Evening star., 1952-04-30
Methodists Divided
Over Proposal 10
Reorganize Church
BY Cospor Nonnes
BY O Stor Stoff Correspondent

SAN FRANCISCO, April 80
Debate over a survey commission
report aimed at streamlining thu
Methodist Church structure re.
veals how difficult it is to institut,
reforms pleasing to all.
Delegates to the Methodist Gen.
eral Conference here show sharr
disagreement over the three-year
$24O,OO0 survey submitted by 6
26-member commission set up by
the denominations 1948 Bostor
meeting. Bishop j. Ralph Magee
of Chicago is commission chair.
man.
Aims for Impartial Survey.
Primary aim of the survey was
ito make an impartial and objec-
tive study Of all general boards
and service agencies of the Meth.
odist Church so as ito reduce
duplication and overlapping and
to increase the efficiency and econ
omy of their operation.
Seven major recommendations
were submitted to achieve these
aims.
They are:
!. Establish a new, official
Board of Social and Economic Re-
lationS. It would make material
available to church members con-
corning social and economic re-
lations, and forward the church's
social creed. The board would
work with other general agencies
in service projects where Meth
odist youth could render Chris
tian service.
2. Reduce general agencies by
SO per cent. The present SO agen-
cies would be cut to 81 by assign
ing functions of interboard agen-
cies to one of their parent bodies
and eliminating quadrennial COM
missions and committees.
3. Form a 32-member top-level
Co-ordinating Council. This coun-
Gil would review questions of over
tapping, resolve differences be-
tween general agencies and con-
slider long-range objectives fo1
the denomination.
Promotion Material Cut.
4. Reduce promotional material
and periodicals. Material woulc
be channeled through a newly
created Department of Cultivation
and Publication. For example
one monthly promotional publ.
cation would be sent to pastors
and church leaders instead ot
numerous ones from seperate
agencies. Three magazines fol
pastors would be incorporated into
one.
5. Board membership would be
cut 20.5 per cent, from 1888 to 58T
voting members. Proponents o1
the plan contend that while mos
board memberships would be
smaller now, a wider representa-.
tion within the denomination
would be achieved by provisions
set up for this purpose.
6. Eventually locate all major
general agencies within an ares
bounded by Chicago. st. Louis
Nashville and Cincinnati. Meth.
odist general agencies are now ir
these cities and New York, Phil.
adelphia, Washington and Louis.
vile, Ky. The aim is to save time
and money through a concentra.
ton of the agencies. Only ex.
ception would be the Commission
on Chaplins. 1t now is located il
Washington and would remair
there.
Responsibilities Increased.
7. Increase responsibilities o.
Council, now Commission, or
World Service and Finance. Il
now handles all general church
funds and reviews budgets o.
world service agencies. Under
proposed setup, the council alst
would supervise present Statistica
and transportation bureaus anc
eventually would develop a per.
sonnel registration bureau.
According to sponsors of tht
plan. the agencies would save
$4,000 by cO-Ordinating the:]
promotional mailings. If the pro.
vision for reducing staff perSonne
Is adopted, nearly 100000 more
would be saved-a total of ST.
$4,000 annually.