's
policy making sessions. The gen.
eral conference is scheduled to
close next Saturday.
A large part OF the 500 900 900
will 90 for the establishment of new
churches in or near large cities, the
report said. 1t pointed out the
approximately 1000 church and
church-school units are meeting in
stores, schoolhouses and Easements,
The abnormal population shifts
of the past few years call for a
revitalized church program in rural
areas, the report added. Many
churches in these areas
should be remodeled and reopened,
while in some cases the population
changes call for the erection of
new buildings in more strategic To-
cations. Overseas areas also have
need OF new churches, with
churches for Puerto Rico alone ex-
pected to cost s25O,O0O in the next
four years.
$4,000 Building Projects Aided.
During the last four years the
Board of Missions and associated
conferences Of the denomination
have aided in 16,403 church build
ing projects at total financial out
lay OF more than $20,00OOOO. The
Baltimore conference, to which
Methodist churches in the WASH
ington area belong, received $685.
1858 in donations and loans to
aid 343 churches.
A report by the American Bible
Society sets the share of the Meth
odist Church for postwar Bible pub
lication and distribution at $l9l 500
annually. The Bible Society report
said the postwar fund goal has been
set at $2,0l0,7O0 to provide 1885,
600 Scriptures. OF these, 100000
will be sent to Germany, 1,725 900
to Japan and l,7l2,0O0 to Russia.
Feature of the conference tomor-
row will be an address by the
Right Rev. Henry Knox Sheriff..
presiding bishop of the Protestant
Episcopal Church, at an ecumenical
service in the afternoon. Mrs. John
D. Bragg of st. Louis, president,
Women's Division of Christian
Service, will address a meeting OF
the conference tonight.
Resolutions to Reach Floor.
RESOLUTIONS calling for church
action on such diverse topics as
international relations, universal
military training. racial disccimi-
nation, marriage and divorce,
temperance, communism, labor and
social action will reach the floor
OF the convention starting Monday.
I Civil Service Con missioner Arth,,r
S. Flemming, president of the Wash
1ngton Federation of Churches, will
address the conference Monday
night. v. X. Wellington Koo.
Chinese Ambassador to the United
States, and John Foster Dulles,
United States delegate to the United
Nations, will speak Tuesday night
and Representative Judd, Republi-
can, of Minnesota, on Wednesday,
0. Maxim, lay delegate to the con-
Australian Ambassador Norman